Ever seen the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”?
The Tim Robbins character, falsely sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime he didn’t commit, makes a plan to break out of his cell, in the full knowledge that it will take him a very long time. Twenty years or so later, he succeeds.
The Ninth Secret of Learning Italian
Secret no. 9 is BE THE ONE WITH A PLAN
Why have a plan?
– it’s motivating (as long as it’s realistic)
– regular, brief study periods are easier to get done
– to balance the different types of useful study activities (listening to the radio, reading a book, revising, studying the dreaded GRAMMAR, etc.) so that one of them doesn’t dominate
– you can focus on medium-term goals, rather than looking only at the short term
– as long as you follow your study plan, you can watch TV and eat potato chips for the rest of the week with a clear conscience!
This sounds like such a banal idea that almost no-one bothers to do it. Shame really, because it really works!
Read more: Secret no. 10
