The difference between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t lies in the balance of their habits.

We all have good and bad habits. Even when it’s about speaking a language other than our native one.

The thing is how we can optimise this mix, i.e. build new healthy habits and minimise or eliminate the bad ones. 

You see, bad habits can hold you back for good because they create all the wrong circumstances and mindsets that keep you down.

For instance, you want to become healthier. For sure, you need to take care of your nutrition and exercise, but it would benefit you the most if you also quit smoking (a nasty and unhealthy habit).

The same applies for your business English. You may have certain experiences or have built specific habits at school or when you started to learn English at a younger age.

Studying grammar and rules is OK (necessary, too, when you start off) but does it really help you, as a hard-working professional who wants to up their game? 

Studying is not a bad habit, of course, don’t get me wrong. But memorising rules and word lists IS a bad habit and won’t get you far.

I’ve already written quite a few articles about how to significantly improve your English by doing the right things (good habits, right?).

This article will focus on the bad habits you need to quit right away. They are mostly linked to psychological and mental issues and circumstances.

Having the right mindset with English (or any other foreign language) can work wonders.

Sustaining one that is faulty keeps holding you down and quite often throws you into a rabbit hole of self-doubt and fear.

So, brace yourself, open your mind and read on to discover the Top-3 things you must absolutely stop doing TODAY to level up your business English.

You might be surprised by some of what you are about to read and have an “Aha!” moment. Trust me, they are true, and the wisest thing is to digest them and act upon them. 

Some of what you are going to read may also not seem directly linked to how you speak English, but they indeed are because they affect your mindset and how you approach things in life (and business English!).

Stick with me and discover how to work on a better version of yourself when it comes to communicating in English at work.

#1 Judgement

Being judgemental is not something you must be proud of in any case and on any occasion.

But when improving your English and learning to speak naturally and confidently, judgement is a sneaky enemy. It lurks in the dark and attacks when you least expect it (=when you start speaking English at a presentation, meeting or call).

Here is how it works.

When you hear other people talking in English, you may often disregard their level and skills. They may make mistakes, or their accent is not great. They may not have a rich vocabulary or find it hard to understand what others are saying.

And you think, “Nah, they don’t speak good English!” or, “I am better than them, they should have tried more!”.

OK, please stop doing this. At any cost. 

First, it’s not nice and fills your mind with negative thoughts.

Second and most importantly when it comes to language learning, this critic will soon turn up when you speak English yourself. 

It’s a kind of mindset, how you’ve trained your brain to work. If you treat others like this, you will treat yourself the same way, too. And it’s a pity! 

So, next time you criticize someone speaking English, think twice. Switch your mindset to positive and appreciate their efforts.

Or else, when you open your mouth, the same inner critic will jump on you and create huuuge self-doubt plus brain fog, mumbling, freezing and so on. 

Do you really want that? No.

Is there a remedy? Sure! Follow me.

To start with, stop being judgemental. Replace judgement with appreciation. Despite their mistakes and inefficiencies, appreciate other people’s efforts to speak English, communicate and get their message across.

Treat yourself the same way, too. Appreciate your efforts. You can do even better next time! Each iteration will be a pleasant surprise!

You also have a mighty weapon on your side! Mindfulness. It can help you create a positive mindset that focuses on what matters the most: living the present moment and treating yourself and others in a kind, non-judgemental way.

During the sessions with my clients, we practice mindfulness quite a lot, hand in hand with improving certain areas of English they need more help with.

(you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

#2 Unrealistic expectations 

Goals and expectations are good, given you are not fixated on them.

Don’t get me wrong, you need to be ambitious and resourceful when reaching your goals.

However, there is a fine line between that and setting the bar too high, that you never accomplish anything, always feeling incomplete and unsatisfied.

When it comes to improving your English, watch out for these two signs: 

–  aiming at speaking English like a native speaker

Even native speakers don’t speak 100% correct English. So, there is no point in setting such a goal. It’s a utopia you will never reach.

