Learning English has been like climbing a mountain, I didn’t know how high I could go, the peak used to look like an awfully long way off, but I always wanted to get higher than I was. I used to be jealous of the classmates who had already been a very high point on that mountain. Angst and anguish frequently hit me like a ton of bricks.

    Then I met Henry who had been to the peak and known the best way there, he has been guiding me towards the peak. If not for him, I could not have been on the right path and getting close to the peak. He taught me well, I have benefited from him a lot, not only English learning itself, but also the right way to learn. So I’m gonna share something with you.

    Many people think - “just keep working on it, then I’ll get there”- and this is wrong. You only reach the point where you feel comfortable to perform if you just keep working on it, your improvement actually has stopped. Even worse, your ability you have gained deteriorate in the additional years of “practice”. Why? Henry has taught us the key is deliberate practice. But it seems easier said than done.

    Here is what I am doing. I break down my long-term goals into short-term goals, lemme put it this way, like there are 1 kilometers away from where I am now to the peak, imagine there are 10 flags, every flag for every 100 meters, what I am gonna do is to get at one flag in , let’s say, 1 month, I just need to focus on this flag from now on, don’t let the others bother me. Then I need to have a specific plan for how to get at this flag and try to always stick to it and see it through. But that’s not enough, because I need some teacher or friend who can give me constructive feedback during the whole process. I may still feel frustrated when I run into some barriers, that’s okay, all I need is to maintain my motivation and seek help. Things turn out whenever I face any obstacle, Henry and my study buddies are always here for me, they give me feedback and keep me company.

    So, four things, goal, plan, feedback, motivation, that’s all I need to get a good start. Deliberate practice is complicated and specific, I’ll share you more in the future. I guess the thing is to make sure what I am working on is the closest flag to me, not the fourth or fifth.

    I am trying to work not only harder but also differently.