I'm doing 43 things
In my TESOL courses we learned about “fossilization,” or the point in a person’s language learning where they have enough language skill for their purposes and don’t feel the drive to improve, and as far as my Japanese goes, this is where I have been for a long time. I just feel like I don’t have any good reasons for studying it anymore, mostly because the odds are good I won’t be able to live there, and for some reason all the other potential goals – vacationing there, reading classic literature, getting a job that uses the language – seem unattainable or unworthy. I remember my husband telling me, the last time I felt like this, that many people might want to do something, but most people give up at some point, and it’s the ones that don’t that get what they want. At that time I got over my slump and learned so much more, and I’d like to do that again, but it seems hard to start, for some reason.
liana's Life List
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1. Study Japanese every day
2 cheers12 people -
2. read all of the Japanese books I own
1 entry . 1 cheer1 person -
3. pass the JLPT 2 test
70 people -
4. speak japanese fluently
1 entry . 3 cheers188 people -
5. finish Metal Max 2
1 person -
6. Learn basic first aid
20 people -
7. Make a First Aid kit
20 people -
8. eat more raw food
36 people -
9. sleep early and wake up early
1 cheer15 people -
10. play the piano again
1 cheer467 people -
11. run faster
240 people -
12. always ride my bike to go to the grocery store or the library
1 person -
13. do yoga every day
243 people -
14. Develop the habit of setting out my clothes the night before
1 person -
15. Read the Quran
2 cheers168 people -
16. Read the Bible
3,229 people -
17. Read the complete works of Shakespeare
1 cheer240 people -
18. write in my blog every day
1 entry . 1 cheer17 people -
19. learn to sing my list of songs
1 person -
20. draw everyday
88 people -
21. go to more cultural activities and events
3 people -
22. study courseware from MIT
3 people -
23. learn more about the TOEFL
1 person -
24. become fluent in french
2 cheers1,350 people -
25. read about every country in the world
1 person -
26. read the economist every week
8 people -
27. stop wasting time on the internet
1 cheer299 people -
28. learn to sew
3,645 people -
29. try a new Veganomicon recipe every week
1 cheer1 person -
30. Organize all my sewing patterns.
3 people -
31. learn embroidery
24 people -
32. learn to cook ethiopian food
13 people -
33. write a book
26,097 people -
34. learn to cook indian food
279 people -
35. learn to cook bibimbap
1 person -
36. learn to cook japanese food
1 cheer34 people -
37. create a pricebook
1 entry1 person -
38. study Home Comforts
1 person -
39. learn how to make kanzashi
13 people -
40. move to olympia, wa
2 people -
41. write in my journal daily for a year
7 people -
42. learn to crochet amigurumi
49 people -
43. Learn lots of songs from "Folk Songs from Somerset"
1 person
How I did it: Actually, I started by taking a basic Japanese grammar test online and flubbing it entirely, making me realize that I had lost more than I had realized. That coincided with a two week vacation from my normal work that I didn't have anything scheduled for, so I decided to rededicate myself to my studies. I also gave some thought to what part Japanese plays in my life -- I had gotten in the habit of thinking of it as a means to an end, a wa… Read how I did it…
I wouldn’t say I’m a “great” housekeeper or anything, but the goal was good, and good is good enough for me. Here’s the three things that really helped:
1) minimal clutter. It’s not like we were all that cluttered before, but after two moves in seven months, we got REALLY uncluttered!
2) a chore sheet. I’ll be happy to share mine, if anyone wants. It’s just one page, with two categories of chores: daily chores like “make bed” and “sweep,” and chores done once a week divided between me and my husband. The truth is, we don’t often get to the once-a-week chores, but keeping up with the daily chores keeps the place pleasant. I laminated mine and put it up on the fridge, and it helps keep me motivated: cleaning the house is one thing, but a tiny job that takes me five minutes and then I check it off, I can do that, and then another.
3) home-made cleaning stuff. Real cleaning stuff irritates my eyes and hands, and so I wasn’t using it enough. These days I mix up about half vinegar, half water, with some essential oils (I use tea tree oil, peppermint and grapefruit, the latter two just for scent more than anything) and use it on everything. I put it in a large plastic spray bottle, and it’s cheap and easy to use and doesn’t irritate my skin.
I didn’t get THAT job, but I got one that suits me for now. So I’m happy with that!
