A while ago, a student wrote me:
“I really want to learn German. But right now… I just don’t have time.”
This is one of the most common reason I hear.
And of course, if your problem is that you don’t have time, your brain automatically looks for the solution:
“Well, I’ll just wait until I do have time.”
That’s when you start building an illusory scenario in your head.
You imagine a calmer future.
A future with less stress, fewer projects, more space.
A future where you finally have the time to do the things you’ve been putting off.
Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world’s top executive coaches, tells a story that he calls the dream.
It goes like this:
“I am incredibly busy right now.
In fact, I feel about as busy as I have ever felt in my life.
Some days I feel overcommitted. In fact, every now and then my life feels out of control.
But we are working on some unique and special challenges right now.
I feel like the worst of this is going to be over in a couple of months.
After that, I am going to take a couple of weeks, take a little time off, get organized, spend some time with the family, and start working out.
Everything is going to change.
This time will be here soon. And after that, it won’t be crazy anymore.”
Does that sound familiar?
We’ve all told ourselves this story.
But here’s the hard truth: that magical “less busy” day never comes.
Life never really slows down.
There’s always another project, another deadline, another family obligation.
If you wait for the perfect moment to start, you’ll probably be waiting forever.
And that’s exactly what many German learners do.
They think:
“Once my life is calmer, I’ll finally be able to focus on learning German.”
But here’s the good news: you don’t need to wait for that dream future.
You don’t need more time — because German can fit into the life you already live.
The easiest way is through listening.
Listening is how we all learned our first language.
It’s the foundation of everything:
- speaking,
- grammar,
- vocabulary.
And it’s also the easiest to integrate into a busy life.
You can listen
- while commuting,
- while traveling,
- while doing chores.
You don’t need to carve out extra hours or sign up for another evening class.
That’s why I create lessons like my free daily Verb-Juggling audios, and also my paid programs here.
When you listen, you’re not just hearing German —
- you’re practicing guided speaking,
- you’re learning grammar details,
- and you’re developing a natural feel for the language.
All without needing to “find” time you don’t have.
So don’t wait for a future that will never come.
Start inside the life you already have.
And if you’d like to go deeper into these kinds of mindset shifts, I strongly recommend Marshall Goldsmith’s New York Times bestseller What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (in German: Was Sie hierher gebracht hat, wird Sie nicht weiterbringen).
It’s written for successful professionals who want to reach the next level.
Goldsmith shows that the habits that made you successful up to now might be the very ones holding you back from your next step.
One of the most powerful lessons is about taking responsibility — not waiting for external circumstances to change, but changing yourself first.
Click here to watch an inspiring talk of Marshal Goldsmith talking about “the dream” and how to change your mindset.
Talk to you soon.
Bis bald.
Gruß
Manuel
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 5 ways I can help you take your German to the next level.