One of my favorite episodes of Friends is the one where Ross and Chandler are trying to move a sofa up a flight of stairs.
They successfully make it up one set of stairs, but very quickly find themselves completely stuck. No matter how they try to turn the sofa, it simply won’t go up further. To make matters worse, Ross begins to call out, “Pivot….pivot….pivot!”
The pivoting doesn’t work.
They remain stuck, and Chandler understandably loses his temper and yells, “Shut up!”
No amount of pivoting would allow them to move up the stairs. Their strategy was wasn’t working. What made that scene so funny was their refusal to give up. From the audience’s perspective, it was easy to see that their sofa was never going to make its way up those stairs no matter how loudly or often Ross yelled, “Pivot!”
I needed to Pivot this week.
This week, I did something I hated: I gave up on a book.
No matter how hard I tried to read the book I shared with you a few podcast episodes ago, I just wasn’t enjoying it any more. I feel like I lost my connection with the author and I couldn’t get it back, though I tried multiple times.
It was like I was Ross, shouting at myself to pivot.
Try another chapter.
Take a break and then try again.
It didn’t work.
I had lost interest in the book, so this week I put it away. It will go back to the library tomorrow.
What this means for your CELPIP / English Preparation?
I want to share a quote with you that I’ve been thinking about:
“Rigid goals don’t have room for you to pivot whether it’s from a bad situation or a good situation. Rigid goals fail. Flexible goals succeed.”
Jon Acuff
I decided to stop reading that book because it wasn’t helping me fulfill my goal of reading for fun.
You know something? If you’re working on preparing for the CELPIP or your English skills, you also have that same power of choice.
If you’re reading a book in English to help you practice, and you discover that you hate it, stop! Find a book you love. (Do it sooner rather than later.)
An even bigger question: If the CELPIP practice course you’re working on isn’t helping you, do you think you should press on or do something that fits you better?
(Here’s a hint: if it’s not fitting you, if you’re not enjoying it, if it doesn’t feel like it’s helping, then change! Pivot!)
Rigid goals fail, and flexible goals succeed, according to Jon Acuff.
Being flexible with your approach to learning English and developing skills for the CELPIP exam can make a big difference for you. The question is: are you willing to change your strategy if the one you’re using now isn’t working any more?
Put this into practice:
- Check in on how you feel in your English class or CELPIP prep course. If you dread going to your classes, it’s a good sign it’s time to change. (Or maybe, it’s a good sign to start asking your teacher for extra help!)
- Are your classes really helping you? Do you feel like you are learning? Do you have evidence of progress? If you can’t say yes to these questions, consider changing your strategy!
- What are you doing today to practice your English on your own time? (Make a list.) Do you have fun when you’re doing those things? Are you looking forward to the next time you do those activities? Do you feel that your English improves a little each time you engage in those activities? (If you can’t say yes to these questions, it’s VITAL that you change what you’re doing!) Remember: practice doesn’t have to be painful, boring, or a drag to do. You should have a good time as you practice your English!
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