The path to mastering note is similar to the path to mastering English

Hello. I wrote this article hoping it would reach those who have just started note and are feeling troubled, or those who want to become proficient in English.

I think mastering note is similar to mastering English. This is because neither is essential for survival, yet both require a vast amount of time and energy to master.

After I started working, I studied abroad at a graduate school in the UK and became able to speak English. Born and raised in Japan, I couldn't speak English at all as a child, but I studied intensely during my university years and became able to speak English with a certain degree of freedom.

People sometimes ask me how I was able to do that. There were two reasons I was able to achieve it. One was that I had an intense longing. And the other was that I devised my own winning study method to realize that longing. I will describe the details later.

By the way, I recently started writing on note to find people to practice coaching with, but well, I can't write well and it's not being read, so I was feeling a bit down.

Oh, the words just won't flow. It's not being read at all. It's hot. I have no motivation. I was slumped over my desk with vacant eyes, thinking things like that. Of course I can't write; I haven't been writing until now.

But as I was idly reading other people's articles, I encountered a piece of writing that intensely captivated my heart. Writing as clear and unstagnant as water flowing in a stream. Writing that conveyed the author's passionate feelings and struck a chord in my heart.

Oh, how wonderful. I absolutely want to be able to write like this someday. I felt an intense longing. Then, a blue flame was lit in my heart. And I remembered my university days when I was crazily studying English because I longed for it so intensely.

Since I was able to do it back then, I should be able to do it this time too. I remembered the feelings and things I did at that time and summarized them in this note.

Just keep fantasizing, and then let go

First is the mindset. When I was a university student devoted to learning English, I would fantasize every day about myself speaking English fluently. I would feel happy fantasizing about myself having fun conversations with foreigners in English, or working energetically using English.

At that time, there was no reason for it. I didn't have any clear learning goal like needing English to get a job; I just had a longing.

The feeling of just longing for it was incredibly strong, and I think that was the driving force that made me immerse myself in it.

So, for note as well, I think it's important not to think about it because it's necessary for business, but just to have that passionate feeling of wanting to write something that attracts people! And to feel happy imagining yourself writing well.

Also, don't focus on the self that can't do it. I feel that if you have feelings like being embarrassed about the self that can't do it, that self-consciousness hinders your speed of progress.

It's obvious, but if you are focused on yourself, you cannot view yourself objectively. Even though there is a shortest way to improve, you unconsciously avoid it. It is important to give up once and gain a broader perspective. For example, when I was a high school student, I was surrounded by returnees. In a situation where the students around me were speaking English fluently and I couldn't speak at all, I developed a severe English complex. And I completely turned my back on English and became rebellious.

When I became a university student and there weren't as many fluent English speakers around me, I resumed studying English.At that time, I thought, since I can't speak anyway, I'll just give up and study from zero. Because I had been thoroughly depressed once, I lost the feeling of worrying about those around me.。

But for some reason, I had the hope that I would surely be able to speak fluently someday, and I started studying steadily from zero every day. As a result, in two years, my TOEIC score went from the 400s to the 800s.

It might be important not to have too much self-consciousness about wanting to write note well or wanting to get a lot of likes. It might be better to just put a little bit of your feelings into writing that is faithful to the basics and easy to understand.

My English study method

As for what I specifically did, I started by listening to NHK Radio's Basic English every day. I recorded the 6:00 PM broadcast and listened to both the previous day's episode and the current day's episode every day. I then memorized the previous day's episode completely.

As some of you may know, Basic English is at a junior high school level. To be honest, for someone like me who had already experienced university entrance exams, it was a breeze.Even so, starting over from the very basics is incredibly effective.

The conversation scripts for Basic English were about four lines long, so I was able to memorize them reliably. I still remember the scripts from back then. The title of the script on the day I started learning was 'Kicking off the bad habit'.

At the time, I was convinced that reliably mastering the basics was the way to go, so I just kept at it silently. After continuing my studies for about two years, my TOEIC score went from the 400s to the 800s, and I became able to handle daily conversation.

If we apply this to mastering note, I think it is important not to underestimate the basics. There are materials that teach writing tips, but rather than just writing based on your mood because you think you 'already know' them, it is important to properly grasp those tips every single time.

'Repetition' is also important. In fact, after I finished writing and published this article, I read these materials and made some revisions.

Once you finish writing and publishing an article, the next step is to reread your previous article and check if you have covered the key points. Then, try rewriting it if necessary. Points that are hard to notice right after finishing a piece of writing can sometimes become visible once you look at them with a calm perspective. I believe this is the secret to improving your writing.

Summary

Today, I wrote about how I studied English during my university days and how I reached a level of proficiency. I also wrote about tips for applying that improvement method to writing on note. If you liked this article, please be sure to 'like' or follow me!