They get ready for tomorrow today
Productive language learners finish their learning sessions by preparing for their next one.
Procrastination can often be a result of not knowing where to start. That’s why preparing a topic you’re going to work on next time during your current learning session can be beneficial. Do it whilst you’re motivated and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate next time it’s time to pick up your language books.
How can you quickly come up with topics for the next session?
Look at your goals. Where are you in relation to them? What else do you need to do to meet them? What is the next thing you need to do to move forward?
Ask yourself these questions and your answers will give you ideas for where to go next.
Is there anything that you did today (during your language study session) that you struggled with?
Perhaps a set of words that you’re not too familiar with, or a new grammar structure?
These could be things that you can explore next time in more detail.
Do productive learners “eat frogs”?
Not really. This is just a metaphor for doing the things you least want to do first. Do you need to prepare a set of flashcards and you don’t really like cutting up paper?
Is the fact that you don’t like cutting up paper holding you back from practising vocabulary? If so, do it first – eat the frog! It will only take you a couple of minutes after which you can get on with the things you really enjoy.
