Self-Help: the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else.

Luckily for us, there is a large selection of self-help literature written by truly remarkable authors. These authors share personal experiences from their own successful careers or interview others who have unlocked secrets of happiness and achievement. Stopping by your local bookstore or Amazon for a self-help title can be a bit intimidating! So we’ve handpicked five great reads to jump start your journey to the richer life:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams – Deepak Chopra (1994)

Having sold over 3 million copies worldwide, you can safely assume that Deepak Chopra, an Indian medical doctor, speaker and writer, pretty much has the topic of self-help nailed. Pitched as a book to be cherished for a lifetime, Chopra offers proven ideas on how to achieve spiritual awakening and practical activities that will help you get there faster. Although primarily based on Buddhist ideas, this book offers even the most skeptical of individuals an enchanting read with exciting prospects for success in areas including potential, karma and giving.

The Secret - Rhonda Byrnes (2006)

Rhonda Byrnes was in the depth of despair when she discovered Wallace Wattle’s ‘The Science of Getting Rich.’ Convinced she had stumbled upon a little known secret to success in all areas of life, Byrne set out to prove her theory. Translated into 44 languages and selling over 21 million copies, it’s safe to say she proved it. Through collaboration with the likes of Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Mike Dooley (TUTs Adventurers Club) and Bob Proctor (Personal Development Coach), Byrne introduces a powerful process you can use to change any aspect of your life.

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun – Gretchen Rubin (2010)

Gretchen Rubin’s #1 New York Times Best Seller about happiness may not be pitched as a self-help book, but anyone who follows the guidance in this little gem is bound to feel somewhat improved. In her consistently fresh and compelling narrative, Rubin relates the story of her 12-month journey to happiness. While offering guidance on everything from relationships to parenthood and spirituality to passions, without ever coming across as someone in the tight grip of a personal crisis, Rubin delivers one of the most astute and relevant works on the theme of happiness. Read it or risk being miserable for the rest of your life.

The Four Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich – Timothy Ferriss (2008, Expanded 2011)

Another self-improvement offering that reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, Timothy Ferris shows you how to eliminate non-essential work and outsource the remaining in this gripping read. Anyone who has ever wanted to escape the rat race needs to read this book. Readers can’t help but be inspired by his detailed blue-print for successful online businesses. If you’re stuck for ideas as to what to do with all the free time you’re going to have, you needn’t worry since Ferriss covers all that too. The Four Hour Work Week asks that all important, but often overlooked, question: what do you actually want from life?

The Road Less Traveled - M. Scott Peck (1978)

This one has been around for an age, but the musings of psychologist M. Scott Peck have stood the test of time. First launched in the times of I’m OK, You’re OK, Peck took a stand and dared to suggest that life may actually be difficult at times. By sharing intimate case studies of anonymous therapy clients, and offering an insightful look into his own life stories, Peck gives us the courage to deal with our own problems. Considered a spiritual refuge, this book stands out as one of the most honest and revealing approaches to human fulfillment.

Heidi Marks is a freelance writer from Seattle and contributor to Degree Jungle. A keen traveler, she enjoys open mic nights, fine wine and chocolate cake (in moderation).

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But whatever the reason, getting the best possible education has never been more important than it is right now.  That’s because in today’s world, a good job requires a good education.

In a single generation, the United States has fallen from first place to 12th in global graduation rates for young adults, and the country needs to produce 8 million more college graduates over the next decade in order to compete globally and keep up with other countries that are developing high-tech, high-skill jobs.

The unemployment rate for people who have never gone to college is more than double (10 percent) what it is for those who have gone to college (4.5 percent).  And, during the next 10 years, nearly eight in 10 new jobs will require workforce training or a higher education.

These statistics make it clear that completing some form of higher education is the best tool to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy.

Every day, I see people – people like Larry Crowne – work hard to overcome obstacles to get the education they need to succeed.  Many of them work full time, have aging parents in need of care and attention, or are parents themselves.  Often, they are facing difficult financial realities.  But, they are eager to learn and they persevere because they understand that getting an education will change their lives for the better.  They are reinventing themselves, improving their job prospects, and enriching their understanding of the world around them.

