Speaker A
English Leap Podcast from [music]. Speak English with Claus. Hey, English learners, welcome back to the English Leap Podcast. Your English podcast for daily life English, real conversations, and easy English listening practice.
Learn how to avoid wasting time and improve your English with practical tips and real-life examples in this easy English podcast.
Key Takeaways
- Wasting time means using it on unimportant or unhelpful activities, leading to regret.
- Small, clear goals help maintain focus and reduce time wasted deciding what to do next.
- Using small pockets of free time daily can accumulate significant learning progress.
- Making learning enjoyable increases motivation and reduces stress.
- Rest is essential and should be viewed as recharging, not wasting time.
Summary
- The podcast discusses the importance of not wasting time, equating time to life itself.
- Hosts Anna and Jake explain what wasting time means and how it feels like regret after unproductive activities.
- They share personal stories illustrating common time-wasting habits, especially with digital distractions.
- The first tip is to make a tiny, clear plan for English learning, like setting small achievable goals.
- The second tip encourages using 'pocket time'—small free moments throughout the day for English practice.
- The third tip is to make learning English fun by connecting it to enjoyable activities like music.
- They emphasize being intentional with time and avoiding vague goals to reduce wasted effort.
- The podcast also highlights the importance of balance and rest as part of effective learning.
- Listeners are encouraged to engage by commenting and sharing their own experiences.
- The episode ends with a call to action to subscribe, like, and continue learning with related videos.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Small Talk
- 01:19Topic Introduction: Don’t Waste Your Time
- 02:32What Does Wasting Time Mean?
- 04:49Personal Story: Losing Time on Videos
- 06:25Tips to Stop Wasting Time
- 07:18Tip 1: Make a Tiny Plan
- 10:07Tip 2: Use Your Pocket Time
- 13:48Tip 3: Make English Fun
- 18:27Summary, Engagement, and Closing
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Yeah, this is the place where you learn real English from real talk, not from boring grammar books.
Speaker A
I'm Anna. And I'm Jake. So, Jake, how are you today? Did you have a busy day?
Speaker A
Yeah, a little busy. I had work in the morning and then I went to the gym, but I feel good now. How about you, Anna?
Speaker A
I'm good, but a bit tired. I slept late last night because I was watching a movie.
Speaker A
Ah, so you were maybe wasting a little time. [laughter]
Speaker A
Maybe just a little, but it was a nice movie. And today I'm happy because we can talk with our listeners again.
Speaker A
Same here. It always feels nice to sit down, talk with you, and help people with their English.
Speaker A
Yes, it feels like we are all in one big room together. Okay, small talk finished. Now, let's get into our topic.
Speaker A
Yes. Before we start wasting their time, [laughter] right, today we have a very important topic. Don't waste your time.
Speaker A
Yeah, time is life. If we waste our time, we are wasting our life a little bit.
Speaker A
Ouch. That sounds serious. But don't worry, we're going to keep it fun and simple.
Speaker A
Yes. And before we start, hm, we want to ask you for a small favor.
Speaker A
Yeah. If you enjoyed this podcast, please like this episode, subscribe, and share it with a friend who is learning English.
Speaker A
Mhm. Especially that friend who always says, "I have no time to study English." But then spends one hour scrolling on their phone. [laughter] We all know that friend. Sometimes it's us. [laughter]
Speaker A
Yes. Okay, let's talk about what don't waste your time really means. So, Anna, let me ask you first. What does waste your time mean in simple words?
Speaker A
H, good question. To waste time means you use your time for something that is not important and not helpful for you.
Speaker A
Right? So it's not just fun or not fun. It's about if it helps you or not.
Speaker A
Exactly. Think about time like water from a bottle.
Speaker A
H, water from a bottle. Yes. You only have a certain amount of water in the bottle. If you pour it on the floor, you can't drink it later.
Speaker A
That is like wasting time.
Speaker A
Ah, I like that. Time is like water. If I just pour it on the floor, I can't use it again.
Speaker A
Yes. When you use your time on things that don't help you learn, don't help you grow, and don't help you rest, then you are just pouring your time on the floor.
Speaker A
And sometimes we know it, right? We finish and we feel, "Why did I do that?"
Speaker A
Exactly. That feeling of regret. I could use that time for something better is a clear sign that maybe we wasted our time.
Speaker A
Yeah. Like when I say I will watch one short video and then 40 minutes later I'm still there and I don't even remember what I watched.
Speaker A
[laughter] Yes, that happens to so many people. So now we know the meaning. Let's talk about how we can stop wasting time especially when we are learning English.
Speaker A
Okay, maybe I can start with a story.
Speaker A
Yes, good idea. Stories help us remember.
Speaker A
So, one day last month, I was working on my computer. My brain felt tired, and I said, I will take a 10-minute break.
