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How to Learn a Language in 90 Days or Less

I’ve become addicted to learning Spanish. When I moved to Spain in January of 2010, I wasn’t interested in learning the language, but I am now.

As I started doing research on the most effective ways of learning a language, I started thinking back to how I learned English at the age of 8. You’ve probably been taught that learning a language is done in school, and that you have to understand grammar to use a language. While that definitely can help, it isn’t something you need to do if you don’t feel like it, and I’ll tell you why by sharing my personal experiences with language acquisition.

Imagine the freedom you can experience by being able to pick up a language. You could live anywhere in the world and communicate with anyone at any time.

While I believe that you can learn a language in 90 days, I think fluency takes a few years. And remember: language learning should be fun. Otherwise you will not keep going. This is a long-run game.

With all that said, here are a few ways I acquire a new language:

Watching
The first thing I did when I got serious about learning Spanish was to start watching cartoons, TV series and movies in Spanish. There are a lot dubbed material in Spanish out there. Yes I know, dubbing is horrible, but you get used to it after a while.

When you start watching something in a new language, you probably won’t understand anything, but as you keep watching, your brain will start picking up simple things, such as “hi”, “apple”, “bye” and so on.

This is why I recommend you start with cartoons or even children’s programs. It’s a fun way to learn the basics of a language.

Listening
When you’ve gone from cartoons to more complex TV series like Lost, Star Trek or Friends, you probably will be able to start listening to the radio, podcasts, interviews or even audio books.

Learning a language is fun as long as you care about the content you are consuming. Don’t put yourself down if you don’t understand everything you hear. In the beginning, you won’t understand the majority of what you hear. This is when you just allow yourself to relax and allow your ears to pick up whatever they can.

Drop the need to KNOW what everything means. Become a child and start guessing. Start thinking about the context instead of the individual words.

Reading
If you enjoy reading, then by all means do that whenever you want. I enjoy reading cartoons, children’s books and even novels as I progress. I just started reading a Spanish mystery and I love it!

It may seem like you have to follow a certain structure, but in reality you don’t. It’s more important that you keep language learning fun, rather than “correct”.

Teachers may tell you to get familiar with the grammar first, but I say forget it if you don’t like it.

I’ve been watching Star Trek, Simpsons and Friends in Spanish, because I enjoy it. I watch it because of the content, and at the same time my brain acquires Spanish.

Writing
Depending on how much time you put into listening, watching and reading, you will automatically start being able to write.

If you want to speed up the process, you will have to write. I do this by thinking of sentences in English and then writing the equivalent in Spanish.

As you do this more and more, you naturally become familiar with the grammar and the structure of the language.

As you get better, I recommend you go to different chat rooms where you can get in touch with natives. There are some specifically designed for language learners, such as Shared Talk

Talking
Last, but not least comes talking. There are people who like to start talking as soon as possible, such as Benny, and that’s completely fine.

I personally like to watch, listen and read more before I start talking. I still talk, because I live in Spain.

Remember: keep it fun and do what you want to do. If you want to go out and talk to people, then do so. If you live in the U.S and want to learn Chinese, there is nothing stopping you from doing so. The internet has made everything possible.

The Bottom Line
If you want to learn a language in 90 days or less, you will have to immerse yourself in the language, and by immersion, I mean many, many hours per day.

There are many hacks you can use, such as turning everything from English to Spanish. For example, if you use Gmail, you can switch the language.

Do you play World of Warcraft? How about doing it in your target language instead? The options to learn a language naturally are limitless. It’s just a question of whether you want it or not. There is not right or wrong way to learn a language, so trust yourself and go with the flow.

This article is meant to show you that learning a language is possible. It’s not hard, it just takes consistency, and that is why you pick a language you are passionate about.

Written on 10/19/2010 by Henri Junttila. Henri is addicted to living a free and passionate life. He runs the Wake Up Cloud, where he shows you how you can learn how to find your passion and live consciously.

