PLAYFULNESS + CURIOSITY Page 6 of 22

Learn a new language: 10 steps to success

Posted on 2015-06-12 at 8:55 am.

There’s no doubt about it, it takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and learn a new language. Emotional ups and downs come with the territory and feelings of exhilaration are often followed by moments of frustration. But one thing is for sure, if you can stick with it you’ll be so proud of yourself — and who knows what doors your new-found skill might open.

Here are our top 10 tips for successful language learning…

1. Get comfortable with being a beginner. As adults we are often afraid of being beginners. We don’t like not having all the answers, looking silly, or messing up. When it comes to learning a language, admitting that you don’t know everything (and being okay with that) is the key to freedom, growth, and success. Let go of your grown-up inhibitions and remember, everyone is a beginner at some point: everyone starting a new job; every new parent; every brave person starting up a business; and everyone voted in as Prime Minister. So [Tweet “embrace new beginnings and enjoy the process of diving into a fresh new learning experience”] knowing that tomorrow you will know more than you do today.

2. Understand your motivation and make your mission public: It might seem obvious, but without a strong desire or good reason to learn a new language, you might struggle to stay motivated long-term. Ask yourself why you want to learn this new language. Write down your reasons and stick them somewhere you can see them everyday. Also, if you tell friends and family about your mission, or make it public on your website, blog, social media, or anywhere else, it confirms your commitment and you’ll be more determined to keep going.

3. Just start! It really is that easy! First, learn to say ‘hello’. And then, when you’ve done that, learn to say ‘my name is… And then learn to say ‘nice to meet you’. And go on like that. By learning ready-made answers, and also how to ask questions, such as ‘where are you from?’ and ‘what do you do?’ you’ll build your vocabulary quickly and before long you’ll feel comfortable holding a simple conversation. Another good tip is to learn the filler words. These are the words and phrases people say then all the time between sentences but have no real meaning (like alors, which means then/so/in that case in French) which can buy you extra thinking time while you’re chatting!

4. Welcome your new language into your every day life. The more you immerse yourself in the new language the more your brain will consider it something worth caring about so invite it in!

label every object in your house in your chosen language
read kids’ books written in it
watch subtitled TED and TEDx talks in it
watch subtitled movies in it
listen to an online radio station in your language as you perform other tasks to familiarize yourself with different intonations, pacing and pronunciations
live-narrate parts of your day to a pet or imaginary foreign friend!
go to ethnic restaurants and test your language skills with the staff

5. Keep it relevant: In addition to the fact that it’s fun and a challenge, most of us will be learning a new language for travel or work so we can communicate easily and effectively. So when you’re learning think about the kind of things you’re most likely to want to say, or write, in everyday life. Learning words and phrases which help explain your background, situation, interests, as well as current events is a great way to expand your vocabulary.

Learning a new language means learning hundreds of thousands of new words. And that’s no mean feat. The thing is, most languages don’t use the vast majority of their words. Most sit in dictionaries waiting for the day they are plucked out for use in a conference speech or technical paper. In English for example, 65% of written material is composed of just 300 words! To help you concentrate on learning the most frequently used words in a language invest in flashcards or download an app like Anki or Flashcards.

6. Take a free online class or download an audio book. There are free online classes for just about every subject these days, and foreign languages are no different. For example Open Culture boasts a huge collection of free language learning resources, including audiobooks, websites, textbooks. Another great site is LiveMocha, a language learning community which provides instructional materials in 38 languages as well as a platform for speakers to interact with and help each other learn new languages.

7. Turn web browsing time into language learning time. The Language Immersion extension for Chrome helps you build your vocabulary and language knowledge by translating parts of the web page you’re on into your target language. Similar is Readlang which also creates flashcards for you and offers other study tools. You can also read newspaper sites written in your target language for extra more practice.

8. Get appy! Who needs expensive lessons when there are so many great smartphone apps for free! Some of the best include: Duolingo, Memrise, busuu, HiNative, MindSnacks, and Babbel.

