I Can't Make Up My Mind!

6 phrases from “I Can't Make Up My Mind!”

Each phrase has a plain explanation and real lines from the show. Tap “Hear it” to jump to that moment.

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00:00Intro

RyanHey Mia! Are you ready for lunch today? I am so hungry right now!

MiaI am very hungry too, Ryan! What do you want to eat today? There is a brand new sandwich shop down the street that just opened.

RyanOh no, Mia! Please do not ask me that question right now!

MiaHaha! Why not, Ryan? It is just a simple lunch question!

RyanBecause I have a big problem today, Mia. I cannot make up my mind!

MiaHaha! Make up my mind! That is our hero phrase for today! Make up my mind — it means to decide what you want or what to choose. When you cannot make up your mind, you cannot decide!

RyanYes, exactly! My brain is completely stuck today. I stand in front of the menu and I just freeze up!

MiaPoor Ryan! Well, today we are talking all about making choices and decisions in our daily English conversation.

RyanThat is right! We have six great everyday phrases for you today, and our hero phrase is make up my mind.

MiaWe will also learn take a look, figure out, change my mind, go for it, and call it a day!

RyanAnd stay tuned for Block 2, because Mia is going to share a crazy scientific fact about why having too many menu choices actually makes our brains tired and sad!

MiaYes! It is a super cool fact. But first, Ryan, tell me about your crazy sandwich story from yesterday afternoon!

MiaAlright Ryan, why were you standing at the sandwich shop counter for so long yesterday?

RyanOh Mia, it was so embarrassing! I walked into the sandwich shop at twelve o'clock peak lunch hour. There was a huge colorful menu board on the wall with dozens of options.

MiaOkay, a big menu board is usually good! You have so many different options to choose from!

RyanNo, Mia! That was the big problem! First, the worker behind the counter asked me, what kind of bread do you want today? White bread, wheat bread, garlic butter bread, or honey oat bread?

MiaHaha! That is four different kinds of fresh bread!

RyanRight! So I stood there looking at the breads for two minutes. I could not make up my mind! The worker was staring at me. The people behind me in line were staring at me!

MiaOh no! Was there a really long line of hungry people behind you?

RyanYes! There were about fifteen hungry people standing behind me in line! My hands started to get cold and sweaty.

MiaWhat happened next? Did you finally pick the bread?

RyanI picked white bread just to be safe. But then the worker asked, what cheese do you want? American cheese, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, or spicy pepper jack cheese?

MiaOh boy! Another big choice right after the bread!

RyanExactly! Again, I stood there like a statue. I could not make up my mind! I started sweating even more. Then came the meats, the fresh vegetables, and the six different sandwich sauces!

MiaOh my goodness! How long did you stand there in total, Ryan?

RyanI stood there for ten whole minutes! People in line were loud sighing and looking at their watches. One tall man behind me actually said, come on buddy, it is just a sandwich, make up your mind!

MiaHaha! That is hilarious! You really cannot make up your mind when there are too many choices!

RyanI know! In the end, I was so stressed out that I just ordered a plain cheese sandwich! I did not even get any meat, lettuce, tomatoes, or sauce!

MiaHaha! All that long waiting for just plain bread and cheese!

RyanYes! And that embarrassing moment brings us right to our surprise fact for today, Mia!

MiaThat is right! Did you know that famous psychologists studied this exact decision problem? When people have too many choices, like twenty kinds of fruit jam or thirty kinds of sandwich toppings, their brains get exhausted!

RyanReally? Why does our brain get exhausted like that?

MiaScientists call it choice overload! When you have only two or three choices, it is very easy to decide. But when you have twenty or thirty choices, you worry that you will make a bad mistake! So you take much longer to decide, you feel stressed out, and in the end, you are actually less happy with your final choice!

RyanThat is so true, Mia! When I had four bread options, four cheese options, and six sauce options, I was so worried about making the wrong sandwich!

MiaYes! So next time you go to a sandwich shop, just pick the very first item you see! Do not try to make up your mind about every tiny detail!

RyanHaha, I will definitely try! But now let's take a look at our other great phrases for today!