Are You Overworking? 7 Important Steps To Aviod Burnout

Do you have a good work-life balance right now? Do you spend a good amount of your time working? Do you feel like you have a lot of things to do but you can't seem to finish them? Has it been a long time since you had a break or a vacation?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, there's a good chance you're prone to burnout. That's especially so if (a) you're a workaholic or (b) you constantly receive (and accept) more work than you can handle. The upside is the increased work exposure helps you gain experience and develop your skills. The downside is, you neglect your mental well being, relationships, and health. Prolonged periods of working without rest wears you out, without you even realizing it. Before you know it, your productivity is waning, you feel tired more easily and you are on the verge of breakdown.

When that's happening, you're entering burnout mode. Burnout is common among working level executives, freelancers, self-employed, entrepreneurs and students, because you're directly responsible for everything and there are no work processes to guide you. Many people who are burned out for prolonged periods sink into depression which can be tough to deal with.

Below are 7 essential steps to avoid burnout.

1. Plan ahead
   Have a clear schedule. One of the biggest reasons for burnout is lack of proper planning. Thus, you over-commit yourself, sometimes having multiple deadlines running in the same time. This leads to late nights and high stress levels later on.
   
   Prepare a schedule that shows what you have to do on a monthly, weekly and daily basis. Create an overview template where you can see your upcoming commitments at a glance. That way, you know periods when your plate is full and periods when you can slot in more work. Leave sufficient lead time for each project.
2. Set aside non-work/leisure time
   Work can never replace what non-work activities can give you. For those of you who love what you do for a living, you probably just want to do it 100% of your time (apart of sleeping/eating). I know I feel that way as I absolutely love my work. I feel 110% blissful and excited just writing personal development articles day after day, working on my blog and doing 1-1 coaching with my clients.
   
   However, there are areas of your life that can't be fulfilled by just work alone. They can only be fulfilled by non-work activities. For example, activities like time with your loved ones such as family and friends. Time with yourself, to go for a quiet walk or pursue your other hobbies and interests. Exercise sessions where you rejuvenate your body and mind. Vacation to take a break and regroup. These activities are important, quadrant 2 tasks, essential for your well-being. They should be planned in your schedule too and shouldn't be deprioritized for work. Set aside some time every week where you can work on your relationships, your health, recreation and your spiritual self.
3. Define clear expectations with others
   Often times your colleagues, manager or clients have sudden, last minute requests where they need your assistance. This ripples out and causes a backlog in your own work. Without enforcing your boundaries, these will keep happening in the future. Let them know your commitments at the on-start so all of you can plan accordingly. Of course, it'll be hard to enforce this 100% of the time especially if you're working for someone, but clear communication will help move there. You have your boundaries and it's up to you to enforce it.
4. Stop overworking. Have a clean cut off for work
   Set a clean cut-off for your work. If you set aside X-Y time for a project, then make sure you end at Y time. Don't let it seep into other items on your schedule. If a particular task is taking way longer than expected, you're probably not going to get much done with the extra hour or 2. Stop working on it and get back at a later time or tomorrow where you'll have a fresh mind. I know I'm a lot more productive when I do that.
5. Cut off the 'busy work'
   There are always fire-fighting activities and administrative tasks in every line of work. Eliminate them as best as you can and get right to the content creation. What I do is I write down all the things I intend to do for a day, then I circle out the high value tasks - 20% tasks on the list that give me 80% of the value. Then I focus on them for the day. As for the remaining 80% tasks that give me lower value, I either put them off, delegate them or outsource them. When I do this, I feel I accomplished a lot more in the day. Otherwise, I get stuck in the 80% tasks that give little rewards, which is highly unproductive.
6. Talk to someone
   Having a listening ear helps you to sort out mental clutter. If you're feeling overwhelmed, share it with your friend. Ask him/her out and have a chill out session over drinks. Or give him/her a ring and just chat on the phone. You don't have to be alone in this. You'll be surprised at how ready your friends will be to listen and be there for you. You can also talk to fellow colleagues, and even your manager/teacher if you need advice from someone of experience.
7. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
   Working under crunch deadlines, you might often forgo sleep to get work done. At first it seems like it's okay - you can just recoup lost sleep by sleeping more the next day. However, the impact of lost sleep piles up over time, to a stage when it weighs heavily on you.
   
