- Sun Tsu and Language Learning
- Famous Japanese People
- Timeboxing is Scary
- A Goldmine of Japanese Dubbed Shows
- Learning Japanese = Playing a Video Game, Part 1
- Learning Japanese = Playing a Video Game, Part 2
- Are you learning Japanese the wrong way?
- Deletions
- Improving Your Life Through Japanese
- What is it about these MCDs? Part 2: The Awesomeness
- What is it about these MCDs? Part 3: The Format
- What is it about these MCDs? Part 4: The Active Output
- What is it about these MCDs? Part 5: The Variety
- What is it about these MCDs? BONUS: The Easy Button
Hi, it’s rigabamboo with another AJATT+ gem I found in the forums.
Has following AJATT principles changed your life in any way? Besides, y’know, the obvious – becoming awesome at Japanese.
Clearly an AJATTer.
ダンちゃん, for example, apparently has abs now!
I have a little excel spreadsheet on my desktop, and I keep track of my reps. I started off low, real low, and every day I just do one or two reps of pushups, situps, etc. than the day before. Or, same number, but slightly harder version. It’s not about being hard core, but being consistent. For me, tracking what you do is one feeling of building a sense of accomplishment. It also shows you when you haven’t been doing anything, so you can conveniently ‘forget’ without feeling guilty.
It feels like I have put in next to no effort, because at any single moment all I’ve done is lots of quick wins (drop to the floor, do a bunch, record, go back to whatever I was doing before).
Essentially, ダンちゃん applied the principles of AJATT to exercise. And now has abs to show for it.
That’s not all, though! Let’s hear from some others.
ファイズー先輩:
I now sleep on a ふとん on the floor, and my back feels great because of it. I’m getting more than 4 hours of sleep now, and THAT feels great. I’m taking walks for exercise. My girlfriend and I are gearing up to start eating only Japanese style meals for health sake (we bought this book that discusses it: www.amazon.com/Japanese…..0385339976 ). I’ve already lost about 6lbs just by eating rice in the morning for a week instead of skipping breakfast or having a granola bar (even though we made them ourselves!)
Carl Hüffmeier:
Since I started 7 month ago I somehow manged to change my diet, workout every day and generally get my stuff straight. Most importantly I learned to have FUN and abolish my perfectionism.
Drewskie先輩:
My GPA went up for the first time. It’s been steadily falling since I started college, and in the two semesters since I started AJATT, it’s gone up steadily. It’s funny, you’d think all the extra time/effort on Japanese would have the opposite effect. I suppose it’s all in the self management.
真弥先輩:
The past few months have been the first time in a while that I actually feel excited about school/learning for its own sake. It’s summer break right now and yet I’m reading books about how to study better. I now have plans to go to grad school, and I’m determined to become a diplomat after I graduate. I feel more determined to do my best.
スティーブ:
I’ve definitely become a better student since I’ve started AJATT. Before I would never get work done because I would just keep pushing it back until it was too late. But from reading through Khatz’s posts on AJATT I’ve learned how easy it is to do something. I now time box to get things started, and usually go past the set time to finish it. …
Much like everyone has said, AJATT has made me want to succeed, WANT to do something with my life. Goals I would’ve never imagined myself having before this. I’ve been reading PD books and other things on how to succeed and get things done, and it feels great to do good for once. … I also have developed abs and started working out, haha. I’ve actually gained weight and am a healthy weight for once.
Okay, now this sounds like some kind of AJATT commercial. *Ahem* anyway –
AJATT is more than learning a language. It’s about structuring your goals – whether they be study, exercise, cleaning, reading, whatever – into fun, effortless chunks. Chunks that you do over and over. It’s a concept so simple and yet so powerful that it’s bound to improve your life in other ways.
The time-management part is so true. Last summer I had a basically-full-time job at the library in my town, and I got things done so efficiently that my boss was at a loss as to what I should do haha.
Get a raise?
No. My boss kept complaining about my getting things done so quickly. Besides that she kept complaining about how I got paid more than she did, even though I worked more hours than she did. :/
Pavel would be pleased.
Well, my teeth are whiter, and my hair now has the fine glean of a pony’s mane, if that counts. Aside from that, I guess the biggest impact is that I now live in Japan. Man, here it’s really all Japanese, all the time.
As they say on that website that rhymes with “Fake Nook” 「いいね！」
Call me an idiot but…
Whats that site? I literally have no idea.
The ol’ F-bomb (Facebook) 😉
..at least I think…
Well, yes or to be more precise, フェースブック
Oh boy. That was some two years ago now and I’m afraid I can’t brag about having abs at current!
Still the principle is the same. Focus on what you can do. Break down tasks into manageable chunks and be consistent.
The timeboxing has been a great change in my life. I’m doing more of my own writing an hour before I start teaching school. I use the Silverspoon time management arrangements everyday but really it’s just arbitrary. I’ve been reading Steve Chandler books which Khatz refers to every now and then in addition to self-help books in Japanese (yes, the books I’m embarassed to say I like:)). I’m so busy as a dad of two small children and a high school teacher. I use a vibrating G-Shock watch and read 3-5 minutes every day, and I’m “rubbin’ it.” (Okay, that sounds gross and xenophobic but it’s all about McDonald’s). Good stuff and thanks.
How would you use your theory of immersion in bodybuilding or excersing concept?
There was something like that in this blog entry:
tinyurl.com/6s8zpol
This makes allot of scense, and im a former ajatt quiter. When I quit I pretty mutch gave up on my other goals too.
My grades droped. Ajatt isnt just a way to learn a language its a way of life.
’cause you’re talking also about work out, I’ll give you this link: www.fitocracy.com/register/?invite_code=YI5ZE
It is “fitocracy”, you can create an account and track your workouts, for every excercice you do you have points and pass to the next level. You don’t win anything, it is simlpy a site to track your progress, but passing a level, for me, is very motivational, it seems like a game and it give me the will to do something and don’t simply stay on my couch.