RyanOkay Mia, after my terrible sandwich experience yesterday, I needed to take a look at some other food places nearby!

MiaTake a look — it means to look at something for a short time or to examine it carefully! For example, let's take a look at the menu!

RyanYes! Before I walk into any new restaurant now, I always open my phone and take a look at their online menu at home.

MiaThat is a very smart idea, Ryan! If you take a look at the menu before you arrive at the restaurant, you do not feel rushed by the people waiting behind you in line!

RyanExactly. I take a look at the photos, read all the prices, and choose my lunch in peace.

MiaBut Ryan, after you take a look at the online menu, do you easily figure out what you want to order?

RyanFigure out — it means to understand something clearly or to find the answer to a problem!

MiaYes! To figure out means to solve a problem in your head or find the right answer. For example, I need to figure out what clothes to wear today!

RyanRight! Sometimes it takes me ten minutes to figure out what I want to eat. I read every single item on the menu to figure out which dish tastes the absolute best.

MiaAre you Team Prep or Team Surprise, Ryan? Do you figure out your meal order before you go out, or do you figure out your meal order at the restaurant table?

RyanI am definitely Team Prep! I like to figure out everything early. What about you, Mia?

MiaOh, I am Team Surprise! I never look at the menu early on my phone. I just walk in, sit down, open the paper menu, and make up my mind in ten seconds!

RyanWow, ten seconds? You can make up your mind that fast?

MiaYes! I just pick the first dish that looks delicious. But sometimes, right after the waiter leaves, I change my mind!

RyanChange my mind — it means to decide something different than what you decided before!

MiaExactly! To change my mind means to alter your decision. For example, I wanted iced coffee, but then I changed my mind and got hot green tea instead!

RyanOh, I do that all the time! Yesterday I told the waiter I wanted grilled chicken. But then I saw the table next to us eating fresh hot pizza, so I quickly changed my mind and said, wait, I want pizza instead!

MiaHaha! Changing your mind at the very last second is so common!

RyanIt really is! But when you see something really delicious on the table next to you, you just have to go for it!

MiaGo for it — it means to try something with confidence or to do it without any hesitation!

RyanYes! To go for it means to take the chance and just do it! If you see a special dessert on the menu, do not wait, just go for it!

MiaI love that phrase so much! When I was visiting Paris last year, I saw French snails on the menu. I was a little scared at first, but my friend said, come on Mia, go for it! So I ordered them!

RyanWow! Did you like the snails after you decided to go for it?

MiaThey were actually super delicious with garlic and butter! I was so glad I decided to go for it!

RyanThat is awesome! And speaking of food decisions, Mia, I have an amazing Oh Moment statistic for you today!

MiaOoh, tell me! What is the interesting statistic?

RyanResearchers asked thousands of people about their restaurant habits. Guess what percentage of people order the exact same meal every single time they visit their favorite restaurant?

MiaHmm, is it thirty percent?

RyanHigher than that!

MiaFifty percent?

RyanIt is sixty-eight percent! Sixty-eight percent of people order the exact same dish every single time they go!

MiaWow! Sixty-eight percent? Why do so many people do that?

RyanBecause people do not want to risk getting bad food! Once they figure out one dish that tastes great, they stick with it so they do not have to make up their mind again!

MiaHaha, that makes total sense! Deciding new things takes mental energy. Once you find a great pasta, you just order it every time!

RyanExactly! And after a long day of making constant choices at work, at lunch, and at home, my brain just wants to call it a day!

MiaCall it a day — it means to stop working or to finish what you are doing for the rest of the day!

RyanYes! To call it a day means to stop your work and take a good rest. For example, it is five o'clock, let's call it a day and go home!

MiaThat is such a useful phrase! When you are tired after studying English for an hour, you can say, okay, I worked hard today, let's call it a day!

RyanYou know Mia, these phrases are not just for food! I had to figure out a huge problem at work last week.

MiaOh really? What happened at work? Did you have to make up your mind about a big project?

RyanYes! My boss asked me to choose between two different software programs for our new computers. I had to take a look at both options very carefully.

