Sometimes We 'Spread Ourself Too Thin' - January 20, 2025

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1. 0:01And
2. 0:09now, words and their stories from VOA Learning English.
3. 0:20Today, we talk about our busy lives.
4. 0:25Many people have family and work responsibilities.
5. 0:30We might have religious or community activities.
6. 0:35Taking care of our health is also important.
7. 0:38And let's not forget about our personal projects, our interests, and our friendships.
8. 0:47With everything on our plate, it is easy to feel overwhelmed,
9. 0:53overextended, and overcommitted.
10. 0:57However, if we try to do too much, we may spread ourselves too thin.
11. 1:03This expression means, we have taken on too much.
12. 1:09We are pushed to the limit.
13. 1:12People who are spread too thin take on too many jobs, projects, or goals.
14. 1:20The heavy load requires more energy or attention than they possess.
15. 1:27If we work on many projects simultaneously,
16. 1:31or at the same time, it is possible that none will get done well if they get done at all.
17. 1:40And it is possible such multitasking could stress us out.
18. 1:47Being spread too thin can also be described as biting off more than we can chew.
19. 1:54When we bite off more than we can chew, we attempt to do more than is possible.
20. 2:01Now, let's hear some of these terms and expressions used in a conversation.
21. 2:07So, how are your classes going?
22. 2:10Not great. Many of my best students are failing my course.
23. 2:16They all missed an important deadline for a project.
24. 2:20That's strange.
25. 2:23What else do they have going on?
26. 2:25A lot. They are all performing in the same play.
27. 2:30So they have had rehearsals every night for the past month, and many have part-time jobs as well.
28. 2:40Sounds like they've spread themselves too thin.
29. 2:43They've got too much going on.
30. 2:46I think you're right.
31. 2:48So, what are you going to do?
32. 2:51Well, first I'll extend the deadline.
33. 2:56And then I'm going to warn them about biting off more than they can chew.
34. 3:04And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
35. 3:08Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.