Don't Waste Your Life — Real English Conversation Podcast for Beginners | A1-B1 levels

[00:00:05]Hey everyone, welcome back to Smart English Speaking. I'm Emily.

[00:00:10]>> And I'm Leo. And today we have a big topic, a really big one.

[00:00:16]>> Yes, today's topic is don't waste your life.

[00:00:22]>> Wow, okay, no pressure, right? Just a small easy topic for a Tuesday.

[00:00:27]>> I know, I know, but don't worry. We're going to talk about it in a simple way with easy English so everyone, beginners, intermediate learners, everyone can understand.

[00:00:41]>> Exactly. And remember, this podcast is not just for listening, it's for learning. So today we'll use some great vocabulary, some useful phrases for daily conversation, and of course real talk about life.

[00:00:55]>> Real talk. I like that. So Leo, let me ask you something before we start.

[00:01:01]>> Uh-oh, here we go.

[00:01:05]>> Don't be scared. Just tell me, have you ever felt like you were wasting your time? Like a whole day just gone.

[00:01:14]>> Oh my god, Emily, all the time. Just yesterday I opened my phone to check one message and two hours later I'm watching videos of cats falling off chairs.

[00:01:25]>> [laughter] >> Cats falling off chairs?

[00:01:29]>> Yes, and I don't even like cats that much, but somehow I watched 20 videos.

[00:01:34]>> That is exactly what we mean by wasting time. You didn't plan it, it just happened.

[00:01:40]>> Right. And after those two hours, I felt so frustrated with myself. Like, Leo, what are you doing with your life?

[00:01:48]>> [laughter] >> That's a great phrase for us to learn today, actually. What are you doing with your life? We say this when we feel disappointed in ourselves.

[00:01:59]>> True. Okay, let's teach that phrase properly. Repeat after me, everyone.

[00:02:04]What am I doing with my life? What am I doing with my life? Good. Say it with feeling. Really feel the frustration.

[00:02:14]What am I doing with my life?

[00:02:16]>> [laughter] >> You sound like you're in a movie, Leo.

[00:02:21]>> I am in a movie. The movie is called my life wasted on cat videos.

[00:02:26]>> Okay, let's get into today's story. I want to tell you about my uncle. His name is Tom.

[00:02:33]>> Uncle Tom, I love your uncle stories.

[00:02:36]>> So, my uncle Tom is 65 years old now.

[00:02:40]And last month at a family dinner, he said something that really stayed in my mind.

[00:02:46]>> What did he say?

[00:02:48]>> He said, "Emily, when I was young, I always said, 'I'll do it later. I have time.' I wanted to travel, to learn guitar, to open my own small shop. But I always said, 'Later, later, later.'"

[00:03:03]>> Oh, no. I can feel where this story is going.

[00:03:07]>> Yes. And now he's 65. And he told me with tears in his eyes, "Emily, later never came. The time passed so fast, and I woke up one day an old man, and I never did those things."

[00:03:23]>> Wow, that's that's actually really powerful, Emily.

[00:03:27]>> It really touched my heart. And that's why I wanted to bring this topic to you all today, because so many of us, including me, including Leo, >> Guilty as charged.

[00:03:40]>> [laughter] >> Guilty as charged. Great phrase. It means, yes, it's true. I did it.

[00:03:47]>> Exactly. If someone says, "You ate the last piece of cake." and you say, "Guilty as charged." It means you admit it. You're not denying it.

[00:03:55]>> Perfect example. Okay, so back to the topic. So many of us live like Uncle Tom. We say later too many times, and life life doesn't wait for us.

[00:04:08]>> That's so true. You know, there's a saying in English, "Time and tide wait for no man."

[00:04:13]>> Ooh, that's a good one. Can you explain it, Leo?

[00:04:17]>> Sure. Tide is the movement of the ocean water. It goes up and down every day, no matter what.

[00:04:24]>> Right, like at the beach.

[00:04:26]>> Exactly. So, this saying means time keeps moving, just like the tide, and it doesn't stop for anybody. Not for kings, not for the rich, not for the poor. Time treats everyone the same.

