Here are some the conclusions I arrived to:
- Perfection is not essential
- Mistakes are good (if used in the right way)
- Don't worry if it takes you longer than expected to hit your goals
- Don't worry about the small things - put things into perspective
I'd like to expand on some of these points, if you don't mind...
Perfection is not essential
This following questions may seem stupid but it is worth thinking about: how long did it take you to become perfect in your mother tongue? With the ideal conditions, it still took years - thousands and thousands of hours. So don't worry if you aren't perfect in English just yet. It will happen but take it step by step.
Mistakes Are Good
I know this feeling. I had it too when I first started speaking German. It is totally natural. But most people are polite and will smile if you make a mistake. It is really not something to worry about. In fact, mistakes can be good if you learn from them.
Even as I write this post, I have a smile on my face thinking about some of the mistakes I made during conversations in German. They can be some of the funniest conversation you have. For every "big" mistake I made, I never made again as the image in my mind was so clear that I could never forget it. True, fun and effective learning. I suggest you enjoy any mistakes you make and try to learn from them.
Don't worry if it takes you longer than you thought
But here's the thing: if you do give up, it will always be hard. The best example I can think of is when you first learn to drive. It was difficult, wasn't it? There was so much to remember and that's even before we had to parallel park! But after enough time, it became easy. Maybe, the journey wasn't a smooth one but you got there. And you will with English if you keep at it.
Not everything will always go to plan so recalculate and then keep going. Just never ever ever give up!
Put Your Language into Perspective
Bad things involve not being healthy or something happening to your family. Making a mistake in English, not speaking perfectly or not having WiFi are not bad things - simply annoying ones. And there's no reason to let these annoying things occupy too much of your time. Life is too short for that.
So, relax, smile and enjoy the journey.
Let me know what you think please by putting a comment below.