What's really keeping you from fluency?

 

 

Ok, I am very glad that we can continue our discussion on this topic.

 

 

Throughout 12 years, being an English teacher in Indonesia I have had many friends and students tell me that they would love to follow some dream, to study abroad, to live in America (the Land of Opportunity) - but they can't.

 

Why not?

 

I have heard many different reasons: Because of money, their not good enough with English, I cannot speak in English, Indonesia doesn't have many opportunities for me.

 

I remember a conversation class I taught a few years ago, the students are of the age 14- 16 years. I opened the class with a question " Tell me about your plans and dreams?" The class was was silent.

 

I had planned much more from an advanced class.

At this very moment, I stopped and thought about what reasons kept them silent. Then I remembered how I felt when I first came to Indonesia.

 

I had one thought on my mind. " No person will understand me".

 

 

 

Fear

 

It's funny to think about it being an adult and being stopped by one word. To explain our fear we as human beings always use excuses to give reasons.

 

As the aformentioned....

Because of money, I'm not good enough, I cannot speak in English, Indonesia dosen't have many opportunities.

 

We use these to stay - I can't

 

However, what all these and many more are actually saying is, "It's because of me".

 

Think about it, you are the only one who sets limitations for yourself - and we all do this.

It's easy to blame other forces or people around us, but it all boils down to fear and resistance. 

 

 

We give ourselves several different excuses to use......

• What will they think of me?

• Where will I get the money?

• How will anyone understand me?

• I'm tired; I'll do it tomorrow.

 

 

When we were young, very young, we never stopped to think about what we cannot do.We just did it. But as we got older, we started to focus on all the limits.

 

Our values then changed.

 

 

 

Prioritizing our values

 

Have you heard the saying "The same old thinking produces The same old results."

 

Yes, stagnation can also be a result of ones' own values.

 

I've met several people, both students and just acquaintences, who have told me that they wanted or needed to learn English, but they just don't have the ability, money or time. And in some cases, I have seen these same individuals get the money and time to enter class with me.When in class, they just sit and stare at me or look at their handphone; no participation.

 

I ask this question...Why? The answer has been " I cannot speak in English, so why should I try." This leads us into the argument of time.

 

How much time do we waste watching tv, playing video games, surfing the pictures in Pinterest and texting on our smartphones?

 

The reason that we do this is simple (even though it might be hard to overcome); A life of comfortable stability is safer than actually following our big dreams and desires, saying "someday".

 

• Someday I'll learn English

• Someday I'll take an English course

• Someday I'll tell my boss that I quit.

• Someday I'll ask my girlfriend to marry me. 
   

 

 You only have this one life; don't live it with regrets.

 

Quote: "There are seven days in a week and "someday" is not one of them".

By Douglas shaw

 

 

 

How to overcome excuses and live our dreams and achieve our goals.

 

I think we have talked about the excuses enough, now let's spend some time talking about a solution.

 

There are many important steps that you can take to make yourself more productive and successful (in everything you do) such as, setting goals, going on a diet, learning a 2nd or 3rd language.

 

It is very easy to say "Tomorrow I will start on a new diet" but, when tomorrow comes, the diet is not started.

Why say -  I will do it tomorrow? A solution for this is very simple....

 

 

 

 

 

                                                         Just Do It !

 

 

 

 

 

 

To succeed and achieve our goals we need to do things that make us feel uncomfortable.

I never said that the solution would be easy, but going the extra step and stretching yourself is the quickest way to get closer to any goal.

 

Yes, you can stay in that spot where you feel comfortable, but you can only expect the exact same results that you've had. No change!

 

However, if you have ever complained because you wanted things to be different, then you're going to have to push yourself beyond your current limits. 

You will have to make yourself uncomfortable.

 

Like when learning a language, if you keep doing the exact same comfortable thing, your level will probably stay the same as it's been. But when you really push yourself to a level of discomfort, is when you have the quickest growth and you learn the most.

For example, the first time you open your mouth and speak you are terrified about so many things (am I saying this wrong?, Do I sound stupid?, Will the listener laugh at me?), but if you want to get better, then you have to push through the discomfort until it becomes natural.

 

Remember it is through our mistakes when we learn the most.

 

Here are some suggestions for you to try to stretch yourself in English

 

• Shy? Speak to someone

• Online in your social networks (Facebook, Twitter). Make friends and speak to them; BUT USE CAUTION.

• Make notes of the difficult phrases and repeat them aloud until the are natural.

• Sing

 

Remember: Each day, the experiences that you go through is a new chapter in your book of life. A new chapter is wrote when you step beyond your comfort zone.

 

Call to Action!

 

I wrote this article to impower you and those of you in need of incouragement.

 

My Golden Rule to life is....

 

"If you believe you can, then you can but if you believe you cannot, then you cannot."

 

If you consistantly stretch yourself a little bit, try to be a little bit better each and every day, then, little by little, you will achieve your goals and reach your dreams.