– trying to make NO mistakes

Look, mistakes are human, and you will keep making mistakes (albeit less with time). So, accept this fact and make friends with your mistakes. 

But what is the reason people are so inclined to this behavior and way of thinking?

Perfectionism is mainly to blame. It’s the belief that you can reach a “perfect English level” (should there be such).  

You consume a looot of content, watch tons of videos, read a lot of books, do a lot of exercises (often without guidance by a professional language coach).

It’s a rabbit hole you can hardly escape. The more you try to reach perfection, the more you succumb to passive English, and the fewer opportunities to speak and practise your English you take on.

Is there a workaround? Yes, sure. In this case, mindfulness can help a lot.

You see, mindfulness is about being aware of the present situation and setting realistic goals. Knowing where you stand and setting achievable goals or expectations in the short term. Improving your business English one step at a time.

So, acknowledge your level, see how far you can go (based on the time and energy you can afford) and keep the goal completion timeframe short.

Break down the greater goal into smaller achievable subgoals and steps.

And don’t forget this: practice makes perfect (yes, it’s a saying, so I can’t alter it to skip the word “perfect”).

(you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

#3 Missed opportunities

“I want to improve my business English, but I’m not ready yet!” or “I am too busy this month, will start working on my English next month”. 

Please stop these negative affirmations (I can’t find any more suitable words to use in this instance). 

Choosing not to live the present moment and do what needs to be done TODAY won’t get you far.

But keep calm. It’s only human to postpone things for later on. Who knows what the future brings, huh?

Gotcha! You may not know 100%, with certainty, what tomorrow may bring, but you can start preparing today to grab the opportunities that arise in the future.

It may be a promotion at work or a fantastic new job altogether. Or you are moving abroad to a foreign country to expand your career.

But listen! Opportunities only come to those who wait and are prepared for them.

So, please, stop wasting time and take action today. 

You will never become a native speaker, and, really, you don’t have to.

Embrace your skills, improve your weak points in English and boost your strong ones, too. Then opportunities will arise!

This requires practice. A lot. Systematic. Done the right way.

Even if you work on your English with a professional coach, you need to keep practising what you learn.

Use it or lose it, says the famous quote.

It’s a pity! And not a very efficient way to spend your time, money and energy.

“Um, I think I will skip this meeting in English, I am not ready yet!” or “Thank you for the proposal, but I am not into presenting in English yet.”.

Why miss out on all these excellent opportunities to speak English, practice, and ultimately improve? 

You will never be perfect or 100% ready, and these opportunities won’t come up again, sorry to say.

Plus, you are sending the wrong signals to others (and the universe, I’d dare say!). 

“This person (you) is not ready yet, so skip them for now. Let’s give these opportunities to others who feel ready to take them on!”.

Adopting a more mindful approach can help you enormously.

Mindfulness can help you live the present moment without feeling stuck in the past or living for the future (better put, being anxious about all the bad future scenarios and what can go wrong).

It’s all here and now. Take deep breaths and sync mind and body.

Appreciate this very day and open up to opportunities. Only then they will come to you, trust me on that.

(you can download the graphic below by double-clicking on the image and saving it. Keep it for future reference and/or stick it somewhere you can see it everyday for inspiration and action)

Here at ProEnglish, this is my end goal. To empower non-native, highly-skilled professionals like you to claim what you deserve by breaking down the language blockage in a safe, kind and trustful environment.

I am Vera Daskalaki, your mindful English coach. You, being here and reading this, really means a lot to me. Let me know if anything above hits a nerve, and feel free to send me any questions.

If you want to talk about your goals and struggles in English and create a customised plan, just like I’ve done for dozens of professionals in the past, book a free Clarity Call by clicking below.

BOOK YOUR FREE CLARITY CALL

It’s a free 30-min call. No commitment, no obligation. We will talk about your team’s challenges and needs for business English and lay out a path to achieve your team goals. 

No catch. Let’s talk and take it from there.