At Bellevue University, many working adults tell us that one of the biggest problems keeping them from getting degrees is time and work commitments.  Many people struggle because they are working to support themselves, they have families or other life commitments that make it difficult to attend regularly scheduled classes.  Our online classes remove that obstacle by allowing working adults anywhere in the country – or the world for that matter – to take classes whenever their schedules allow.
We believe in second chances because we understand that the adults applying to college today have grown up and are more prepared for the challenges ahead.  That’s why we look beyond high school GPAs and take each person’s work and life experiences into account.  Our goal is to give each individual the best possible opportunity to earn a degree.

For those people who have the mindset that college is just not worth the time and money, consider this:   The recession has led to steep job losses across the U.S. work force, but less-educated people have been hit harder than most.  Last year, the pay gap between college graduates and non-graduates reached a record high – four-year-college graduates made 54 percent more, on average, than people who attended college, but did not graduate.

I’ve been lucky enough to witness firsthand the power of education to change lives.  Every year, I meet working adults who have doubts, who are unsure of their destinies, unaware of the abilities they possess.  And, every year, I see those same adults get their college diplomas knowing that they can cast those doubts aside, and do what it is they want to do in life.   Education is the key to unlocking the potential in each of us . . . including Larry Crowne.
Dr. Mary Hawkins has been involved in higher education for more than 30 years and has established herself as a leader and national voice in the educational arena since joining Bellevue University in 1995. Before becoming University President in 2009, Hawkins served as Vice President of Enrollment and Outreach until 2000, when she took over as Provost. Under her leadership, Bellevue University has experienced one of the highest growth rates in the country for non-profit, postsecondary institutions both in enrollment and degrees conferred. Today, Bellevue University is the largest private university in Nebraska and one of the fastest-growing non-profit universities in the country.  The University is a recognized national leader in providing post-secondary education opportunities for working adults and organizations.  For more information, visit www.bellevue.edu

For those of you looking to up your creativity and productivity as you make yourself smarter, then this list of brain-improving activities and ideas is for you. In fact, some of you might have already tried one or two of these activities, but hopefully some others will surprise you. And, of course, I’d love it if you could leave your own ideas after the article, in case I missed any other good ones.

Learn a Foreign Language

Language acquisition is a very complex process, one that we most often go through as babies and young children when our brains are still developing. A way to again create a similar development in our brains is to try to learn a new language when we are adults. Doing so will give us a complicated task that will train our minds in new ways, while also reinforcing our own understanding of our native tongue. It essentially sharpens our brains and helps us withstand memory problems as we age.

Create a Reading List

Reading lists give us a way to target our learning by helping us to focus on the kinds of information that we consume. We can create reading lists by subject area, by region or culture, and by time period in human history. Any sort of focused reading will allow us to delve into concepts to help us have a much better understanding, which helps our brain focus on complex tasks.

Appreciate Culture

Another way to make yourself smart is to broaden your understanding of culture, such as the fine arts. Watch movies, visit art galleries, listen to music; cover your own culture or another culture. This kind of appreciation for culture can expand your mind in ways that you don’t often do, most likely, at your job. Understanding the arts will help you understand how and why society’s sometimes act the way they do. Plus you’ll be able to have great conversations at parties.

Get Enough Sleep

Have you ever tried to drive when you’ve had a bad night’s sleep? Scary, right? Well, think of how not getting enough sleep can also affect your mind’s activity. Sleeping at night gives our brain cells rest so that they can recharge and clear our heads. Research, such as that in this article, shows that sleep will actually increase your brain’s ability to function, thus making you smarter and able to process new concepts.

Eat and Drink Healthy

Eating and drinking healthy gives your body the nourishment it needs to keep your brain in top shape. Furthermore, certain kinds of nutrients can actually increase your neurons ability to function faster and more efficiently. For example, this article reports that food rich in magnesium can prevent migraines and food rich in vitamin B12 can prevent loss of brain function in the elderly.

Engage in Social Networking

When you work to make social connections, either online or in real life, you train your brain’s ability to understand the web of connections between different people and where they come from. Plus it will help you develop your ability to keep peoples’ faces with their names and remember who they are. In fact, recent studies on prisoners kept in solitary confinement show that brain activity had slowed so dramatically as to mirror the brain activity of someone with severe head trauma!

Play Video Games

Several recent scientific studies have shown that playing a certain kind of video game can help you become smarter, because the video games often train your hand-eye coordination, while also forcing you to use your critical decision making skills to traverse the often now extremely complicated worlds in these video games. Researchers in the UK found that children who played a brain training video game daily for 10 weeks actually dramatically improved their math scores.

