S3E35: It’s not just about getting yourself to do stuff
Full transcript:
Good morning, happy Friday and welcome to the Language Confidence Project, the daily dose of language courage for people who love languages, and those who really don’t, but have to learn one anyway.
And, in honour of the What’s In Your Inventory Workshop next Monday, all this week, we are talking about recognising the gifts that we have as part of who we are and the life we’re currently living that can help us with our language learning, even if they don’t seem very languagey, even if we didn’t choose them, and even if they don’t look very helpful. And today, I want to round off the week by reminding you that what you have in your toolkit, all the things we’ve been talking about this week, are so much more than just means of making yourself do stuff.
I talk so often on this podcast about how the more we know about ourselves, the more we embrace who we are and what we want in life, the easier it is to integrate our language learning into our life in a way that feels comfortable. That when we know how we learn, it makes it infinitely easier to choose resources and methods that will actually work for us, to establish routines for ourselves that we’ll actually stick to, and to set goals that mean something to us, and that motivate us without scaring us.
And all of that is true.
But all of that, when it catches you wrong, can feel like you’re kind of tricking yourself into doing stuff you don’t want to do. That it’s the mental equaivalent of blending vegetables into pasta sauce in the hopes that your toddler won’t notice, or hiding your dog’s pill in peanut butter.
But it’s not just about making yourself do stuff you don’t want to do.
The other reason that self-knowledge is so, so important when we’re doing something that’s difficult or daunting, or when we’re heading into something stressful or uncertain, is that we know how to heal ourselves.
When I got the idea for the What’s In Your Inventory workshop last year, it’s because I was feeling really down, really trapped in uncertainty and I just couldn’t really see how things were going to get better.
And then I wrote this:
When I’m struggling to see my own skills, and when it feels like everything in my life is working against me rather than for me, what do I need to hear? What reminders do I need? What do I need pointing out to me that I can’t see for myself right now?
And that, right there, is what self-knowledge can do for you. Because only you know the answer to those questions in that moment. Only you know how you can tell yourself that it’s going to be okay. Only you know what tea to drink or what music to put on or what walk to go on to bring yourself out of that darkness.
If you’re doing a long trek through a desert, the first things you need are the food, the water and the medical supplies. The second thing you need is to know how to be your own friend enough to stop yourself spiralling into your thoughts.
And when we talk about learning and studying, we forget that. We forget that it’s not all about giving ourselves instructions, tempting ourselves with a reward and then praising ourselves for doing what we were told. It’s about being our own friend and knowing what we need.
So be kind to yourselves today and this weekend, language learners. Remember, every tiny thing you achieve today counts, and every word matters. I’ll see you on Monday.
And just a reminder that tickets are now on sale for the What’s In Your Inventory Workshop, which is a two hour, super relaxed and informal online workshop where we mix journaling and discussion to really dive into how our personality, experiences and current life circumstances can work for us in our language learning. It’s taking place next Monday, so Monday 27th February, at 7pm GMT, which is 8pm Central Europe and 2pm Eastern Standard Time on Zoom, there are ten spaces available, and Tickets cost £28. All language levels are welcome, even if you haven’t quite started yet or you’re taking a break. You can find more details about the workshop and how to sign up in the shownotes, or check my bio on Instagram at @teawithemily and I would love to see you there. Have a wonderful day, and I will see you back here on Monday.