The Consequences of Doing Too Much...

Well, I am unsure as to how to begin this. To start, I would say that I am writing from a very interesting place. Lately, I have been going through some things that have impacted my ability to do all of the things that I wanted to do, like going to school and thinking about my career. So, I thought that I would turn my turbulent experiences into a lesson for thinking about your journey into gaining proficiency. 

To start, I would have to go into a little bit of detail into what I have been going through lately. To be very frank, I do not know how to explain things, so I am going to take the direct approach and try to be as honest as possible. I was hospitalized for a mental breakdown recently because I tried to take on too much for this term. I was under the delusion that I could handle more than I actually could. Trying to multitask is never a good idea because what can happen is that we can try to do too much at once and this can have potentially negative consequences.

I couldn’t have overestimated myself anymore than that. I remember writing about knowing your own limits and it seems as though I have forgotten mine. We all are at risk for forgetting our limits sometimes. I mean, it’s a lot easier, and perhaps healthier in some cases, to overestimate yourself than underestimate yourself. That being said, my focus now is to bring myself back so that I can continue to pursue my masters degree. 

According to me, everything that I have been through can be something you can think about. For instance, my breakdown and health issues are a result of me forgetting my own limits. I highly recommend you do not do this. Forgetting to take your own limits into account will just get you into more trouble. It will reduce your ability to retain knowledge and it will exhaust you. For example, it is very easy for someone who’s new to a particular field to try to be an overachiever. After all, a novice wants to prove their skills to those around them as well as themselves, so in order to prove they have what it takes, they may try to do a lot more than is mentally possible which can lead to disastrous outcomes (such as it did with me). It is much better to figure out your limits early on; goal setting, for instance, is a great way to keep yourself in check.

I feel this is an especially important lesson for individuals who come from countries in Asia like China and India where issues of mental stability are not treated as seriously. In countries like India, doing more if often equated with being more successful, and if you have a breakdown or cannot handle the immense pressure put on you by teachers, parents, and others, then you are looked down upon. Despite what you have likely been told, learning happens most organically when going at a comfortable pace. The simple truth is that if you are distressed, you are much less likely to retain what you learn.

And in case you didn't know, I moved to the United States from India when I was 18, so I know a thing or two about the flaws in their idea of successful learning.

In addition, I recommend that you keep your bigger goals in mind so that you don’t lose your drive and motivation. Take my situation as an example. My hospitalization is, according to me, a minor setback  in achieving my larger goal.

Think of all of the obstacles that you might run into, lack of time, difficulty with vocabulary and others. I know that they might seem insurmountable at the moment, but why don’t you try and take some space from them? A new perspective might help you think of a solution more clearly. For example, have you ever been in the shower and suddenly figured out the solution to a situation going on at work? Sometimes not explicitly focusing on your work is the best way to learn In addition, problem-solving will help you achieve your proficiency goals more efficiently than the cramming approach. 

So, I recommend that you take my blip and turn it into lessons that you can use so that you can learn from my own mistakes! Happy learning and good luck on you proficiency journey!

R.M, Second Year Masters Student