A mindset shift that might change how you feel about your English

You might deserve to feel confident when you speak. You might even be entitled to be taken seriously in meetings.

But somewhere along the way, expectations crept in. “I should be fluent by now.” “I shouldn’t make mistakes at my level.” “People should understand me the first time. ” Harsh, when you say them out loud.

My husband reminds me of this often (and I’m still learning it too). Create the conditions for success, but lower your expectations.

Keep showing up, keep learning, keep practising. Just let go of the perfect outcome you’re clinging to, and the fear that one mistake means you’ve failed.

Lowering your expectations still means you care. It just gives you room to grow, and that’s where progress happens.

Quick win: Expect a few mistakes today, and speak up anyway.

PS Lowering your expectations isn’t giving up. It’s just moving the goalposts somewhere you can actually reach them.