[00:04:37]>> Beautiful. So, friends listening today, repeat this phrase with us.

[00:04:43]>> Time and tide wait for no man.

[00:04:46]>> Time and tide wait for no man.

[00:04:49]Great job. Say it one more time a little faster. Time and tide wait for no man.

[00:04:56]>> Time and tide wait for no man.

[00:04:58]>> Perfect pronunciation, I'm sure.

[00:05:01]>> Okay, Emily, can I share something that frustrated me this morning?

[00:05:05]>> Oh, please do. I love your frustrated stories almost as much as your funny ones.

[00:05:13]>> So, this morning, I woke up and I told myself, "Today I will be productive. I will exercise. I will read 10 pages of my book, and I will finally clean my room."

[00:05:25]>> Big plans.

[00:05:27]>> Huge plans. And then, my phone buzzed.

[00:05:31]One notification, just one. And you know what happened?

[00:05:35]>> Let me guess. The cat videos again?

[00:05:38]>> [laughter] >> No, worse. I opened social media just for a second, and suddenly it was 2 hours later. My coffee was cold, my book was still closed, my room was still messy, and I hadn't exercised at all.

[00:05:53]>> Oh, Leo, that is so relatable.

[00:05:56]>> It's so frustrating. I felt this this heavy feeling in my chest, like, "Ugh, I did it again."

[00:06:04]>> That feeling has a name, actually. It's called guilt, or sometimes we say regret.

[00:06:11]>> Regret, yes, that's the word. I felt regret.

[00:06:16]>> Let's break that word down for our learners. Regret, r e g r e t. It means feeling sad or sorry about something you did or didn't do.

[00:06:28]>> Right, like, I regret not calling my grandmother more often.

[00:06:33]>> Exactly, or he regretted wasting his morning on social media.

[00:06:39]>> That one is very personal, Emily.

[00:06:42]>> [laughter] >> I know. I wrote it just for you.

[00:06:46]>> Thank [snorts] you very much.

[00:06:47]>> But seriously, Leo, this happens to everyone. The question is, what do we do about it?

[00:06:54]>> Right, we can't just feel bad forever.

[00:06:57]>> No, we need real, practical solutions, not just feel guilty and do nothing.

[00:07:04]>> So, let's give our listeners three simple daily habits that can help them stop wasting time and start living with purpose.

[00:07:11]>> Yes, let's do it. And while we explain everyone, please notice the vocabulary.

[00:07:18]We'll explain hard words as we go.

[00:07:20]>> Okay, habit number one, set a small goal every single day.

[00:07:25]>> Good one. Explain what goal means for our beginner friends.

[00:07:30]>> Sure. A goal is something you want to achieve, something you're working toward. It could be big, like, "I want to speak fluent English." Or small, like, "I want to read five pages today.

[00:07:43]>> Right. And the keyword here is small.

[00:07:46]Don't make a goal so big that it feels impossible.

[00:07:50]>> Exactly. Small steps. Like, instead of saying, I will become fluent in English this month, >> which, let's be honest, probably won't happen.

[00:08:00]>> Probably not. Instead, say, "Today, I will learn five new English words."

[00:08:06]That's realistic. That's doable.

[00:08:09]>> I love that word, doable. It means something is possible to do. Something you're capable of finishing.

[00:08:16]>> Great word for daily conversation. Is this doable? Yes, it's doable. Don't worry.

[00:08:22]>> Perfect. Okay, habit number two?

[00:08:25]>> Habit number two, and I think this is the most important one. Ask yourself, will this matter in five years?

[00:08:33]>> Oh, that's deep, Leo.

[00:08:35]>> I know, right? Think about it. When you're scrolling on your phone, ask yourself, will this moment matter in five years? Probably not.

[00:08:44]>> But when you're learning a new skill, spending time with family, or building something meaningful, that will matter in five years.

[00:08:52]>> Exactly. This question helps us filter what's important and what's just noise.

[00:08:58]>> Noise, great word. In this context, noise doesn't mean a sound, it means distractions. Things that don't really matter, but take our attention.

[00:09:09]>> Right. Like, social media drama is often just noise. It feels important now, but in five years, you won't even remember it.