   Don't take your health for granted. Please make sure you sleep at least 5 hours every day. Having a proper diet and exercise regime is very important too. I used to take my health for granted, easily having days of not sleeping when I have a project deadline/workshop the next day. Now I don't do that anymore because I realize it takes a toil on the health in the long run. Proper scheduling (Step #1) is important to make this step a success.

How about you?
Try the 7 steps above to avoid burnout. Do you have any personal experiences with avoiding burnout or dealing with burnout? Feel free to share in the comments area.

Written on 10/7/2010 by Celestine Chua.

15 Timless Secrets Of Happy People

The 15 Timeless Secrets of Happy People

How we achieve happiness can be different for each one of us. Our passions, expectations, life experiences, and even our personalities all contribute to the level of happiness we experience in our lives. Some people find happiness in their careers while others prefer the bliss found in their marriages or other intimate relationships.

No matter how you define happiness for yourself, there are certain universal and time-proven strategies to bring, and sustain, more happiness into your life. These 15 timeless secrets of happy people can be adapted and even customized to fit your needs. Over time, these strategies will become positive and life-changing habits that will begin to bring more happiness, joy and peace into your life.

1. Notice What’s Right
   Some of us see the glass as being half-full, while others see the glass as half-empty. The next time you are caught in traffic, begin thinking how nice it is to have a few moments to reflect on the day, focus on a problem you have been trying to solve, or brainstorm on your next big idea. The next time you get in the slow line at the grocery store, take the opportunity to pick up a tabloid magazine and do some “guilty pleasure” reading. Take all that life throws out you and reframe it with what’s right about the situation. At the end of the day, you will be more content, at peace and be happy. Take the time to begin to notice what’s right and see the world change.
2. Show Gratitude
   How many times do you say the words “thank you,” in a day? How many times do you hear these same words? If you are doing the first thing, saying the “thank yous,” the latter will naturally happen. Learn to be grateful and you will be open to receive an abundance of joy and happiness.
3. Remember the Kid You Were
   Do you remember how to play? I’m not referring to playing a round of golf or a set of tennis. I’m talking about playing like you did when you were a child – a game of tag, leap frog, or street baseball when the bat is a broken broom handle and the bases are the parked cars. One way to find or maintain your happiness is to remember the kid you were and play!
4. Be Kind
   There is no question that by merely watching acts of kindness creates a significant elevation in our moods and increases the desire for us to perform good deeds as well. Kindness is indeed contagious and when we make a commitment to be kind to ourselves and to others we can experience new heights of joy, happiness and enthusiasm for our lives.
5. Spend Time with Your Friends
   Although an abundant social and romantic life does not itself guarantee joy, it does have a huge impact on our happiness. Learn to spend time with your friends and make the friendships a priority in your life.
6. Savor Every Moment
   To be in the moment is to live in the moment. Too often we are thinking ahead or looking ahead to the next event or circumstance in our lives, not appreciating the “here and now.” When we savor every moment, we are savoring the happiness in our lives.
7. Rest
   There are times when we need the time to unwind, decompress, or to put it simply, just “to chill.” Life comes at all of us hard and fast. Time, as do the days on the calendar, keeps going forward at its own natural pace, which is not always the pace we would choose. Fatigue, stress and exhaustion may begin to settle in on us faster than we may think, or notice. The best remedy for this is indeed rest.
8. Move!
   The expression a “runner’s high” does not infer an addiction, but a feeling or a state of mind - a state of euphoria. There is no question exercise, or any physical exertion, elevates your mood and enhances a more positive attitude as well as fosters better personal self-esteem and confidence. Indeed, one way to increase your happiness is to move!
9. Put on a Happy Face
   Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it. I’m not suggesting that we not be honest, real or authentic, but I’m suggesting, sometimes, we just need to put on a happy face and keep moving forward. Researchers claim that smiling and looking like we are happy will indeed make us happier. Studies further show that if we act like we are happy then we can experience greater joy and happiness in our lives.
10. Pursue Your Goals
    The absence of goals in our lives, or more specifically avoiding to pursue our goals, makes us feel like we are stuck and ineffective. The pursuit of goals in our personal lives, in our relationships, or with our careers, is the difference between having a mediocre life or a life full of passion and enthusiasm. Pursue your goals and watch your happiness soar.
11. Find Your Calling
    Some find meaning in religion or spirituality while others find purpose in their work or relationships. Finding your calling may be much more than accomplishing one simple strategy for increasing your happiness, but having a sense of purpose – of feeling like you are here for a reason – can perhaps bring the greatest joy of all.
12. Get into the Flow
    Flow is the form of joy, excitement and happiness that occurs when we are so absorbed in an activity we love that we can lose ourselves and time seems to stand still. What creates flow is unique to each one of us. To find and sustain true happiness in our lives, we must get off the sidelines and get into the flow.
13. Play to Your Strengths
    One way to achieve flow is by understanding and identifying our strengths and core values, and then begin to use these every day. Once we aware of our strengths and we begin to play to your strengths we can better incorporate them in all aspects of our lives.
14. Don’t Overdo It
    Know when to say when. What gives you joy and happiness the first time may not work the second time. Too much of a good thing may begin not to feel as good if the “thing” becomes more of a routine, or an expectation. Set healthy and reasonable boundaries for yourself and don’t overdo it.
15. Appreciate What You Have
    Want exactly what you have and know that what you have can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Hold on to it, treasure it, and let it cover you with love, comfort and happiness. 