9. Make new friends. Interacting in the new language is key — it will teach you to intuitively express your thoughts, instead of mentally translating each sentence before you say it. You can find local conversation groups and language cafés in libraries and community centres. If you live near a university, the international student community is another hot spot for language exchanges and events. Many foreigners in your city will be happy to meet you and hold a language exchange, where you offer mutual support to each other by helping your partner learn your language. Alternatively you could find a foreign pen pal or try The Mixxer, a free educational site designed to connect language learners around the world so that everyone is both student and teacher. The How to learn any language forum is another great source of support. It’s filled with tips and tricks for learning a language from people in the same boat, or who have already done it so it’s a great place to find a mentor.

10. Practice makes perfect: Once you’ve made your pledge, commit and practice, practice, practice! Make it part of your daily routine. Devoting just twenty minutes a day to developing your skill will keep you motivated and you’ll be more successful than if you cram for an hour or two only sporadically.

Of course completely immersing yourself in a country’s culture, by taking a holiday, an extended trip or a sabbatical, is a fantastic way to improve your language skills. It allows you to experience a place on a more intimate level, mingle with the locals and forge lasting friendships and memories, especially if you’ve learnt the basics before you go. Remember that native speakers are like doting parents: any attempt from you to communicate in their language is objective proof that you are a gifted genius.

Is your routine holding you back?

Posted on 2015-06-09 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

[Tweet ““If you think adventure is dangerous try routine. It’s lethal.” ~ Paulo Coelho”]

For me variety is the spice of life. I like every day to be different and I’ve always tried to avoid falling into habits and routines. So when I had my little boy, almost two years ago now, I’m the first to admit that being at home all day and juggling feeds, nap times, nappy changes, and everything else that a new baby brings, took some getting used to.

As any new parent knows, having a tiny little person relying on you for everything is hard work. You’re no longer have the freedom you used to. Even the simplest task, like meeting friends for coffee, requires an element of forward planning and spontaneity gores out of the window. Within weeks I developed my own little way of doing things. I was in the motherhood groove and and before long I had a routine!

My husband and I were in Brighton when I realised just how much of a creature of habit I’d become. It’s amazing how much clarity a change of scene can bring. Being by the sea, exploring a new city, and escaping the ‘daily grind’ left us both feeling inspired, refreshed and re-invigorated.

Getting a new perspective

Zack was now a few months old and having adapted to being parents things were becoming much easier. We realised that while there are always going to be jobs to do, and obligations and responsibilities to fulfil, life doesn’t have to feel like Groundhog Day.

Exploring a new city

On the journey home we agreed that while some routines are helpful and even necessary, especially for Zack, others had seen us get too comfortable and complacent. So we decided that some things needed to change.

Things that changed after our trip:

I left my 9-5 and started writing part-time for Do What You Love. Now I’m free to work wherever and whenever I choose and to do all the things I love – be a mum, go running, do yoga, and be creative. Embracing new opportunities and connecting with interesting new people is part of the job so no two days are ever the same. I want Zack to grow up understanding that my work makes me happy and that I have my own hopes and dreams.
We stopped complaining about how much time we waste watching TV and now, instead:

– we limit the amount of TV we watch

– we have regular date nights

– we have dinner as a family and talk

– we socialise more in the evenings with family and friends

– we spend more of our free time being creative and working on our own passion projects

We looked at our finances to see where we could cut back and save money for a weekend away every few months.
We both started doing more exercise. I joined a gym and my husband started running with colleagues at work.
We made a 5-year plan that will help us live the life we really want and create our own special memories along the way.

