I would like to share with you my 3 tips to face the obstacles you will encounter in your learning of French.
You may be thinking “Isn’t it counterproductive and demotivating to think about the difficulties you will encounter?”
No! In fact I think just the opposite.
If you are motivated to start moving forward with your goals, it is essential to think about the potential obstacles you will encounter in your learning journey and anticipate the solutions you will put in place to counter them.
1- It’s normal to encounter obstacles
Very that often, when we start a new goal, we imagine the path we are going to follow as a straight line : from point A to point B.
But this is not true.
When we take the road there are always obstacles : things that delay us, turns, stops and dead ends.
The problem with not anticipating obstacles is that we fantasize a simple path and inevitably at the first obstacle: we are surprised, disappointed and discouraged.
Rule n°1: You must accept from the start that you will encounter obstacles.
2- Your obstacles have a secret to reveal to you
I invite you to see the obstacles you will encounter as opportunities to better understand how you function and to find your unique way to move forward .
This is how I work with my 1:1 coachees.
When a client comes into a session and shares a difficulty she has encountered, I welcome it with curiosity and attention.
✖️ you didn’t work as hard as you planned?
✖️ you didn’t do the things you said you would do?
✖️ you have difficulty understanding or applying what you learn.
Behind this obstacle lies valuable information to help better understand her unique needs, her unique way of moving forward with French.
Let’s bring a neutral and calm look at the obstacle.
Here are some exemples of the secrets that an obstacle can reveal:
😲I’m not sure this is the right goal
😲I don’t want to sit at a desk to learn French morning is not the best time to concentrate
😲I don’t like doing this type of exercise it’s too difficult, I’m afraid of failing
😲French is not my priority
😲I don’t want to be alone in the proces
👉Your turn!
Write down the last few obstacles you encountered and analyze what the secret was behind them.
3- Bring flexibility and change
After the analysis of your obstacle, you will have to be flexible and open to change.
If you don’t change anything, you are likely to burn out and lose all motivation and confidence.
Let’s take an example: You said you would work 1 hour, 3 times a week and it’s been 2 weeks since you’ve done it?
👉What do you need to change in this plan to make it more realistic or motivating?
〰️ change place/time to do French?
〰️ look for an accountability partner?
〰️ adjust your goal?
〰️ change the way you work on the objective (actions not motivating, too difficult…)?
A necessary reminder:
You’re not weird, you don’t suck, you’re not worse than someone who succeeds.
You just need to find your way to get there.
And the best way to do that is to listen to your intuition, your feelings and your needs, and make the necessary changes.
I hope that my tips will give you some ideas about how to react next time you are facing an obstacle in your French learning!
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