Written on 10/02/2010 by Alex Blackwell. Alex writes for his incredible readers at The BridgeMaker, an honestly-written blog about faith, inspiration and personal change. To receive twice-weekly articles subscribe here.

10 Ways To Earn The Respect Of Others

Have you ever met someone who was rude to you and didn't hold you with much regard? How did you feel? Did you feel annoyed? Peeved?

If you are a self respecting individual, chances are you want others to treat you with respect. And you know what, age isn't a prerequisite nor is it a magic key to gaining respect. I've seen plenty of people who are young be highly respected from their elders. I've also come across older people who I'd never respect because their actions are so out of line. It's about how you conduct yourself, your attitudes towards others and your actions.

Regardless of whether you are a teenager, a student, a new member in your team/company, or someone starting out in the industry, you can be well respected by others. In this post, I share 10 ways on how you can be a well respected person. These 10 ways can be carried out no matter who you are:

1. Be good at what you do
   In every field of work, the most highly regarded people are those who are the best at what they do. Everyone loves competent people, especially those who present their best work all the time. If you're just starting out in your profession, that doesn't mean you're not deserving of respect. It's about starting small and building from there.
   
   When I started my personal development blog 2 years ago, no one knew me. Of my early audience, I remember some people would discount my work because of my age, saying I had no experience and shouldn't writing on such topics. Such comments are normal since they didn't know who I was, just my age and my brief background. Rather than letting these stop me, I built my reputation, one step at a time, via producing the best content and planting seeds everywhere. Over time, people began to register the value I was providing and they developed respect for what I was doing. Today, I have many readers and coaching clients who are older than me, and that's because they recognize my abilities and what I have to offer.
   