10 simple ways to shake up your routine today:

Change your schedule. Get up with the sun and take an early morning walk. You’ll see your world differently, sense different emotions in the people you meet and hear different sounds.
Change your style – do your hair or make-up differently or experiment with clothes to find a new look.
Commute a different way to work, or instead of going by car take the bus, train, walk or cycle.
Take a class or a course in something you’re interested in, who knows what doors may open.
Pick a different place to hang out. If you meet friends at a local bar, try a local restaurant. Or do something different – go to a sporting event watch a gig or have a dinner party.
Have a conversation with someone new. Make this your daily mission and who knows, you might make a friend for life!
Make more of your lunch break. Go to museums, try new restaurants, meet a friend, walk in the park, do something you’ve never done before or go somewhere you’ve never been before.
Have a mini-adventure at the weekend. Do a road trip, go hiking or camping or explore a new city.
Be inspired and get creative. Watch this playlist of TED Talks to kickstart your creativity, or read this excerptfrom Pico Iyer’s TED Book, The Art of Stillness.
Take a day off and give yourself permission to do anything you want. Go for a long, solitary walk; write poetry; bake; go shopping; read a novel; watch a blockbuster; paint; make something for a friend; have a picnic in the middle of nowhere and then lie in the grass and look at the clouds.

[Tweet “Have you ever felt stuck in a rut?”] Do you follow the same routine, day in, day out? What small changes could you make to mix things up today?

Rachel

The Do What You Love e-course will help you ditch bad habits and boring routines, and lead you to see what you really want (or need) more clearly.

“I am now far more open to ideas and willing to say yes to opportunities. I think, well, what’s the worst that can happen?!” Shona W., Do What You Love participant, Jan 2015

Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.

Ditch the routine

Posted on 2015-06-03 at 10:42 pm.

Written by vbnz

Do you have a routine? How does it go?

Chances are you don’t acknowledge your routine day to day, but we bet you have one. You probably go through most of it on autopilot, without stopping to consider whether what you’re doing is healthy, productive or enjoyable. Isn’t it time to change that?

We’ve been really enjoying doing the activities from the Do What You Love e-course recently. Week three of the course is all about being brave and coming alive. One of the activities asks you to spend a day mixing things up a bit, so we asked Rose to ditch her routine today. Here’s what happened.

When I started thinking about what I was going to do differently today, I was at a bit of a loss. Shaking up your routine is inevitably going to move you out of your comfort zone – that was clear at the very moment I started thinking about it. But when I really got to thinking about what I could do differently, I felt a strange sense of excitement.

It started with breakfast. Today I swapped my usual Marmite for Nutella and bananas on toast. Having chocolate for breakfast always feels indulgent, but it’s the chocolate-banana combo that makes this an unbeatable start to the day.

Rather than sitting straight down in front of my computer after breakfast, I decided to go for a morning stroll on the seafront. It was a beautiful day – sunny and breezy – and I was surprised to find so many people by the sea before 9am. I was even more surprised at how friendly everyone was. I tend to assume everyone is grumpy in the morning, not being a morning person myself. But receiving so many friendly hellos so early in the day put me in a great mood.

After my stroll it was time to get to work. But I was feeling remarkably chirpy, and I didn’t fancy working on my own. I decided to give my friend (a freelance designer who works from home) a call. She invited me to work at her house, so I grabbed some juice and biscuits and headed over.

I loved working somewhere new in the company of my friend and her cat, Mila. We enjoyed frothy coffee, countless snacks and great music. And I had a really productive working day.

I was so surprised at what an effect shaking up my routine had on my mood, and my productivity. I felt more alive today than I have in weeks. I’m looking forward to changing my routine in different ways in the future – perhaps I’ll end up replacing my old routine with a great new one that’s just right for me!

The Do What You Love e-course will help you ditch bad habits and boring routines, and lead you to see what you really want (or need) more clearly.

“I am now far more open to ideas and willing to say yes to opportunities. I think, well, whats the worst that can happen?!” Shona W., Do What You Love participant, Jan 2015

Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.

Where’s your happy place?