MiaThat sounds like a stressful decision! How did you figure out which one was better?

RyanWell, I spent three whole days testing both programs. I finally decided to go for the first option because it was much faster.

MiaThat is great! But did you ever change your mind after you made the choice?

RyanYes, I actually did! On Friday morning, I saw a brand new update for the second program, so I changed my mind at the last second and told my boss we need the second one!

MiaWow! Changing your mind at work can be scary, but sometimes you just have to go for it if it is the right choice.

RyanExactly! And after that crazy week of testing and making up my mind, I told my boss on Friday afternoon that I was going home early to call it a day!

MiaHaha, you definitely deserved a good rest after figuring out all those software problems!

MiaNow it is time for our practical test! Ryan, I am going to give you six daily life situations. You must react to each one using our key phrases! Are you ready?

RyanI am completely ready, Mia! Bring on situation number one!

MiaSituation number one: You are standing at an ice cream shop with thirty different colorful flavors. The line behind you is getting very long, and the server asks what flavor you want. What do you do?

RyanOh man! First, I take a quick look at the chocolate and strawberry flavors. Then I realize I cannot make up my mind, so I just pick mint chocolate chip and go for it!

MiaHaha, great answer! Mint chocolate chip is always a fantastic choice!

MiaSituation number two: You planned to stay home and cook dinner tonight. But your best friend calls you at six o'clock and says there is a brand new taco truck open downtown. What do you say?

RyanI say, oh wow, I change my mind immediately! I am not cooking tonight! Let's go for tacos right now!

MiaHaha, yes! Fresh tacos always win over cooking at home!

MiaSituation number three: You are trying to buy a new laptop online, but there are ten different models with different prices and sizes. You feel totally overwhelmed by the options. What do you do?

RyanI sit down with a hot cup of coffee, take a look at the customer reviews online, and try to figure out which laptop is the best quality for my budget!

MiaExcellent! Taking a look at online reviews is the best way to figure out what to buy!

MiaSituation number four: You have been studying for your big English exam for six hours straight. Your eyes are tired and your brain feels completely full. What do you say to yourself?

RyanI stand up from my desk, stretch my arms, and say, okay Ryan, you studied very hard today. It is time to call it a day and get a good night of sleep!

MiaPerfect! Calling it a day when you are tired helps your brain remember everything you learned!

MiaSituation number five: You are standing in front of your closet in the morning. You have twenty shirts hanging up, but you feel like you have nothing to wear. What happens?

RyanI spend ten long minutes looking at all my clothes, trying to make up my mind! In the end, I just grab my favorite simple blue T-shirt like I do every single morning!

MiaHaha! That sounds like most people every morning!

MiaSituation number six: You are looking at a restaurant menu and you see a strange dessert called fried ice cream. You have never tried it before, but it sounds very interesting. What do you do?

RyanI stop doubting myself, smile at the waiter, and say, I want to go for it! Please bring me the fried ice cream right now!

MiaAwesome job, Ryan! You passed all six daily situations with flying colors!

RyanWow, that was so much fun, Mia! Making choices in English is easy when you know these phrases!

MiaIt really is! Let me review our six key phrases one more time for all our listeners!

RyanOur hero phrase for today is make up my mind, which means to decide what to choose.

MiaThen we had take a look, which means to look at something for a short time.

RyanNext was figure out, which means to understand or solve a problem in your head.

MiaThen change my mind, which means to decide something different than before.

RyanAfter that was go for it, which means to try something with confidence.

MiaAnd finally, call it a day, which means to stop working and rest for the day!

RyanNow, here is your small daily English challenge for tomorrow morning!

MiaTomorrow, whenever you have to make a small choice — like choosing what to drink or what movie to watch — say out loud in English: I make up my mind!

RyanYes! Say it out loud and feel confident in your choice every single time!

MiaThank you so much for listening to English Podcast today!

RyanDo not forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and tell us: do you make up your mind quickly, or do you take a long time to decide?

MiaSee you next time, everyone! Keep practicing your everyday English!

RyanBye-bye!