Hello everyone and welcome to Stop Wasting Your Life, the podcast for Mastery English at the A1 and A2 level. I'm Oliver, your host. Today, we're going to talk about something really important—how to stop feeling stuck and actually make your life more meaningful, with simple English of course!So, why do people waste their lives? That's a big question, isn't it? I mean, sometimes, we just feel like—hmm, how do I say this? Like, every day is the same. You wake up, you eat breakfast, you go to work, come home... and then, uh, maybe you watch TV or look at your phone for hours. It’s easy to fall into this routine, isn't it? I used to do exactly that! After work, I’d sit down, just turn on the TV, and—honestly, I spent months, maybe even half a year, just watching shows every night. I felt comfortable, but a bit empty, to be honest.Let’s look at some simple words for this. “Routine”—that’s your daily habits, like what you do every day. “Habit”—something you do again and again, often without thinking. “Waste”—that means to use something, like time, in a way that’s not useful. So if you say, “I waste my time,” it means you’re spending it on things that don’t make you happy or proud. We all do it, right?But you’re not alone if you feel like this. So many people, just like you and me, feel passive. That word, "passive," means you let things happen—you don’t do anything new or different. Sometimes, we wait for motivation, but it doesn’t always come. Where was I? Oh right—I was stuck, too. Until, well, I found language learning. That changed things. But it didn’t start big—not at all.So, how do you start making a change? You don’t need to do something huge. It can be very small! Simple English verbs help here. You can say, “I want to start...” or “I need to stop...” For example, “I want to start speaking English every day,” or, “I need to stop spending so much time on my phone.”Here’s an easy idea: maybe practice English just ten minutes a day. Like, really—ten minutes is not much, right? Or instead of always taking the bus, you walk one stop and listen to an English podcast, maybe like this one, on your way.This reminds me of a friend, Maria. She was always busy, working in a bakery. But she wanted to improve her English, so she started listening to podcasts every morning while she walked to work. She told me, “Just a little bit every day makes a big difference.” And honestly, after a few months, her English was so much better and she felt really proud. That’s the power of small changes, isn’t it?So, think for yourself—what’s one small goal you can start with? Even saying out loud, “I want to try,” is a great beginning. Sometimes, starting is the hardest part.Now, let’s talk about using your English in real life—today, not someday! The best way to live better and stop wasting your life is to use new skills right away. It can be so simple. For example, try talking to a shop assistant, or order coffee in English.Actually, let’s do a mini-dialogue together! Imagine you want to buy a coffee. You can say, “Hello. Can I have a coffee, please?” And maybe the person says, “Sure. Would you like milk or sugar?” Then you answer, “Yes, milk, please.” Or, “No, thank you.” That’s it!So, some key expressions here: “Can I have...?” “Please,” “Thank you,” “Yes, please,” “No, thank you.” These are all you need to get started. And trust me, it gets easier each time.I still remember my first real conversation in another country. I was nervous—my hands were shaking a bit! But I tried, and the person smiled and helped me. That feeling, that confidence, it only comes when you take the first step.So, here’s my challenge for you—find one situation today where you can use your English. It can be very small, but try it! And if you do, I bet you’ll feel a little stronger, a little braver, and a lot less like you’re wasting your time.That’s all for today—thanks for listening, and remember, every small step counts. Don’t wait for tomorrow! I’ll see you next time on Stop Wasting Your Life.

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Stop Wasting Your Life