Posted on 2015-05-29 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

“Secondary to being with my family, I am most happy when I am kite surfing – give me a kite and a board and some wind and waves, and you won’t wipe the smile off my face. Why does it make me happy? There’s a feeling of freedom, exhilaration, and oneness with nature that comes from kiting – and an extraordinary rush of adrenaline. On top of that it’s great exercise, recreation, relaxation and stress management, and there’s something so spiritual about the experience.” ~ Richard Branson

The places in which we choose to live, work and play can affect us on so many levels. They can influence our moods, our energy levels, our ability to think clearly and creatively, and even the way we move and interact with others. For instance, when you’re being interviewed for a new job you might feel tense because you’re so keen to impress; when you’re on a roller coaster you might feel exhilarated with the thrill of the ride; when you walk through a busy train station, you might find yourself speeding up to keep pace with the crowds; and when you enter a warm, welcoming and familiar space, chances are you’ll automatically relax.

Paying close attention to the affect that different environments have on the way we think and feel can help us figure out where we feel happiest and then take positive steps towards spending more time in these, or finding ways of creating happy places in our daily lives.

Creating your happy place

When I joined Do What You Love I realised just how important it is to have a space of my own. Working remotely from a laptop gives me the freedom to work anytime, anywhere in the world, but I also wanted a home office, a base with a desk, storage, and all my creature comforts. As I started visualising what my ‘office’ could look like I had a lightbulb moment: this space could be lots of other things too; somewhere I could go to read, paint, be creative and practice yoga.

It’s the first time I’ve ever had a room of my own, a bright airy space, filled with colour, fairy lights, beautiful books, and inspirational things I’ve collected over the years. Everywhere I look I’m reminded of things I love – my family and friends, hobbies, work, travels, adventures, experiences and dreams. It really is my own little piece of paradise.

We all dream of having a place or a space where we can get away from it all, glean fresh inspiration and enjoy some me time.

[Tweet “To find your happy place, ask yourself…”]

What kind of environments are you most drawn to? (For example, the sea, buzzing cities, countryside, cliffs, hilly landscapes, mountains, lakes, warm climates, etc.)
What kind of spaces did you gravitate towards as a child: the hidey-hole under the stairs, a window seat in an alcove, a treehouse nestled high in the branches of a tree. What made these spaces so magical?
What is your favourite room in the house, or what has the potential to be? What would you need to do in order to turn it into a place you love spending time? What design elements make spaces more inspiring?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Is it somewhere you’ve been, or a place you’re aching to explore for the first time?
Where do you feel most energised and alive?
Where do you feel most calm and at peace?
Which environments make you feel powerful?
Where are you when you lose track of time?

Rachel

Find the happy in every part of your life…

Our acclaimed, transformational Do What You Love e-course is back, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants to spend more time doing what they love, in places they love. The course runs for 5 weeks and it starts on June 15, 2015. To find out more click here.

“I’ve lived more, said yes to more, and opened my eyes more in the last few weeks that I have in the last year” ~ Birgitta Z

“I feel so excited about the future! I have learned so much about myself in the last five weeks. Now I really do trust that anything is possible.” ~ Claire K

Do What You Love interview – Lotta Jansdotter

Posted on 2015-05-28 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today we are delighted to bring you an interview with talented Brooklyn-based designer Lotta Jansdotter, a self-taught pattern and print maker whose designs can be found on everything from mugs and rugs, to prints and wallpaper to clothes and baby carriers.

I met Lotta back in April when I took her workshop at the Sweet Paul Makerie retreat, Philadelphia. I had so much fun playing with colour and design, creating simple mood boards, stencilling, and completing my own fabric project. As we chatted I learned that Lotta was born in 1971 on Åland, a small group of islands in archipelago between Sweden and Finland, which explains why her aesthetic is so deeply rooted in nature and the landscape.

I was also impressed by her pragmatic and self-sufficient approach to design: Can’t find what you want? Make it? Don’t know how? Learn! Lotta takes the basic craft skills she learned as a child, such as potato printmaking and sewing, and reworks them into sophisticated tools and techniques. Her designs may be steeped in artisan traditions and DIY but the homespun aspect ends there. Her look is sleek and urban and her products are practical and functional – created to suit busy city life. ~ Rachel

PS If this inspires you to explore possibilities for your own designs, you might be interested in a free five-part video series on Designing for Home Decor from our sister site MakeArtThatSells.com (starts Jun 8 – register here now to get the videos into your inbox)

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Child’s play

Posted on 2015-05-21 at 2:41 pm.