Speaker A
That sounds like a good plan. I sat on the sofa, opened my phone, and started watching a funny video. I laughed. It was nice. Then another video started. I thought, "Okay, just one more." Very famous sentence. Just one more.
Speaker A
Yes, [laughter] just one more. After some time, I felt a little strange. I checked the clock and 1 hour and 15 minutes had passed.
Speaker A
Whoa, that's a big 10-minute break.
Speaker A
Exactly. And the problem was I didn't feel happy after that. I felt empty, a little guilty, and more tired.
Speaker A
Yes, that's the feeling of time going away like sand in your hands. You open your fingers and it just falls.
Speaker A
That's a good picture. Sand in my hands. So after that day, I said, "Okay, I need to be more intentional with my time." Intentional means you do something on purpose, not by accident.
Speaker A
Right? And today we want to share some tips that helped us and can help you too.
Speaker A
Yes, simple tips with small stories so you can remember them easily. Okay, Anna, what is the first tip?
Speaker A
Tip number one, make a tiny plan. Tiny, not big.
Speaker A
Yes, tiny. Think of a plan like a GPS in your car.
Speaker A
GPS. Okay, I like that. When you don't put any address in the GPS, the car can go anywhere. You can drive in circles, you waste petrol, and you waste time, right? You just drive and drive with no final place.
Speaker A
But when you put one simple address, the GPS tells you, "Turn here, go straight, you will arrive." So, a tiny plan is like putting the address for your day.
Speaker A
Exactly. Many learners say today I will improve my English. But that is too big, too vague.
Speaker A
Vague means not clear.
Speaker A
Yes, it's not clear. So instead, make a tiny plan like today I will learn three new words. Today I will listen to 10 minutes of an English podcast. Today I will read one page of a story.
Speaker A
That feels lighter. I have a small personal example.
Speaker A
Yeah, tell us.
Speaker A
When I started learning another language, I told myself every day I will study for 1 hour. It was too big for me.
Speaker A
I got tired. I skipped days and I felt bad.
Speaker A
I understand. Then I changed the plan. I said, "Every day I will do 10 minutes. That's all." Some days I did more, but my promise to myself was just 10 minutes.
Speaker A
And did that work better?
Speaker A
Yes, much better. I could keep my promise. I didn't feel scared to start.
Speaker A
And every time I finished, I felt proud. So the metaphor is a tiny plan is like a small clear address in your GPS. You don't wander around. You know where to go.
Speaker A
Exactly. And when you know where to go, you waste less time thinking, "What should I do now?" That's a powerful first tip. So, what's the second tip?
Speaker A
H, tip number two, use your pocket time.
Speaker A
Pocket time.
Speaker A
Yes. Think of time like coins.
Speaker A
Okay, I'm listening.
Speaker A
During the day you have some big coins like 1 hour blocks but you also have many small coins 5 minutes here, 7 minutes there, 3 minutes there.
Speaker A
Ah, like when I wait for the bus or I sit in a taxi or I wait in a line.
Speaker A
Exactly. Many people throw these small coins in the trash. They just scroll, scroll, scroll.
Speaker A
Mhm. Yes, I do that sometimes.
Speaker A
But if you collect these small coins, you can buy something big.
Speaker A
That's a nice picture. Small coins become a big amount. For example, you can review your three new words while you wait for the bus.
Speaker A
Listen to five minutes of an English podcast while you wash the dishes. Read five lines of a story while you wait for your coffee.
Speaker A
H, that feels very realistic. I have a friend who improved her English mostly in pocket time.
Speaker A
Really?
Speaker A
Yes. She has two kids and a job, so she is very busy. She said to me, "I never have one full hour, but I have many small minutes."
Speaker A
Mhm. I like that.
Speaker A
So, she used those minutes. 5 minutes walking to the bus, 10 minutes at lunch, 7 minutes before sleep. After a few months, she noticed that she understood more and could speak better.
Speaker A
So, those little coins turned into a big treasure.
Speaker A
Exactly. If you don't want to waste time, start using your pocket time. Even five minutes can be useful.
Speaker A
H, maybe our listeners can think now, where are my pocket times in the day?
Speaker A
Yes, that's a good question. Okay, what about the third tip?
Speaker A
H, tip number three, make English fun, right? Because if it feels like punishment, you will run away from it.
Speaker A
True. Imagine you are a child and every time you play, someone shouts, "Do it perfectly. Don't make mistakes." The child will stop playing.
Speaker A
Yes, learning is the same. Your brain doesn't like constant stress. If English always feels heavy and serious, your brain says, "No thanks." So, how can we turn English into a game, not a punishment?
Speaker A
We can connect English to things we already like. For example, I love music.
Speaker A
Yes. Tell us.