   It's through gaining experience and improving that you establish yourself as the best and earn the respect from others. It's not an overnight process, but the respect people have of you after that will be steadfast.
2. Respect others
   Respect is 2-way. If you want others to respect you, you've to respect others first. If you've ever come across someone who isn't being respectful to you, I invite you to think of just one person you're not being respectful to in your life now. Chances you'll find at least someone. Rather than harp on how people are not respectful to you, work on being respectful to those people you're treating shabbily. It'll help you reach new heights in your relationship with others. Whenever someone is rude to me, I think of how I might be rude to someone else and mend that relationship. It's creates a positive shift in my relationships.
3. Honor what you say
   No one likes a dishonest or unreliable person. A well respected individual is one who is honest in his/her communications and can be trusted to do what he/she promised. I believe integrity is the first step to being our highest self. I always ensure I live up to my commitments and deliver beyond what I promise. If due to some reason you can't honor your commitments, make sure you address them accordingly to the other party and make up for it.
4. Be open to criticisms
   Contrary to popular belief, being respected doesn't mean you won't receive criticism. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The more known you are in your work, the more criticisms you'll receive. My blog readership has grown over 4 times in the last 6 months. Just as I've received a lot more positive feedback than before on my posts, I'm also receiving more criticisms. It's not about rejecting criticisms but about being able to handle criticisms gracefully. People respect someone who is able to handle negative feedback and turn it into something positive. If you need pointers, here are 8 Ways To Deal With Critical People.
5. Treat yourself with respect
   It's funny that many of us seek respect from others, yet we don't even respect ourselves. Have you ever beaten yourself up before? Do you love yourself wholly and unconditionally? Do you treat yourself poorly by not getting enough sleep, proper diet or exercise? If you don't respect yourself, you can't hope to get respect from others. Start off by loving yourself. The love from others will come subsequently.
6. Conduct yourself professionally
   This includes dressing well, being well-mannered, using appropriate language and having social etiquette. If you haven't attended a social etiquette class before, it'll be useful to do so. Even if you intuitively know what they teach in the class, it's great as reinforcement. I attended a few etiquette classes when I was a student, including wine appreciation, dining etiquette, how to conduct yourself in a 1st meeting, etc. I personally found it helpful. The things taught inside are not rocket science by any means, but it helps to practice them in an actual setting and know what are the do's and do-not's.
7. Don't bad mouth others
   Whether it's in a professional or social setting, it's not appropriate to bad mouth people. You certainly don't earn respect this way. If you're unhappy with a certain individual and what he/she is doing, talk to him/her and work things out. Don't talk behind his/her back. This is the kind of behavior that attracts gossip and negativity. Not only does it reflect badly on you as a person, it also hurts the other party, whether you realize it or not. Be honest and transparent in your communications.
8. Stand up for what you believe in
   Have you ever come across people who simply agree with whatever others say without much thought? I have, and it gets meaningless after a while as they just say yes to everything. Personally, I have more respect for someone who disagrees (civilly) and stands up for himself/herself than someone who parrots others. Likewise, it is by having your own opinion and a mind of your own that you get respect from others. Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. At the same time, make sure you do it in a respectful manner to others.
9. Be yourself
   Along the same lines as #8, be yourself. It's better to be an original version of yourself than an exact duplicate of someone else. People respect individuals who are original. Too many people try too hard to be someone else they are not and in the end they don't have a sense of identity. Discover who you are and what you stand for. What the world needs are more people who are true to themselves, not clones of each other.
10. Be a role model to others
    Actions speak louder than words. Are you a role model to others by way of your behavior? Do you uphold yourself to the highest code of conduct? You gain respect by walking the talk. The most respected person is the one who inspires others to achieve their best and enables them to unlock their highest potential.

How about you? Do any of the 10 methods above resonate with you? Do you have any personal experiences on how to cultivate respect from others? Feel free to share in the comments area.

Written on 7/31/2009 by Celestine Chua. Celestine writes at The Personal Excellence Blog, where she shares her best advice on how to achieve personal excellence and live your best life. Get her RSS feed directly and add her on Twitter @celestinechua. If you like this article, you will enjoy one of her top articles: 101 Things To Do Before You Die.