Depth Over Motion
The Preparation - Entry #11: Fluency in Spanish
Growth Philosophy
For someone who likes movement and progress, staying in the same job too long can start to feel like you’re stuck in neutral. When you are wired for action, choosing not to move can feel like inaction, even though staying put is often its own deliberate and strategic decision. Sometimes the more mature move is to remain and get very good at what you’re doing, because mastery usually comes from time and repetition rather than constant change.
Stability allows your skills, reputation, and income to build on themselves instead of resetting every few years. If you stay long enough to become genuinely excellent at your craft, opportunities tend to shift direction and come looking for you, since people seek out proven competence when the stakes are high. That dynamic is very different from constantly repositioning yourself for the next title or external signal of progress.
This becomes even more important when a family depends on you. Ambition carries a price, and so does restlessness. Chasing novelty can feel productive, but it often introduces instability and distraction that you only recognize in hindsight. Building depth is less dramatic, but it compounds over time, and that compounding effect is what eventually gives you more leverage, more credibility, and more control over how you spend your energy.
Preparation Cycle Progress
Based on the Common European Framework (CEFR), I am currently sitting at low A2 for Spanish.
That means I can hold basic conversations if the other person is patient and sticks to familiar ground. I can talk about my background, daily routines, and simple plans. I can read short passages if the vocabulary isn’t too exotic. But once someone speeds up or shifts into unfamiliar topics, things go sideways quickly. Verb tenses slow me down and some grammatical rules still feel too complicated to fully grasp. It works, but it’s fragile.
The objective is to move into B1 as soon as possible and then hold that ground.
B1 is where the language starts to feel usable. Conversations don’t collapse every few minutes and opinions can be expressed with more than one tense. Books become readable without translating every line. Travel actually starts to feel more immersive and enjoyable.
My weekly work reflects that over the last two months. I’m reading, writing, listening, speaking, and spending real time on grammar. Grammar is not glamorous, but without it everything stays shaky. Vocabulary gives you more to say and structure determines whether you can actually say it.
I’m also pushing for more speaking practice. Passive listening feels productive, but it hides weaknesses. Speaking forces the issue and builds your confidence to bounce back after making a mistake. When I can’t find a word or stumble through a sentence, I know exactly what needs work. At some point in the future, this will be tested in the real world with another trip to Latin America.
Self-study can turn into a comfortable routine if you’re not careful. Hours accumulate and you may think progress is inevitable. But time spent and skill built are not always the same thing. A benchmark and an external test are essential to measuring true competency. Preparing for an actual event changes how seriously you approach the work. At least for me, Spanish definitely needs that kind of seriousness.
Skills, Hobbies, and Life
I recently finished The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Roosevelt’s expedition down an uncharted tributary of the Amazon is a reminder that experience and nearly unlimited access to resources don’t make you invincible. Extensive planning took place prior to the trip and the party was full of capable men. However, the jungle still exposed weaknesses. Never underestimate the perils of nature, otherwise prepare for a lesson in humility. I highly recommend giving this book a read!
In other news, lifting, running, and mobility practice are still part of my baseline. Fatherhood continues to compress time in a way that’s both frustrating and useful. Study blocks are shorter and the interruptions are constant. There’s no room for drifting through half-focused sessions. If I sit down to study, I need to actually study.
Looking Ahead
Spanish stays a daily priority. Speaking increases, especially when it feels awkward or inefficient. Grammar remains central because speed and clarity depend on it. As soon as I can handle it without constant translation, I’ll start working through B1 reading material.
Spring is around the corner, and with it comes that familiar urge to start something new. For now, I’m enjoying life for today.