[00:09:18]>> So true. Okay, let's recap these three habits for our learners.

[00:09:23]>> Habit one, set a small doable goal every day.

[00:09:27]>> Habit two, remove distractions. Out of sight, out of mind.

[00:09:32]>> Habit three, ask, will this matter in five years.

[00:09:37]>> Beautiful. Simple, but powerful. Okay, now let's have some fun. Let's do a role play. I'll play a very lazy character, and Leo, you play my friend who's trying to help me.

[00:09:50]>> Oh, I love this. Okay, I'm ready.

[00:09:52]>> In character.

[00:09:55]>> [sighs] >> Leo, I don't want to study English today. I'm too tired.

[00:10:01]>> Come on, Emily. You said the same thing yesterday.

[00:10:04]>> Did I? I don't remember. I was probably too tired to remember.

[00:10:11]>> Emily, that's actually really funny.

[00:10:15]>> Thank you. Thank you. Okay, let's continue.

[00:10:18]>> Look, just study for 10 minutes. Just 10 minutes.

[00:10:22]>> 10 minutes? That feels like 10 hours to me.

[00:10:27]>> [laughter] >> 10 minutes feels like 10 hours? Emily, that's dramatic.

[00:10:33]>> I know, but some people really feel like this. Learning feels hard, so we exaggerate.

[00:10:39]>> True, true. Okay, let's finish the role play.

[00:10:43]Emily, listen. One day you'll look back, and you'll be glad you didn't waste today.

[00:10:48]>> You really think so?

[00:10:50]>> I know so. Small steps, remember?

[00:10:53]>> Okay, fine. 10 minutes, but you're doing it with me.

[00:10:58]>> Deal.

[00:10:59]>> And scene. That was fun.

[00:11:03]>> That was great. And did everyone notice the phrase deal? We use this word when we agree to something.

[00:11:10]>> Yes, like you clean the kitchen, I'll cook dinner. Deal.

[00:11:16]>> Perfect example.

[00:11:17]>> Okay, everyone, let's slow down now and practice pronunciation. This is important. Good pronunciation helps people understand you clearly.

[00:11:27]>> Yes, let's take some words from today's episode and break them down. First word regret. Notice the stress is on the second part, regret, not regret.

[00:11:40]>> Regret. Say it with me everyone, regret.

[00:11:44]>> Next word doable. Three syllables.

[00:11:47]Do-a-ble.

[00:11:50]>> Do-a-ble.

[00:11:52]Try it slowly first, then faster.

[00:11:55]>> Next phrase out of sight, out of mind.

[00:11:59]Notice how the words connect smoothly.

[00:12:02]We don't pause between each word.

[00:12:04]>> Right. Native speakers say it almost like one long word, out of sight, out of mind.

[00:12:10]>> [laughter] >> That's very casual, but yes, that's how it sounds naturally.

[00:12:15]>> Try saying it slowly first, out of sight, out of mind. Then faster, out of sight, out of mind.

[00:12:25]>> Great practice everyone. Pronunciation takes time, but you're improving every single day you practice, even a little.

[00:12:33]>> And remember, mistakes are okay. Don't be frustrated if you don't say it perfectly the first time.

[00:12:39]>> Exactly. Speaking of frustration, Leo, be honest. Have you ever been frustrated learning a new language?

[00:12:47]>> Oh, absolutely. When I was learning Spanish, I once tried to order food and I accidentally asked the waiter to marry me instead of asking for the menu.

[00:12:58]>> What? How did that happen?

[00:13:01]>> The words are just one letter different.

[00:13:04]I mixed them up completely and the waiter looked at me so confused.

[00:13:09]>> [laughter] >> Oh my god, Leo, that's amazing. What did you do?

[00:13:15]>> I just turned red and pointed at the menu instead. We both just laughed it off.

[00:13:19]>> Laughed it off. Great phrase. It means you dealt with an embarrassing situation by laughing instead of feeling too upset.

[00:13:28]>> Exactly. And that's my advice for language learners. Mistakes will happen.

[00:13:32]Just laugh it off and keep going.