Written by vbnz

We’re a week closer to the beginning of the next Do What You Love e-course, and this week we’ve been doing one of the many exercises designed to help you excavate your story. We asked Rose to take a trip down memory lane and draw a picture of what ‘play’ looked like for her as a child. Here’s what she came up with.

“My initial reaction was an all too common one – ‘I can’t draw’. I like to think of myself as artistic in other ways, but drawing, especially from memory, definitely isn’t my forte.

But, as Vickie pointed out, this isn’t a drawing competition. So I set to work. As a child I remember playing with baby dolls, making dens, running shops and holding tea parties for my toys. My strongest memories are of those tea parties, so I started drawing. As I drew, that carefree feeling of being surrounded by my much-loved toys crept back up on me, and I started to really enjoy it. I began to remember seating my toys next to their ‘best friends’ and serving them from my miniature polka dot teapot and stripey tea cups. If I was lucky, my mum would help me bake miniature cupcakes for the occasion, too.

Doing the exercise got me thinking about how that early love of entertaining stuck with me as I grew up. I spent ten years in the hospitality and events industry, and although I left it behind me in favour of more regular, sociable hours, I look back so fondly on the days of working in a team to make those big birthdays and wedding receptions completely unforgettable. It’s clear that I’ve always loved making those special occasions happen, for both toys and humans, and I know I always will.”

The Do What You Love e-course will encourage you to reconnect to the real you, deep inside, in order to uncover what you really love. Understanding yourself and your passions will help you map out your perfect road ahead.

“This course is like pressing a pause button on your life – to take stock and help realise your potential.” Course participant, January 2015

Join us this June for the experience of a lifetime.

Play… it’s not just for kids!

Posted on 2015-05-20 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s post is written by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.

A few weeks ago I took my little boy, Zack, to Philadelphia. He’s toddling now and he was in his element in the airport ‘helping’ us steer the luggage trolley, pointing out the big aeroplanes and playing peekaboo with the little boy he’d befriended. To him every part of the experience was an adventure; an opportunity to play, to have fun and to learn. As I watched Zack climb onto his Gruffalo suitcase and squeal with joy as my husband pulled him along at lightning speed, a sweet lady smiled at me and said: “children have all the fun don’t they?!” Her words rang so true. As grown ups we’re so busy dashing from one thing to the next, juggling the endless responsibilities that come with work, family life and social commitments, that it’s easy to lose the sense of fun and freedom we had when we were young.

We know that play is vitally important for children, but it’s just as important for adults too. According to contemporary American psychiatrist Stuart Brown: “Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.”

[Tweet “”If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.” ~ Bob Basso”]

When you really stop and think about it, play is just an attitude. An option. A decision you make every time you do anything. Life really can be lighter and more fun if you choose to make it that way. If life has become one big routine for you, or if you find that your days lack joy and laughter, it could be time to change your attitude.

Need some inspiration? Here are our top 10 tips for living life in the fun lane…

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Collecting moments

Posted on 2015-05-13 at 5:56 pm.

Written by vbnz

Our next Do What You Love e-course is starting in June, and over the next few weeks we’ll be offering you a taste of what’s to come. During the course, you’ll be asked to go out with your camera and take pictures of things that put a smile on your face or a spring in your step, before turning those pictures into a mosaic or collage for safekeeping. Since this is one of Vickie’s favourite exercises from the course, we asked her to share her experience of it with you.

“I love to go exploring with my camera (these days it’s with my phone) and I have become a fan of Instagram over the past couple of years. You just can’t take a bad picture with Instagram. Editing the picture and adding those filters and effects are all part of the fun; they are a great way to capture the mood of that specific moment even better.

This exercise reminded me of how much I love taking pictures, and whatever I do in the future I want photography to be a part of it somehow.

