Control what you can
Forming your future
Welcome, aspiring polyglot! As we begin the new year, there are some things I want to discuss with regards to taking control of your education. Many of you have made or are going to make the choice to claim your rightful place as author of your own destiny this year and that is going to necessitate controlling your education. Whether that be within the realm of language acquisition or pertaining to an entirely separate skill, certain things will work irrespective of the subject matter.
Arbitrary limits
In education, as in most things, arbitrary limits are the only thing holding most people back. Whether those limits are institutionally imposed or self imposed, they are arbitrary and, unless otherwise tested, there is no reason to adhere to them. In fact, if you take a moment to look around you may notice that many of these limits have led to decay on both a micro and macro level for many people around the world.
Since the department of education was opened in the United States, education across the country has seen consistent decline. This is obvious to anyone who has ever been to a state sanctioned second language course. These harsh truths must be faced down if we wish to reclaim our education and take our place as individuals amongst a hierarchy that understands education to be a vital pillar for success in the modern world.
For those who do not know, within the United States, it is common to choose your own path. This means it is up to students as young as 13 years old whether or not they want to show up and put effort into a class in order to get a good grade. Since much of education during the developing years is self selected, regression to the mean is essentially an inevitability. However, that does not mean it is a fate we are all going to encounter.
As with most things, when making the choice to take on something challenging, it is always easier with a winning history. Students who were aware enough of the game to choose challenging classes are likely to find the idea of controlling every aspect of their education a no brainer. Anyone who decided to coast through high school, which I certainly understand, will probably find the idea slightly more challenging.
First thing is first, you must overcome your own self imposed limits. Something of a self fulfilling prophecy takes place within public schools. Kids who decided it would be easier to take easier classes end up being correct. Unfortunately, the fact that the classes are easier is not a secret and intentionally choosing the easy way has unintended consequences. One of those being the false belief that choosing the easy way once means choosing the easy way always.
Of course it is more intimidating the first time, but once you have the first choice made every subsequent choice gets easier. It is not that the decision in and of itself is an easier one to make. After all, it is still the decision to take on the challenge rather than the smooth road, but since you get stronger every time you overcome a challenge it will feel easier to choose the challenging path every time you do it. At the end of the day, that is all you have to do to overcome any limits you may have placed on yourself.
Beating the only person who matters
Your only goal day in and day out should be beating yourself. Everyone learns at their own pace. If you are always focused on catching up or keeping up with someone else you will find that you have no clue what is best for you. Having someone to compete with is great, but your goal should not be to be better than them. The only thing you should be getting from someone else is an extra push when you need it.
Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of learning a new language is that you can very easily ensure that you are better today than you were yesterday. Doing nothing more than learning 10 new words per day will all but guarantee you are accomplishing the goal of beating yourself day in and day out. On a long enough timeline, this is really all you have to do to get another language under your belt before 2026. Consistency plus time will reveal everything.
This, in and of itself, is why you should never try to compare yourself with others. Your timeline is your own. There are enough reasons to avoid diving into a new language without comparing yourself to the timelines others have laid out for themselves, the techniques they use that are seemingly superior to your own, and any inherent talent that others might have for languages. When beating yourself is your chief concern, almost every excuse you can conjure will melt away.
Using fellowship to level up
A main selling point for the public education system is the built in fellowship that comes with it. Unfortunately, the experience that many have in this system is far from enjoyable. Another benefit of choosing your own path is that you can also choose those with whom you share it. Surrounding yourself with people who share your goals is a powerful step in setting yourself up for success in the short and long term, irrespective of the subject matter.
There are two things you will want to keep in mind when you are choosing who you want to spend your time around. Whether we like to admit it or not, many people are not eager to see the success of those around them. When those around you are all experiencing success it is easy to feel jaded. It is a very human emotion and experience, but rooting for the success of others is far more fulfilling. Finding people who genuinely root for your success is the cheat code of all cheat codes.
Second, you never want to be the smartest person in the room. Once you have reached the point where you know more than everyone around you, it is time to seek out people who have more to teach you. Being able to share your knowledge and expertise is a great feeling, but being able to absorb the expertise of others will serve you more in the future. Whether it is an instructor, a coach, or a friend, having someone who can challenge you in all the right ways is a game changer.
Conclusion
As frustrating as it is seeing all of the things happening in the world and having absolutely no control over any of it can be, knowing that there are things you can control and choose not to is far worse. Consistency is a choice that demands discipline and that is perhaps the most challenging piece of taking control of your education and your life. Be comforted by the knowledge that every time you stack another win the next choice you make will be easier.
The year has just begun, there is much to be done. If this is the year you make the decision to add another language to your repertoire, know that we will be here to help in every way we can the whole way through. It will be difficult, but you can do difficult things and be great. So make the choice to take control of your education today and become great. I’ll be here rooting for you from start to finish.
Requests
If you have anything you would like covered you can reach out to me on ​X​, ​Instagram​, or at odin@secondlanguagestrategies.com.
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