Over the time again and again, when we stuck with something too long, we will feel bored. Whatever determination that we have earlier just vapours into the air. I’m not trying to be dramatic (well maybe a little) but that’s the fact.
If we don’t feel bored, maybe we will start to lose our fighting spirit, and preparing to wave a white flag.
Last month I had a New Year dinner with my friends from language school. While queueing to grab some food, my friend and I met our elementary level teacher. It’s been a while for not seeing her since we have a different schedule. We greeted each other in Japanese, and she praised us that we were able to speak quite fluently. We felt that we are still bad since usually we struggle during the conversation class (our current level).
That teacher told us, we have made progress since the first time we joined the school and her class. She encourages us to keep making mistakes. She added that she’s also doing her best to improve her English.
It struck me in the head that I gave up too soon. I felt that I didn’t make any progress after studying it for a year or so.
The conversation that I had with that teacher wakes me up. In fact that I was never her official student, I only attended her class several times when I was taking my make up class and she’s remembering me, touched me. Her never give up attitude inspires me.
It’s funny isn’t it, sometimes we feel that we didn’t make any progress but in fact if we looked back, we did it. Because we’re experiencing it, we don’t really feel it.
Another analogy is when you read a shonen manga. After they defeat a powerful enemy, their next enemy will be even more powerful beyond the previous one. The main characters will be crushed heavily. Yet they will still be able to stand on their feet again and find a way to defeat it. Our life is like that too, isn’t it?
*update: I remembered a saying that the important part is what we become after we through the learning. Because the process is more important than the score
So, don’t give up too soon!