Seek Out Educational Content Online

The internet can be a great source of distraction, but it also has a wonderful amount of educational resources to choose from. Often, many universities upload videos of lectures from their courses and visiting speakers. There are also many sites that allow you to take free classes, such as MIT’s OpenCourseWare programs. These resources can help you supplement your knowledge of certain topics, whether they are related to your career or your personal hobbies.

Watch Smart Television

Of course, I don’t mean you should watch crazy reality television. No, instead, you should watch educational channels such as The Discovery Channel or the History Channel, as these will often present in-depth documentaries about all manner of interesting subjects. You can also get away with watching intense and complex dramas or other fictional shows, as the often complicated plot lines and relationships between characters will force you to exercise your brain as you track all of the drama. According to the author Steven Johnson, several television shows can increase the viewers “mental acuity.”

Solve Brain Puzzles

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of brain teasers and other puzzles, like crossword puzzles and numbers puzzles. While some scoff at these kinds of exercises, they really can help you, especially if you are looking for a way to pass the time on a plane flight. It’s better to train your brain than to sit in the seat and watch the latest romantic comedy. The Mayo Clinic says that these puzzles will especially keep your brain going through into old age.

—

This guest contribution was submitted by Tara Miller, who regularly writes for psychology degree. She especially loves hearing back from her readers. Questions or comments can be sent to: miller.tara23@gmail.com.

Since graduating from high school, I have spent the last fourteen years on the “right track” for my big transition into adulthood.

I moved out, went to college, found a good job, and bought a house. I did everything I was expected to do. I worked long hours, chasing promotions and raises I didn’t care about. I dutifully planted myself in front of the television in the rare moments I was home, and filled my existence with all the normal stuff of modern life—debt, clutter and stress.

I just wanted my parents to be proud of me. So I chased what I had been told success looked like. Instead of finding what I was searching for, I discovered a constant stream of excess—too much work, too much stress, too much stuff—and I was drowning in it.

In the stillness of the night, blanketed by the never-ending comfort of darkness, I would begin to dream about the life I wanted to live. One filled with joy and peacefulness where I was doing work that mattered to me, pouring my energy into those I loved, and had the space to just breathe—pretty much the complete opposite of my current existence.

But instead of chasing the life I dreamed of, I kept chasing the one I didn’t want. I was scared of changing direction, scared of challenging what I had been taught to desire in life, and even more terrified by the idea of actually getting to live the life I dreamed about.

What life are you chasing?

When I started thinking about the changes that would need to happen in order for me to transition from one life to the other, the fears within me started to multiply. I thought about things like:

• How do I go about changing?
• What if I can’t do it?
• What if I don’t like the things I thought I did?
• How can I support myself and do this?
• Am I too far along in life to even entertain the idea of changing it?
• How can I just walk away from the “security” I have now?

The mere idea of change can be one of the scariest realities we face. When you are standing on the cusp, you have to dig deep within yourself to find ways to overcome the fear, doubt and worry. There is no one solution that works for everyone. It will be a lot of trial and error as you find your way along, but the more actions you take the more the confidence you gain.

You aren’t going to start out with all the right answers, or even a complete picture of where you want to end up. But I suspect, in the stillness of the night, that voice speaks to you loud and clear about the life you know you want to be living.

Here are 10 ways to help you start chasing a new direction:

1. Get clear about what you want. A boat that wanders aimlessly never reaches the shore. You need to have some direction to help guide you along the way. Some people start out with a complete picture, while others identify one or two things they want to change right now. Either way, you need to get clear about where you are going.

2. Start small. A danger zone exists when you get clear about where you want to be. You start to feel excited about the life you want to live, and then you try to change everything at once. You get exhausted, and you give up. Don’t set yourself up for falling back into your old life. Start with the smallest action you can take today and just do that.

3. Focus on what not how. If you continually focus on how you are going to accomplish massive transitions in your life, you will never begin taking those small actions. When you think about how, your mind can come up with all sorts of scenarios where you don’t reach the goal. This is not what you need to focus on. None of this matters today. Worrying about a future that will most likely never come to pass is a waste of both your time and energy.