Speaker A
I remember one song that really helped me. I printed the lyrics, the words of the song, and listened again and again.
Speaker A
I circled new words. I sang in the shower. I tried to copy the singer's voice. It was fun and I learned a lot.
Speaker A
H, that's a good story. What about y
Speaker A
want to waste your time. First, we said intentional. M right. When you are intentional, you do something on purpose, not by accident.
Speaker A
For example, I am intentional with my time. I choose to study English for 10 minutes. or I want to be more intentional and stop scrolling for one hour.
Speaker A
Then we had the word vague. Yes, vague means not clear. For example, improve my English is a vague plan.
Speaker A
But learn three new words today is clear, not vague. We also talked about pocket time. H yes pocket time is not in the dictionary but it's a nice picture.
Speaker A
It means those small pieces of time in your day like 5 or 10 minutes when you are waiting.
Speaker A
You can say I use my pocket time to listen to English or I want to stop wasting my pocket time on random videos.
Speaker A
Then we said distracted. M yes distracted means you cannot focus because your attention is jumping to many things.
Speaker A
For example, I feel distracted when my phone is next to me while I study or the TV makes me distracted when I try to read.
Speaker A
And we use the phrase time thief. I like this one. [laughter] A time thief is something that steals your time without giving you anything good.
Speaker A
For example, mindless scrolling is a time thief for me. Or I turned off notifications because they were big time thieves.
Speaker A
We also talked about invest like you invested your time. M yes invest means you use time, money or energy now to get something better in the future.
Speaker A
For example, when I listen to an English podcast, I invest my time in my future.
Speaker A
Or you didn't waste this episode. You invested your time in learning. We said routine too. M yes your routine is the normal order of things you do every day.
Speaker A
For example, my morning routine is wake up, make coffee and listen to English. Or I want to add 10 minutes of reading to my evening routine.
Speaker A
And one more beautiful word, balance. M yes balance is when different parts are in a good mix. Not too much, not too little.
Speaker A
For example, I want a balance between work, English, fun, and rest. Or a healthy life is about balance, not only work or only fun.
Speaker A
If you didn't catch every word, it's okay. You can listen to this part again slowly.
Speaker A
And if you want a small challenge, choose one of these words and make your own sentence.
Speaker A
You can say it in your head or be brave and write it in the comments.
Speaker A
That's like sending your English brain to the gym. [laughter] Yeah, a small friendly gym where everyone is learning together.
Speaker A
So, if someone is listening and thinking, okay, this sounds nice, but what should I do today? What can we tell them? Um, let's give them simple steps.
Speaker A
All right. Step one, choose one tiny English goal for today. For example, I will learn three new words from this episode.
Speaker A
Step two, decide when you will do it. Maybe during your pocket time, on the bus, during lunch, or before bed.
Speaker A
Mhm. Step three, make it a little fun. Maybe listen to a song, use a show you like, or relisten to a part of this podcast.
Speaker A
Step four, after you finish, say something kind to yourself. Mhm. Like, nice. I used my time well.
Speaker A
Or, good job. I did my small plan. That small sentence can change how you feel about learning.
Speaker A
Yes, you stop being your own enemy and become your own coach. H, I like that. your own coach.
Speaker A
Okay, let's quickly recap our tips so you can remember them. Good idea. Tip one, make a tiny plan like a GPS address for your day.
Speaker A
Tip two, use your pocket time, the small time coins in your day. Tip three, make English fun. Turn learning into a game, not a punishment.
Speaker A
Tip four, watch out for time thieves. Protect yourself from endless scrolling and random distractions.
Speaker A
Tip five, remember that rest is not wasting time. It's charging your battery. M, that's a beautiful summary.
Speaker A
Thanks. And we want to say this clearly. Your time is valuable. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to use your time a little better each day.
Speaker A
Yes. Even 10 good minutes every day can change your English over time. Mhm. And we believe you can do that.
Speaker A
Now it's your turn. Yes. Question for you. What is one thing that wastes your time? And what is one small change you will make after listening to this episode?
Speaker A
Please write your answer in the comments. Your idea might help another learner too. And if this episode helped you, please like, subscribe, and share it with a friend who also doesn't want to waste their time.
Speaker A
Thank you so much for spending this time with us. You didn't waste it, you invested it in yourself.
Speaker A
M yes, we're proud of you. This was the English Leap podcast with Anna and Jake.
Speaker A
Until next time, use your time well and be kind to yourself. Bye everyone. Bye-bye. Take care.
Speaker A
Your progress doesn't end here. To continue advancing your English skills, [music] click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you.
Topics:learn Englishtime managementEnglish podcastEnglish conversationEnglish learning tipsdaily English practicelanguage learning motivationstudy habitsEnglish listening practicetime wasting
