English, baby!

简体
one step at a time
一步一个脚印

Date: May 30 2013

Themes: Sports

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Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

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“I’m not even thinking about that right now. Swimming is my focus and that’s all I can think about right now. One step at a time.”
- Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte on what he wants to do when his swimming career is over (Parade)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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pay attention to now rather than worrying about the future; slowly and carefully

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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Sometimes doing something new with your life is so overwhelming. Let’s say you’ve decided that you want to change what you’re studying in school. You’ve been studying literature, but now you really want to study chemistry. There’s so much to learn, though! The only way to do it is to break up the huge amount of information into smaller bits. You have to be patient and take it one step at a time.

You use this expression because, truly, learning or doing something new is like a journey. And if you want to get from your house to your neighbor’s, you can’t just close your eyes and get there. You have to take the steps needed to get from point A to point B. Whether you get there quickly or slowly, you always have to take the journey one step at a time.

It can be especially important to think in this way when you’re about to make a big change in your life. Ryan Lochte is always being asked what he’s going to do when he retires from swimming. He knows that he needs to be patient, though, because he’s not even finished swimming yet. The first step he needs to take is to continue to swim for as long as he wants to. The next step will be to decide what comes next. He’s moving one step at a time.

Are you good at taking things one step at a time, or do you get impatient? When was a time that you made a big change in your life?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

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“I tend to get impatient, but my mom reminds me to take things one step at a time.”

“Unfortunately, you can’t learn English in one day. You need to slow down and take it one step at a time.”

“Let’s not rush things with our relationship, okay? I’d prefer to go slow and take it one step at a time.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

	doing what you like in a present time by Olivine
	To go slowly enjoying the process of what we are doing. by Julissita
	involving in one matter in one time and do not deal with several items by mohsen999
	step by step, gradually by Plx
	It means stap by step. by rbair30
	gradually or slowly by shaerwan
	every time we should focus on one thing. by a2020
	Step by step by cubi1604
	Do things in order and one by one. Focusing on just one thing for a specific time. by zhaleh hoor
	do or think one thing only at a time. No distraction on what you do right now. by angie.liu
	To concentrate on one thing for a while. by tatuka
	thing should be done one by one, finishing one thing then doing the other by dearpesar
	The phrase means gradually but steadily. by Talia Do

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Comments

vocalbaby

India

❝If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.❞

Nijar

Egypt

ِA true said from a true swimmer, I do really believe that those who stuck with sea stuff have patience,endurance,and calm characteristic which lead them to the good thinking and choices!!

Who do not want to discover its secrets?? even she wants!!

santo0712

Brazil

I think “One step at time”, can means ” make the right thing in right time, and right way.

ola33

Japan

Something like opposite to multitasking and according to the picture, there shoud be a giant foot size and a giant, respectivley, step – to catch up with multitasking achievements, I think :)

MESS

Turkey

I know this feeling very well. You get a lot of plans in your mind and want to accomplish them at a time, not one by one but all of them at the same time, but it does not work that way.

I have also been under the illusion that I can go through all of my career plans, open up a new business which has nothing to do with my area of studies, and also, maintain another work regarding my field. I wanted to take several steps at a time and failed. Not like a real failure, though. I did not lose any money but my plans went up in smoke. However, I learnt a good lesson that I cannot really jump if I do not know how to walk without stumbling. First baby steps and then, larger steps. It does not happen in an instant. It takes time and that requires patience. :)

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

I’m very patient person. Moreover, some people consider that sometimes I am too patient. But I think that it is a good peculiarity and usually patience isn’t too much. I’m sure that everything is good in its season, so you have to do everything one step at a time in any situations.

There are many examples of such cases in our lives. For example, you begin to lead the big project at your work. It seems so huge that you don’t imagine how realize it. The most important thing in such cases don’t panic and keep calm. Then you need think of everything one step at a time: every detail, timings, responsible persons etc. Moreover you always need to have clear-cut plan of actions and follow it. Then you finish your project as soon as practicable successfully. As they say is: “What the eyes fear, the hands do”.