Put your focus where it matters most—what do you want for your life? Once you focus on the what, and start taking those small actions, the how will take care of itself.

4. Don’t think about how long it has been this way. I spent fourteen years working on my professional career, before I left it behind to write and run my own business. I spent twenty-three years overweight before I lost that first pound. Now I spend every day writing and running my own business. And to date, I have lost over 108 pounds.

It does not matter how long things have been this way in your life, today is the day that you can start to change. It just takes your unwavering commitment and one small action. Then repeat this step again tomorrow.

5. Create accountability for yourself. You cannot do this alone. (Trust me, I thought I could too!) You need people who know and support your efforts to keep you on track in this process. You need accountability that tomorrow you are going to keep pushing forward. You need people you can rely on when the going gets tough (because it will, that’s just life). You need someone to help you see things in a different way, to call you out on your excuses, and to keep you going when you’d rather give up.

Build yourself a support system, and let those who would question or undermine your efforts go along their way.

6. Don’t give in to the negative self-talk. My brain has this amazing talent wherein no matter what I do, it can point out all the ways in which I have failed. It tries desperately to convince me that I shouldn’t keep going; that it just wants me to be safe.

Phooey! That inner dialogue is what is keeping you stuck in the first place. You are in control of your mind, not the other way around. Choose to look at things in a different perspective. Choose to keep your options open and your dreams alive. When the negative discussion starts, choose to be stronger than your thoughts.

7. Open yourself to possibility. If you close yourself off to the world, you are going to miss a lot of amazing things. Part of this process is allowing those past pains, those old mindsets and preconceived notions go. You need to create a sort of blank slate within yourself to begin reconstructing how you see the world.

8. Be willing to let things go. One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself in this process is freedom. By releasing the burden of your stuff, you will find that there is plenty of time and space to create the life you want to live.

Clearing out the physical clutter in your personal space is a great place to start. Take it 15 minutes at a time, room by room. Start with small actions and get the momentum building. This doesn’t just apply to our physical possessions, but our emotional ones as well. Focus on the number of commitments you have in your life, the things you feel that you have to do. Start thinking about all the stuff in your life, and what you can do to begin clearing it away.

9. Take care of yourself first. In the never-ending race we have created out of our lives, the first person we always neglect is ourselves. You can’t wait for the world to quiet down before you start focusing on your own well-being. Keeping such a frantic pace only leaves you exhausted and not of much use to the people depending on you. To be of great service to others, you must first take care of yourself.

10. Stop and reflect along the way. When you start implementing the first nine points on this list, you may find yourself caught in the momentum of change. Time passes quickly in our lives, and as we grow and change so too does our vision of the life we want to live. Make sure that you take time to simply reflect on what you have accomplished, where you are at right now, and where you are headed—then plan some small action steps for tomorrow.

Stephanie Wetzel is a writer and entrepreneur on a mission to help women overcome their weight and create the life they want to live. She has lost over 100 pounds by changing her habits, mindsets, and lifestyle. She believes in the power of commitment over diets, and blogs about it on Trading Pounds. You can also keep up with her on Twitter.

One of the best ways to make incremental progress during your other 8 hours is to learn. There are all sorts of newfangled websites that can teach you a thing or two — some with nifty videos and others with PowerPoint presentations. Call me old school, but I think one of the easiest and most economical ways to learn is by reading a book.

But I discovered something over the weekend that’s better than a bookstore and even better (gasp!) than Amazon.com. Stick with me because I’m going to introduce you to new terms and concepts that you won’t be familiar with. It might take some time to digest what I’m explaining, but hang in there — it will be well worth it.

A friend of mine told me about a place not far from my house that seemed too good to be true. Even after confirming it wasn’t April 1^st, I was still unconvinced. Always up for a challenge, I thought I’d run my own MythBusters experiment. So I buckled my three year-old daughter into her car seat and we set our sights on this mythical place.

About ten minutes later we arrived at a peculiar looking building. We parked and set off on foot. We reached the entrance and I started to have second thoughts. “Is this safe for a three year old? Is this some kind of trap?” My fearless daughter grabbed my hand and said, “Come on Daddy” as we crossed the entrance.

I smelled something. Something strangely familiar and comforting. And then I saw it. It was breathtaking. Row after row after row of books. They had every book I could want. And not just books but DVDs, magazines, newspapers, music CDs, and even (pinch me if I’m dreaming) audiobooks.

