5 Ways to Get Back on Track with a Big Project

reading Geraldine & other small tricks

Throughout May, my life got derailed in a big way. One of the first things to go: studying French. Not for lack of desire. Just for lack of time and cognitive bandwidth.

Then there was the necessary down-time to heal and rebuild a sense of hope in the world. Then there was a sorrow I couldn’t shake. And sheer exhaustion.

I regarded all my French intentions, and while I didn’t feel guilt about them, I did feel a sense of overwhelm—and a sudden fear that (et une peur soudaine que)… this was going to be the moment that has always come in the past… the letting go of French.

After all, French is a big project.

A very big project.

And even though I’m learning French through beauty, the truth is that learning a language is a long-haul effort that’s hard to get your hands around.

What to do?

Was I going to let my dear French go, like I’ve done so many times before?

Or was I going to treat it like I treat any big project, put aside my preferences for a moment, and get exceedingly practical?

“Practical” isn’t romantic. It definitely can’t lead me forever. (Cela ne peut absolument pas me guider éternellement.) But a practical approach can be a very good basis to get back on track with a big project.

Here are my 5 practical tricks to get back on track with French (and, by extension, any big project):

1. Make it deliciously simple.

While I love doing things like translating poems, it takes a lot of time and cognitive effort. Time and effort which, on the whole, are preferable for learning, but which can also be hard to jumpstart when coming back from a dead stop.

So my first rule for getting back on track with a big project is to do something, do anything. No matter how small. No matter how simple. Momentum, once begun, almost always results in greater momentum (l’élan).

2. Read someone who has a sense of ongoing voice and style—and a tendency to express in similar ways.

I can’t read French for too long when I’m cognitively overloaded and am feeling a lack of l’élan (momentum). But reading Géraldine Dormoy, even if only scanning her headlines and a few sentences, is a great way to get back on track. I let Google do the translating when I encounter unknown words. And I don’t make myself try to learn them. Geraldine goes round on certain themes and expresses herself in ways I can count on. She’s smart, quirky, and sweetly frank.

(By extension, for any big project, work first with something that has a sense of coherence or consistency to it, something you’ve been successful with in the past.)

3. Use the unflashy guides. Leave them in an accessible place.

I have a Living Language French coursebook.

Practical to the nth degree. Dull, really. But? Simple to jump in and read a few sentences on a theme or usage. (Think “what’s the weather” or 4 ways French uses the word comme)…

Il fait froid!
Il fait chaud!
Comme ça.
Comme moi.
Comme vous voulez.
Comme ci, comme ça.

(Translation: It’s cold. It’s hot. Like this (that). Like me. As you wish. So, so.)

I leave the coursebook near where I stretch in the morning. It’s not hard to simply pick up the book and read a single sentence, if that’s all I have the heart and mind for.

(By extension, if your big project revolves around writing, for instance, leave a piece of paper and pen by where you practice your morning routine. When you go there, scribble a few words, a sentence, a doodle, maybe the shape of an idea. Whatever your big project is, find a way to leave a simple piece of it near where you have a morning or afternoon routine.)

4. Reread a text you’ve read before.

My tea book from Mariage Frères has been waiting quietly for me. It’s actually written at a fairly high level, so translating it takes real effort. But rereading portions I’ve already read is a great way to get back on track with French.

When I meet words that were hard for me to remember, I’m now recognizing them in context upon rereading… repander, emprunter, méner (spread, borrow, lead or carry out). Low cognitive load. But, this recognition moves the words deeper into my memory, where they can become accessible not just for reading but, more complexly, for writing.

(By extension, whatever your big project is, refamiliarize yourself with it by going over something you’ve already done. This can get you back in the groove.)

5. Watch a French show or listen to French music.

This one is not about conscious learning. It’s about staying in touch with French. The sound of it. The soul of it. A very passive experience—which the brain is still processing, but which almost feels like “doing nothing.” Important when you’ve gotten to the place where doing something feels too big.

It’s a bit like love that you don’t have the strength to give shape to with gifts or words or big favors. It’s about gentle milieu. A cup of tea offered wordlessly, a quiet glance, a hug. Watching a French show or listening to French music, there’s your cup of tea. French giving you a little gaze, an encompassing experience. And all you need to do is let it wash over you.

(By extension for any big project, if there’s a passive way to engage with it, try it out. Say, if you are researching for a writing project, an art project, a new work initiative, let the art and ideas of others surround you. Read, visit a museum, listen to a podcast, or something else.)

Bonus Trick (So, # 6)

Take a detour into something else that will open you creatively or intellectually. Momentum of any kind can jumpstart momentum (l’élan) for your big project, especially if you also apply the five approaches outlined above.

As you know, I’ve been exploring video editing here, all with a French aim. Recently I took a detour and have been making book trailers. It’s an enriching experience, putting together music, art, and story telling in an enchanting medium.

Are you stalled on a big project? Or do you have tips for those who are? I’d love to hear.

(traduction: as always, L.L. :)

P.S. The teacup in this post is supposedly an antique C.T. Carl Tielsch, possibly from Bavaria (southern Germany). However, the only markings are on the bottom of the saucer; it is stamped with an “A” and signed in gold by an M. Larsen.

P.S.S. The tea is a Japanese green, though I don’t recall which kind. You can usually tell a Japanese green tea by its intense greenness or chartreuse. Chinese teas tend to look more amber (makes sense, since they are pan-fired instead of steamed).

below ↓ not every moment needs to be focused, whether in photos or when working on big projects. i love the otherworldly effect in this photo, where i purposely let focus slide

My Creative Detour: Making Book Trailers

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