Taking pictures is much more than just gathering memories, and the process is as important to me as the final picture.

It allows you to be more observant of what’s around you as you look for the perfect shot
It makes you think about light and contrast, colour and movement and you might find that you’re more creative than you thought
It allows you to live in the moment, be focused on what is happening here and now
It gives you an excuse to wander off the beaten track and explore places you wouldn’t go if you were just walking around. You’re not a random wanderer, you are a photographer on a mission!
It surprises you when you look back at your pictures that you have developed a style of your own – it makes you feel proud
It makes you think about what you are drawn to, what you like and which moments are important to you

Small moments, big wonders

My mosaic is about freedom, wonderment, sharing and playfulness. From top left and clockwise:

1/ Spring has arrived in Brighton and I love to feel the heat as I walk along the street. Feeling the sun on my face makes me smile and want to spend more time exploring outdoors. It makes me feel braver, as if I don’t need any protection anymore, I am free with my movements and choices.

2/ I am lucky enough to live by the sea, one of my favourite environments. My office is close to the seafront and I can pop out whenever I need a break. The sea is always there but it never looks the same. It makes me feel refreshed and full of new possibilities. When I go back to the office, it’s always with a new idea or solution in my head.

3/ Sharing afternoon tea with a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time. A lot of my friends live abroad and people sometimes ask me if I miss them. I don’t. I love the idea that there are people scattered around the world with whom I have a special connection. Just knowing that they are there is often enough. Meeting up after several months, years sometimes, and getting along as if we only last saw each other the other day – those are always magical moments.

4/ I got these vintage roller skates second hand and just looking at them makes me smile. This is something I used to love doing as a kid and hadn’t done since then. I recently had to go to a specific location for work and decided to skate there to make the ride more interesting. Well I wasn’t disappointed! Although I did have muscle cramps the next day (and a bruise on my left thigh), it was totally worth it!

5/ Every year during the winter hundreds of thousands of starlings gather around Brighton pier in the evenings to roost. It’s completely mesmerizing to watch them dance around the pier in the sunset. It is one of those wonders of nature that you watch in awe without completely understanding what’s going on.

6/ The month of May in Brighton is festival time. Streets and venues fill up with artists, musicians, comedians and it’s not rare to bump into tightrope walkers or even cowboys on a street corner! This was a man making giant soap bubbles. Soap and water. That’s all it took for kids and adults alike to let go ooohs and aaaahs as the bubbles danced into the wind and popped silently over our heads.”

Victoria (@vickieinwonderland)

The Do What You Love e-course will encourage you to explore in so many ways. We believe that knowing ourselves and our environment is key to having the confidence to achieve big things.

“I was and continue to be floored by this course – it was so valuable. I felt like it helped me focus on me, my interests, my desires, and what was holding me back from those things. I was more painfully honest with myself than I have been in years, but I also allowed myself to play more than ever. Since joining the course, I’ve blossomed into a new person. I feel like the course will continue working its magic for ages. It has a killer curriculum covering all the bases. I’m so absolutely pleased I chose this as a way to start turning my life around.” Course participant

Join us this June for the adventure of a lifetime.

On foot through India

Posted on 2015-05-05 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post by adventurer, author and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys. Find out more about Alastair here.

“I could walk to anywhere on Earth from here, if only I choose to make the time. The road is free and open and waiting.”

If you love the Beatles, at some point in your life you will have to visit Liverpool. Elvis fans have Graceland. Baseball has the Yankee Stadium. And, if you love travel and are curious about the world, then you need to experience India before you die.

I call myself an “Adventurer” and a “Travel Writer”. I had visited almost half the countries on Earth. But I had never been to India.

That needed to change.

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May’s happy list is here!

Posted on 2015-05-01 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

On my happy list this month: feeling inspired by nature and magazines galore in this gorgeous little library at Anthropologie HQ, Philadelphia

Each month we share a free ‘happy list’ as a place for you to capture the things – big or small – that have made you smile each day.

Download your happy list here.

Wishing you a marvellous May,

Rachel