The story gets better. Much better. After filling my hands with books for my daughter and me, we went to buy them. The price tags were a little confusing, so I asked the checkout person what the deal was. He told me it was some new decimal pricing system or something. I didn’t understand much of what he said, but I had already decided I wanted the books so I threw down my credit card. “Fill this out,” he remarked, and handed me some sort of membership club form. “Is this like a Costco card,” I asked. “Yes, something like that Sir.”

He handed me a membership card and then told me to enjoy my books. “How much do I owe you?” I asked. “Nothing, just return them by July 5^th,” he shot back. I drove home in a daze. Questions raced through my mind. I decided to do some research. I googled “L-i-b-r-a-r-y” and got a few hits. The sites made it seem like these “libraries” are all over the place, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, you can’t trust everything you read on the Internet.

All I know, is that I’m never leaving home without my library card again. It is an amazing place with tons of free information. I can “checkout” (that’s their clever term for renting) books, audiobooks, CDs, movies, everything! My guess is that Netflix will sue them for some kind of patent infringement on the whole renting thing, but until then, I’m loving libraries and you should find out if you have a library in your town. You can even find the nearest library to carry a specific book, CD, or DVD.

Think about it. For $10 or $20, you can learn from an expert. You can read the latest trends and learn the newest theories. An expert may charge $300+ and hour or $10,000 for a keynote address, but you can learn so much more by reading their book for free from a library. That’s time well spent.

For a limited time, you can download several free resources (assessment, poster, audio interview, video, and more) at www.other8hours.com and learn more about my new book, The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth and Purpose.

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Whether you’re studying on a college program, for a career qualification, or just for personal interest, you’ll want to make a success of it. But few of us have the luxury of being able to just study – life has to go on as well.

You’ve probably already figured out that having a plan helps you to study consistently (rather than giving up, or cramming in hours of work just before exams). But how can you make sure you actually stick to the plans which you’ve made?

Be Realistic

Firstly, be realistic. Many of us are prone to over-estimating how much we can get done – and studying is a high-energy, intense activity which requires a lot of concentration. You simply can’t focus at that level for hours at a time.

Sometimes, being realistic about your studying plans might mean looking at the other commitments in your life. Do you need to ditch something else in order to have time to study effectively? Can you cut down on social activities to give yourself a couple of weeknights free for studying?

Find Your Best Time of Day

Are you a lark? Some people are at their best in the morning, before the demands of the day have crowded in. If that’s you, then try setting your alarm 30 minutes earlier so that you can spend this high-focus time on your studying.

Or are you an owl? Without the constraints of a school day, you can choose to study late at night, if that suits you. For parents, this can be a good time because children are in bed and the house is quiet.

Even if you think you know what time of day’s best for you, try experimenting for a week or two. Perhaps your lunch hour is a great opportunity to practice your French vocabulary, or maybe you can drive to a coffee shop on the way home from work and study there until 6.30pm.

Have a Place to Study

As well as finding the right time to study, you’ll want to find the right place. Your studying environment can make all the difference when it comes to sticking to your plans. You’ll want to find a place where:

• You’re not likely to be interrupted
• There are no noises intruding (music etc is fine – but it should be noise which you choose)
• You have enough space to spread out any studying materials that you’re using
• You’re in a studying mood – so the family den may not be the best place

If your schedule is very packed, you’ll probably want to study somewhere in or very near your home, so that you don’t spend much time simply getting there. If you have more time, you could try picking a study location a little further away – this can be useful because once you’re there, you’ll be much less tempted to wander back home the moment you get bored!

Mix Things Up

It’s easy to get bored with a study plan if you’re constantly working on the same things. Rather than trying to trawl through the whole of a particular topic in one week, try mixing up your plan a little. Working on one topic one day and something completely different the next will help you to stay energised and fresh.

You can also try a mix of different learning methods. There’s no one “right” way to study. Consider:

• Taking notes from books as you’re reading
• Reading for half an hour, then writing down notes from what you remember
• Listening to audio material while commuting
• Watching videos
• Going to seminars or classes
• Talking to fellow students about what you’re learning
• Writing an article or blog post based on what you’ve been studying (perhaps a beginners’ guide)
• Drawing diagrams or pictures to help you remember or understand a concept

Build in Flexibility

How often have you made a perfect study plan, only to have it fall apart as soon as something unexpected cropped up? Life happens – and sometimes you’ll have to cancel a planned study session in order to deal with an interruption or an emergency.

