The Importance of Upgrading

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Have you ever felt like a tool/method you've been using to learn something isn't really being as useful as it could be? I'm sure at one point or another we've all felt that way about something. In fact, recently, I decided to make the switch from using a Window's PC to an Apple MacBook. 

 Technology is perhaps our ultimate tool for learning and doing work, and therefore it is crucial that we use the best type we can to help us reach our goals. It's very easy to put up with a subpar tool or learning method by simply focusing on the positives, but by doing that you are not going to see everything that could be better about it.

Throughout the years, I have experienced several significant issues with my PC that have hindered my progress, including losing important documents and having to constantly remove viruses from it, just to name a couple.

 Obviously,  this isn't going to be a post about which computer is the better tool (although, let us know if you would like us to address that topic), rather I want to talk about the reasons why you might want to upgrade your tools and how to tell when it might be time to upgrade.

Now, I think the biggest deterrent preventing me from upgrading from a PC to a MacBook was the price tag. Regardless of what you are upgrading, the cost of doing so typically demands something more, whether it's more money to upgrade your computer or more time to upgrade your study habits. Most people would prefer to be grateful for what they already have then even consider what they could gain by upgrading.

 Let's consider study habits for a moment: let's say you currently spend an hour a day working on your English vocabulary. Maybe your initial goal is to learn five new words a day, but you are only able to successfully learn three in the one hour you spend studying.

You could either decide that three words a day is enough or, in order to reach your initial goal of five words, you would need to spend a bit more time studying your vocabulary each day. In other words, you would need to upgrade your routine by investing more time in it. 

 Of course, there'd be no shame in lowering your goal to three words. Often times we set goals that are too much for us at the moment and feel like if we don't reach them we're doing something wrong. I would say, however, that it is more important to go at a pace you are comfortable with especially with something as complex as English.


 Upgrading, while often important, is not necessary if you feel like by doing so you will be overburdening yourself or making things more complicated. 

 For example, getting a MacBook was definitely an upgrade for me, but what do you think would have happened if I bought it while writing an important document on my PC? It would still have been an upgrade, but upgrading at that particular moment would likely have added unnecessary stress to the upgrade.

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 Ultimately, whether or not it's time for you to upgrade your routine is up to you. There really isn't a way to just know because upgrading will differ for everyone. Sometimes it can be much easier to figure out like when your subpar computer keeps constantly creating problems for you, but at other times it can be a lot harder.

 Remember: the easiest way to determine if it's time to upgrade your routine is by looking at your initial goals. Are you accomplishing all you intended to accomplish? If not, it may be time to upgrade.

 Also, it is very important that you set goals for yourself because without goals it will be almost impossible to figure out if you need to do more (I wanted to hyperlink a previous post about the importance of setting goals, but to my surprise, I didn't write one).

 Here are a few questions that may help you decide if it's time to upgrade:

 -At the end of the day, are you satisfied with the amount of things you've accomplished?

 -Do you know as much about your area of interest as you would like to or feel you should (for example, do you know as much English as you would like)?

 Are you excited to discuss your area of interest with others?

 If the answer to any of these questions is no then it's probably time to upgrade your routine.

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 So are you ready to upgrade your English proficiency? If so, send us an email, and we can work with you to start creating your new routine. Come on, you had to see that one coming...

 While I wasn't able to hyperlink to a post about goals, I can tell you that sometimes working with someone or getting a mentor could be the upgrade you need to take your proficiency to the next level. If you're still not ready, that's ok. Like I mentioned above, upgrading is important, but it isn't always necessary. Work at your own pace. You'll know when it's time to upgrade

 We are continuously working to provide you with improved (upgraded) content and more ways to reach us. If you have any questions or concerns, send us an email at levelupproficiency@gmail.com or send us a message on Facebook. We look forward to hearing from you!

 Ryan M. Shea, English Proficiency Specialist



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