Give yourself affirmation when progress feels invisible.

I want to talk about something that doesn't get mentioned enough in English learning.The moment when you feel frustrated,when you feel like you've hit a plateau,when you're doing the work,but the results don't show up anymore,I've been there with every step I've been learning.And what I realized over time is this,these moments are not a sign that something is wrong,they are a sign that learning has slowed down and gone deeper.But emotionally I know it's not easy,because we start putting pressure on ourselves,we focus on results,Why can't I speak more fluently?Why am I still making mistakes?Why is this taking so long? and that pressure makes everyting heavier.So what I learned to do very intentionally is to shift my attention away from the result and back to the process,instead of thinking about fluency,I focus on what I actually did today.Did I sit down for my session? Did I show up,even for 10 minutes? Did I stay in contact with English?And then I give myself affirmation for that,not in a motivational way,in a grounding way.I tell myself,I did my part today;I followed my routine;I took another step. I like to think of it like walking. If you keep looking far ahead and asking,"Why am I not there yet?" you'll feel exhausted very quickly,but if you focus on every step under your feet,step by step,you keep moving without burning out.English learning works the same way.When you stay connected to your routine when you respect each small action,progress takes care of itself overtime.

6 comments