Be prepared for this in advance: when you draw up your studying schedule, allow some “spare” time which you can use if you need to catch up. Even if your week goes perfectly, you may find that some areas of study simply take longer than you expected – and this buffer time lets you allow for that.

Track Your Progress

Finally, it’s easiest to stick with a plan when you can see that it’s working! There are lots of ways to track your progress: for example, you could tick off study sessions on your calendar, or award yourself a gold star at the end of each week when you’ve successfully completely all the studying which you’d planned.

You can also review the material that you’re learning: perhaps taking a quiz or practice exam at regular intervals. If you can see that you’re making constant improvements, you can remind yourself to stick with your studying despite day-to-day fluctuations in your motivation levels.

If you’re studying – whether formally or informally – do you have a plan? What helps you to stick with it?

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Reports in the NY Times and elsewhere point to the rise of Chinese language instruction in our schools, against the backdrop of the demise of language learning in general. People justify this rush to Chinese by referring to the growth of the Chinese economy. The US government has declared Chinese a “critical language.” How realistic is this Chinese boom, and will it last? Here is a reality check.

1) Chinese will probably not help your kid get a job.

Chinese is being touted as the language of the future, given the growth of the Chinese economy. Some predict that a knowledge of Chinese will be big advantage in the job markets of the future. It is worthwhile remembering that Chinese is the language of business in only one country, China. Relatively few American kids are going to be working in China after graduating.

2) Chinese is not an international language and unlikely to become one.

Almost all Chinese speakers are in one country. Chinese is not an international language. It is not used widely by speakers of third languages. It is unlikely that this will change in the short term because Chinese is very difficult to learn, for most people.

3) Chinese is difficult.

Chinese has no vocabulary in common with English, unlike Spanish, where over the half the words are similar to English words. Most kids in the US who study Spanish do not  learn to speak. English speaking school kids in Canada have had similarly poor results with their French studies. It is likely that kids who study Mandarin in schools will have even more difficulty.

4) Learning the Chinese writing system is time consuming.

To write Chinese requires the learning of several thousand characters. Each character consists of up to 15 or more strokes.  Chinese children are surrounded by the written language from early childhood. Our kids would have devote an immense amount of time to this task. There is already a fundamental problem with literacy in English in our schools. Learning to write Chinese would be a major distraction for most school children.

5) There is little chance to use Chinese.

While there are around 40 – 50 million Spanish speakers in the US, there are only 2 million Chinese speakers. However, most of these Chinese speakers speak Cantonese, so students studying Mandarin would not have many native speakers to practice with, even assuming that some would learn to speak.

6) The rush to Chinese is being pushed by the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has a major program to promote Chinese language studies around the world and appears willing to pay for teachers and for trips to China for school administrators. This represents an opportunity to establish Chinese language programs in certain schools, no doubt. Is it advisable, however, for school curricula to be determined by the promotional activities of foreign governments?

7) Learning Mandarin makes sense for other reasons.

There are excellent reasons to offer Mandarin, as an option, in our schools, without the hype and without making it a “critical language”. For much of the last 4,000 years of history about 20% of humanity has been Chinese. Chinese culture has had an important influence on the course of history. The number of schools in the US offering Chinese has grown from 1% to 4% from 1997 to 2008. This is hardly surprising and is, in fact, largely overdue. Mandarin language instruction should be offered, and looked upon from a longer term educational perspective, and not as a sudden reaction to recent Chinese economic growth.

Steve Kaufmann is a former Canadian diplomat, and President of KP Wood Ltd. He is also the founder and CEO of LingQ.com. Steve speaks eleven languages and maintains a blog on language learning. He wrote the book The Linguist, A Language Learning Odyssey.

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When we talk about learning a foreign language, we often talk about different methods, if you should go to school or not and how much time is ideal to spend on the target language each day. Of course, those are  interesting questions to ask, but I think they’re not as important as one thing: motivation.

We all look for ways to improve our language learning, but often forget that all important thing called motivation. We try to motivate ourselves for many things, but somehow we only look at methods when learning a foreign language.

Woody Allen once said:

“80% of success is showing up.”