[00:13:35]>> Beautifully said. Okay, let's bring it back to today's main topic. Don't waste your life. Leo, if you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

[00:13:47]>> Hmm, that's a good question.

[00:13:51]Let me think.

[00:13:53]I think I would say, Leo, stop waiting for the perfect time. The perfect time doesn't exist.

[00:14:01]>> Oh, that's powerful.

[00:14:04]>> Yeah, because I used to think, I'll start exercising when I have more free time, or I'll start learning guitar when things calm down at work. But things never calm down. There's always something.

[00:14:18]>> So true. Life is never perfectly convenient.

[00:14:22]>> Exactly. What about you, Emily? What would you tell your younger self?

[00:14:27]>> I think I would say, don't compare your life to others. I used to waste so much time and energy comparing myself to my classmates, my friends, even strangers online.

[00:14:41]>> Ah, that's such a common trap.

[00:14:44]>> It really is. And comparison steals our joy. It makes us forget to appreciate our own journey.

[00:14:52]>> Steals our joy. I love that expression.

[00:14:55]It means something takes away our happiness.

[00:14:58]>> Right. Comparison is like a thief. It quietly steals your happiness without you even noticing.

[00:15:06]>> Wow, Emily, that's beautiful. You should write poetry.

[00:15:11]>> [laughter] >> Maybe one day, but not today. Today, I'm just here teaching English with my favorite co-host.

[00:15:19]>> Aw, thank you. And I have to say this conversation today really made me think.

[00:15:25]Me, too. It's easy to give advice, but it's harder to actually live it, right?

[00:15:32]Absolutely. So, let's make a promise to our listeners and to ourselves.

[00:15:37]Yes, let's do it.

[00:15:39]I promise to stop waiting for the perfect time and start today with small steps.

[00:15:46]And I promise to stop comparing my journey to others and focus on my own growth.

[00:15:53]Beautiful.

[00:15:54]Everyone listening, what's your promise?

[00:15:57]Think about it for a moment.

[00:15:59]Maybe pause the podcast right now and say your promise out loud in English.

[00:16:05]It's great speaking practice, too.

[00:16:08]>> [laughter] >> See what she did there? Sneaking in a speaking exercise.

[00:16:13]>> [laughter] >> Of course, every moment is a learning moment on this podcast. Okay, before we finish today's episode, let's do a quick recap of the vocabulary and phrases we learned. Great idea. Number one, guilty as charged, admitting that something is true about you. Number two, time and tide wait for no man. Time keeps moving no matter what. Number three, regret, feeling sorry about something you did or didn't do. Number four, doable, something that is possible or realistic to do. Number five, out of sight, out of mind. If you can't see it, you forget about it. Number six, noise, distractions that aren't really important. Number seven, laughed it off, dealing with embarrassment by laughing instead of getting upset. And number eight, steals our joy, something that takes away our happiness like comparison. Great list. Try to use at least one of these phrases today in a real conversation or even just talking to yourself in English.

[00:17:23]>> Yes, please. Practice makes progress, not perfection.

[00:17:28]>> I love that. Progress, not perfection.

[00:17:31]Such an important mindset for language learners.

[00:17:34]>> Okay, everyone. That brings us to the end of today's episode. Don't waste your life.

[00:17:40]>> We hope this episode gave you not just English practice, but maybe also a little push, a little motivation to go do that one thing you've been putting off.

[00:17:50]>> Yes, whether it's starting a new hobby, calling an old friend, or just being more present today. Don't wait for later.

[00:17:59]>> Because as we learned today, time and tide wait for no man.

[00:18:04]>> Beautifully said, Emily.

[00:18:06]>> Thank you. Thank you. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe to Smart English Speaking and share this with a friend who's also learning English.

[00:18:15]>> And leave us a comment below. Tell us your promise. What will you stop wasting time on starting today?

[00:18:23]>> We read every comment and we love hearing from all of you around the world.

[00:18:28]>> Until next time, everyone. Keep practicing, keep smiling, and remember, don't waste your life.

[00:18:35]>> Bye, everyone.

[00:18:36]>> See you in the next episode.

[00:18:40]>> [music]