One Thing

There’s something called Curly’s Law, which you can use to succeed in anything. It’s simple, really: Do One Thing.

Unfortunately, I’m not very good at doing one thing.

This is an understatement. Even when I sit still to think my life out, I can only bring it down to three to five items. They are as follows: Dance, Game, Restaurant, Languages, and Act.

Dance, because I don’t think I can stop. Game because I want to start a video game company. Restaurant because I want to open some sort of concept restaurant. Languages because I enjoy learning languages. Acting because there is a grievous mark on my soul. However, the main focus are the first three.

I sat down and meditated to figure this out after I went on a walkabout/dancestroll. I was distracted by how cool I thought I looked XD – we are on the outskirts of a storm, winds were whipping my bandanna around, and I was meditating on a concrete outcropping.

Peacock.

But all in all, it was productive. I’m rethinking my teaching English in Korea after I graduate. I don’t think it fits with any of my goals, or teaches me anything I can use to reach them better. Instead, I might run away to California to work for In-N-Out Burger and dance with the crews out there. That is, if I’m good enough. I just have to fit the video games in somehow…

I guess there is just One Thing I can be good at – Life, and loving it. I can’t help but feel it’s all up from here.

Steps to Fluency in Any Language

1. Sign up for LiveMocha.

2. Self-study from free online resources such as:

3. Find or make friends (LiveMocha, but local is better) and set aside times specifically meant for practicing your new language.

4. Write letters to friends in your new language.

5. Change Facebook’s interface to your new language.  Or Meebo.  Or MySpace.  Whatever your net addiction is, change the language.

6. Watch TV in your new language – a spattering of the news and then whatever programs your heart desires.  This is generally found by translating words like “news,” and “video” into your chosen language and then googling the translation.  If you know the name of the program you’d like to watch/listen to, all the better.





I probably missed a bunch of easier, simpler ways to immerse yourself in a language.  But you know what?  I’m not paid to write good articles. For a well-written article, read The Web Way to Learn a Language.  Just know that I despise RosettaStone and paying for things, which knocks out both Rosetta Stone and Tell Me More.

Let us know in the comments if there’s anything else our readers or I can do to improve our language skills.