Now, that is an interesting quote, but what do I want to tell with it? It’s really simple actually.

When you’re not motivated, you won’t show up to learn your target language (or anything else in fact). Unfortunately, it’s not possible to learn a language through osmosis, you need to work, you need to show up.

That’s why I think being motivated is the most important thing in language learning. It’s possible to learn many things in a short amount of time, but to truly learn a language to fluency you need years of input, study and practice.

Ask yourself: Why do I want to learn this language? Can I actually use it? Are there enough materials to learn it from? Am I sure I still want to be learning this language three years from now? If your answer to those questions is yes, you’re probably enough motivated to go on and learn that language you want to learn.

Still, take your time to decide which language you want to learn. Make a plan to learn it, don’t you just rush in with a dream of ‘speaking it one day’. That won’t get you motivated as it isn’t a realistic goal without thinking about the steps between.

Now, why do you need to have a strong motivation to learn a foreign language? Simply because it isn’t an easy task. Like I said: it will take several years to become fluent, and several years more to completely master it. This isn’t something you just do, you need to have a dream, a goal to work towards.

If you don’t set yourself goals you’ll just fail. And that’s not just the case with language study. In any field of study you need to have a goal, otherwise you’ll just give up and look for something else to do.

The title of this article isn’t entirely true. It isn’t that motivation is all that matters, but I do think that it makes up about 80% of your progress in your target language.

Methods, schools and the amount of time you put in all matter, but it’s the motivation that can make or break your study. When all things fail, you need at least your motivation to get you through and continue learning.

Are you currently learning a language? If so, I’ll give you some ‘homework’. Think about why you’re learning the language you’re currently learning. Is it because you’re in school that you have to learn it? Maybe you’ve chosen to study it, but are you still happy with your decision?

What are your long-term goals regarding your target language? Are you having fun learning it, or do you just see it as a daily chore? Sometimes it’s not a shame to quit studying a language. If you’re not enjoying it and have no real motivation learning it, you’re better off investing your time in another language.

So investigate if your target language is really worth. If it is, think of things why you think it’s worth the time and effort and put that on a paper. Then, hang that paper in a place you can see it easily, that’s it’s impossible to not see it. This way you’ll remind yourself of your goals every day, and why you should continue learning this cool language.

Good luck and happy learning!

Ramses Oudt is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain and a Spanish
major who writes about learning Spanish on your own through
immersion at his blog Spanish-Only.com. Although he has a
passion for Spanish, he also writes about language learning
in general both at Twitter (@spanishonly) and his blog.


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Written by Vincent Kovar

We’ve all had that sensation of reading a selection of text then, only moments later, not remember anything we’ve just read. Sometimes we can read something over and over but never really feel like we “get it.”

Reading comprehension is crucial for every profession and lifestyle. Whether you’re reading a repair manual or the latest business best-seller, comprehension tools add value to the time spent over the page.

Here are 5 quick strategies for increasing your reading comprehension, remembering material and sparking new ideas.

Pre-reading predictions

Before reading the article or chapter, create a three column chart.

In the left-hand column, write down everything you think that the reading will cover and what conclusions it will arrive at. Look at the title, the abstract or summary (if included) and the chapter or section headings. Do some quick online research about the writer and try to get a picture of the shape of his or her ideas. Make your list of predictions as detailed as you can including what topics the writer will introduce and what evidence they might present.

Read the text over once and make notations of what the writer actually included in the middle column.

Compare and contrast the predictions in the first two columns of your chart. What was new, different or unexpected? Try to explain the differences between the first two columns in the third column.

Chunk summaries

As you read, try to boil each paragraph down to 1-2 sentences (grammar doesn’t count here) written in your own words. Once you have finished a section or sub-section, summarize your summaries for that entire chunk before going on to the next.

Compare your summaries with those of a classmate. As the old saying goes, “four eyes are better than two.” Do you agree or disagree on the meaning of each paragraph?

Make notes of unanswered questions and either bring them to class or post them in the class forum for discussion and further study.

3-step post reading review

After you’ve read the entire chapter or article, create a 3-step review.

