I intentionally think about the quote "nothing worth having comes easy" by Theodore Roosevelt quite often as the ups and downs of life can be quite difficult. A constant reminder that the work I put into building something worth having is necessary. Obviously, we all chase the feeling of accomplishment but what are the factors in feeling that rush of dopamine from completing something hard? The key is consistency.
Now, I'll admit - it takes a lot of courage to hammer away at something without instantaneous gratification. As the incredibly eloquent Maya Angelou once said, "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." We need to be a little daring to move outside our comfort zones. Courage also bestows the belief in ourselves. We envision harnessing success and start taking action.
Consistency is the foundational cornerstone upon which success is built. In every facet of life, from personal development to professional endeavors, the unwavering commitment to consistent action has proven to be the catalyst for remarkable achievements. It's the conscious effort to learning new things in order to build better tomorrows. Many things lie outside our control and shaping a reality from dreams is no easy endeavor.
Okay I'll say it - speaking another language is often unpleasant, sometimes downright embarrassing. The confusion from being unsure if you heard the guy at the market correctly, to realizing the conversation you had earlier that day went awry. This sort of phenomenon happens to us all. This territory just comes with learning anything new and learning a new language has the added frustration of feeling like you can't express yourself. The thing that separates those that accomplish fluency is not about the classes taken nor is it about immersion (although undoubtably immersion significantly helps) - it's all about consist practice. Many people give up just before the precipice of success but sticking with the habit can pull anyone out of the darkness. Here's some tips to keep in mind that will aid you on your language acquisition journey.
1. Forward Momentum: Just like an object in motion stays in motion, consistent language learning keeps you moving forward. Make progress every day.
2. Ingraining Habits: Establishing a consistent learning routine forms habits that beat motivation, ensuring that you progress steadily even when motivation wanes.
3. Creating Predictability: Consistent learning builds a sense of predictability, making it easier for learners to know what to expect from their language learning journey.
Strategies for Consistency in Language Learning
1. Leverage Existing Routines: Use "if-then" planning to integrate language learning seamlessly into your daily routines, amplifying your chances for success.
2. Powerful Reminders: Set reminders linked to your daily activities or experiences to ensure you don't miss your language learning sessions.
3. Choice Elimination: Reduce decision fatigue by planning your study routines in advance, eliminating the need to choose how to spend your study time.
4. Starting Over: Embrace the concept of starting over when you falter, holding yourself accountable and utilizing external motivation to get back on track.
Learn with Us: Your Path to Language Mastery
At Multilingual Me - The Place for Polyglots, we believe that consistency is the cornerstone of successful language learning. Join us on this journey towards linguistic proficiency, where every step taken brings you closer to fluency.
If you ask an expert in any field how they accomplished great things or overcame insurmountable odds they will say a version of never give up. Sure, this means don't give up on the dream - but it can also mean don't give up on the plan, the journey that you are forging. Accomplishments are just the culmination of bite sized pieces that are conquered step-by-grueling-step (even on the bad days).
Habits, interestingly, form backwards: we dream about playing a musical instrument flawlessly or finishing a marathon and then we take action. Courage gives you the power to start and consistency builds a lasting habit to build a truly fulfilling life. Courage and consistency can be applied to any sort of desired accomplishment we want to receive but they are the core aspects to gain fluency in another language. Remember, in the world of language learning, consistency is not just a buzzword – it's the master key that unlocks the door to your language proficiency. So, keep moving forward, stay motivated, and let consistency be your guiding light on your language learning expedition!