Tis' The Season

The holidays are quickly approaching. Whether or not you celebrate anything, most places in the United States will be closed in recognition of them. This means that you are going to have the opportunity to take some time off from your daily routine and spend time with family and friends. It can be great to rest a bit during these periods of time, but it can also be somewhat problematic.

Why?

Because it is very easy to lose focus entirely and allow yourself to become too relaxed. Honestly, I have been experiencing this for the past week. Ever since I finished my exam, which was the final challenge before finishing my program, I have been in a relaxed state of mind. Of course, I have been sticking to my habits like keeping track of my daily goals, writing in my journal every night, and writing these blog posts, but there have been other things that I have not been as focused on because I have been "taking it easy". 

Taking it easy, so to speak, can be beneficial, however, I would say there is a thing as taking it too easy. What I mean is that there is taking some time off to recover your mental stamina and then there's taking an excessive amount of time off which causes you to lose track of your goals. 

It is very easy to use the holidays as an excuse to take an excessive amount of time off from your studies. I mean, the themes and emotions perpetuated by advertisements tend to be about fun, family, and togetherness. You'll never see an ad in which the ideas of work and improvement are attached to the holidays. This is partly because such ideas are not connected to the events of what tends to happen around this time of year.

However, that doesn't mean that you can't continue studying and improving your proficiency while enjoying the holiday season. Remember I said that taking some time off to recuperate can be beneficial. What isn't beneficial though is taking the entire month off by "taking it easy". This is especially true if you have been making significant progress throughout the last few months.

In order to ensure you keep the momentum you've probably gained over the past couple of months, we're going to spend this post discussing some things you can do to make sure you don't fall into the trap of taking too much time off around the holidays.

1. Plan ahead

Just like how it's important to keep goals for yourself based on what needs to get done, to avoid taking too much time off around the holidays, it is important that you plan ahead for the next four or five weeks.

The key here is finding a good balance between enjoying this time of year and spending time improving your language proficiency or whatever else you need to get done.

We recommend two different ways you can do this depending on how much you want to get done or how much you feel you need to get done. Note: We strongly suggest that you write your planning down just like you do for goals

Method A: This is for if you want to balance your work with taking time off. Beginning on December 1, schedule your time so that one day you will spend two to three hours getting work done and the next you will take off. Alternate between work days and off days for the entire month. For example, December 1- study vocabulary, December 2- break, December 3- study adjectives and synonyms, December 4- break, December 5- practice writing using new vocabulary words and adjectives/synonyms...

Method B: This is for if you want to be consistent with your studying throughout the month. Instead of alternating between days, allot specific times to do work each day, but for a less amount of time (one to two hours). For example, December 1 (10am-12pm)- study vocabulary, December 1 (rest of the day)- break, December 2 (10am-12pm)- study adjectives and synonyms, December 2 (rest of the day)- break...

Of course, this isn't taking into account your other daily obligations such as school or work, so the actual times will probably vary depending on your routine.

2. Look past the holidays

Now, we're not saying to completely ignore the holidays and become a Scrooge, but it may help to spend some time considering the benefits that staying on track with your learning throughout the month will have. Considering that many people are likely going to spend more time relaxing than improving their language skills, and there's nothing wrong with choosing to do this, by choosing to continue to work throughout the holiday season you will be giving yourself an advantage.

This is actually true for any period of time in which people tend to slow down in their work and take some extra time off. This is particularly true for the month of December because it is so easy to allow yourself to take time off. However, by not getting completely engulfed in the tropes of the season, as mentioned above, really think about what your long term goals are and what kind of advantage you might have by continuing to stay on track while others around you are distracted. 

Answer these questions:

What would I like to have done/know by January of next year?

What could I potentially gain by continuing my studies this month?

What could I potentially lose by taking the next four to five weeks off?

Essentially, this is like a pros and cons list. That means that if you can think of more things to be gained by working throughout the month then it will probably be enough to motivate you to do so. 

3. Talk to your friends and family about what you've been learning

This one could work really well with number one. During the days or times you have scheduled to take off try to talk with your friends and family about what you've been learning. This probably will be fairly easy to do as well, which makes it a great way to ensure you don't lose track of your work.

You could say something straightforward like "I've been working really hard on improving my English and I'm learning a lot" or something more indirect like "You know, English is now the world's most used language. For this reason, I think improving my English proficiency could be immensely beneficial. What do you think?" 

Nine times out of ten, when it comes to your learning and future success, people will want to talk about it. Especially if you're around family, people will want to know what you're doing to improve yourself. I know I have an uncle who's like that. 

By talking to friends and family about what you've been learning, it is virtually impossible to lose focus on your goals. It can also be a more enjoyable way to learn more about the language. Maybe someone will correct you or tell you something useful or maybe, through explaining to other people, you will realize something that you hadn't before.

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As the country prepares for the holidays, make sure to take some time to enjoy the festivities; after all, it only happens once a year. While we want you to enjoy your time off from school or work, we also want to make sure you stay on course with your goals. We hope that you can use these three tips with success. If you have any questions or concerns about the holiday season or would like to schedule a preliminary consultation with us...


(Pro tip: this would be a great time to start formally working with us on your English proficiency)

send us an email at levelupproficiency@gmail.com or send us a message on our Facebook page.

We hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it. If not, we hope you have a nice couple of days off.

Ryan M. Shea, English Proficiency Specialist 
www.levelupproficiency.com