• step one: write a summary of 100-150 words that describes what the author said in the selection. What was his or her thesis? Use the short paragraph-by-paragraph chunk-summaries to guide you. In other words, make an abstract of what the writer set out to tell you.
• step two: jot down another 100-150 words that describes why this material is important. Think about why it was important to the author. Also write down why it was important to you personally. Is it important to the planet or a specific community? What are the consequences of ignoring this information? What are the risks of adopting the author’s viewpoint?
• step three: determine how the author structured their writing. What type of reasoning did he or she use: cause-effect, model building, induction/deduction, or deconstruction? What types of rhetorical techniques did the writer use to convince you the thesis is correct? Which parts rely on ethos (ethics)? Which parts are mostly pathos (emotional appeal) and which parts are logos (logical)?

Describe the reading to someone else

Using your own words, describe what you’ve been reading to a family member, friend or classmate. Use all the materials you created so far to help you but use language and ideas that you think your listener will best understand.

Include any thoughts that start popping into your mind and discuss how the information has an impact on your life. Or, if the information does not affect you in any way, theorize why not and what it would take for that subject to have benefits or consequences in your life.

Make a mind-map

One of the best ways to cement a set of ideas and thoughts in your mind is to translate it into a different medium or shape. Pour all your summaries, thoughts and reactions into a graphical map. You don’t need to write everything down in detail, just include enough notes so that you understand the relationship that each piece of information has to other pieces. There are many shapes of graphical maps try a few different ones and notice which work best for you and which work best for various kinds of information.

The best news is that even if you use all five techniques described here, it really won’t take more time than other forms of study. Improving your reading skills will make the overall experience both faster and more enjoyable.

Vincent Kovar is a writer, instructor, editor, and entrepreneur based in Seattle, Washington. An Adjunct Faculty member at both Antioch University and the University of Phoenix, Vincent writes about online colleges for eLearners.com

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In Western society, we often think of “learning” in very narrow terms: it’s what we do in school, and once we’ve got our college degree, the learning phase is over – it’s time to work.

Of course, things aren’t really that black and white: we carry on learning after we’ve left school, and not just in our careers but in every aspect of our lives. And learning often doesn’t equate to taking qualifications or passing exams. Approached the right way, learning isn’t a process of ticking boxes on a curriculum or course outline – it’s about exploration, growth and enrichment.

Learning Adds Depth to Your Life

For me, the primary reason to keep learning new things is because I enjoy it. It’s not quite the same enjoyment that I get from watching a movie, and there are always frustrating and even miserable moments in learning anything new … but I’m happier in the long run.

If you take the time to consciously learn new things, you’ll find that you live life more deeply. Instead of chasing quick entertainment that fails to satisfy, you’ll have the pure pleasure of those aha! moments when something finally clicks. The more you learn, the more you’ll be able to make connections between pieces of knowledge – and the more creative you’ll become.

Learning Keeps You From Getting Bored

One of the reasons that I left my day job last year was because I was bored. The first month was fairly novel: it was my first experience of “real” work (I’d had a few student jobs) and I was learning a lot of new things, some of them stretching me beyond my comfort zone. But after that, the routine was the same day in and day out.

A huge advantage to working for myself is having the opportunity to learn all sorts of new things: both hard skills (including some CSS and PHP) and soft skills (like knowing how to interact well with clients). Each week, I’m learning new things – and this keeps me interested, motivated and happy.

Can you go on a training course at work to learn something that you’re interested in? Can you study in your free time, perhaps by joining an evening class or discussion group?

Learning Keeps You Healthy

Studies have shown that our mental facilities are best protected when we use them. Older folk who carry on learning and who stay mentally active are much less likely to suffer from illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease.

Taking the time to learn about nutrition will let you know how to eat well, and learning how to prepare and cook foods ensures that you can take charge of exactly what’s going into your body. Learning a new sport or exercise is a great way to take this even further. And learning about good time management habits can prevent you from developing stress-related illnesses.

Learning Puts You on the Fast Track to Success

The final reason to continue with life-long learning is because that’s what successful people do. If you settle back and decide that you’ve learnt everything you need to know about running a business, about succeeding in your career or about managing and motivating your team … you’ll lose out to competitors who have a passion for learning.

In your personal life, you’ll want to keep learning too. That might mean learning how to bring up your kids well. It could involve learning skills that let you maintain your house without having to pay for or rely on outside help. Learning about personal finance and money management – something which we’re rarely taught in school – can turn your life around.

What have you learnt this week? What benefits has learning brought you in your life so far? What do you want to learn during the next year?

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