Find a mentor, mate!

Find someone whose approach you admire. Doesn't need to be 100 percent - just someone who is on the same general wavelength as you. 

Study how they did it, or are doing it - something that you want to do. Some aspect of their approach. There are tons of online polyglots to choose from. Something, someone, somewhere is bound to resonate to some degree at least.

Just think about what they do. Will it work just as well for you as it does for them? Of course it will not.

Because you are you, and they are whoever they are. They've what they have after a long process of trying one thing after another. They’ve tailored what they do until it meets their requirements. And those activities won’t fit you quite so perfectly.

No matter.

Cause what you’re looking for is a comfortable fit that is 75 to 90 per cent correct. (You shouldn’t settle for less than that, and you cannot hope for more.)

Next, you’ll examine where the thing miss-matches. Try to determine what needs adjusting. You'll improve on it. You'll gain personal expertise.

Of course, a fraction of your mentor’s approach is going to be absolutely wrong for you. Nothing wrong with that either, and here’s why: it'll allow you to go off exploring in your own direction. 

You should try the exact opposite in those cases! That will lead you to making some original discoveries. You'll unearth more of the language-learning universe. You'll find out more about how you as a person tick.

Of course, you don’t want to have to work everything out from first principles, so locate that language learner whose approach strikes the most harmonious chord in your ears. He or she is your mentor, mate!

Play is the way

Look it up in a book, please to confirm what I'll say here.

Children play. Why? Because that's how they grow and learn. Naturally, no schooling needed. It's the best way, the most effective way, and the way that's most fun.

Many adults stop playing. They stop growing and learning. That's their own doing and their own choice.

You do what you choose to do, and become who you train yourself to be.

Playing allows you to experiment, try on different roles, make mistakes, try things again, in new slightly different ways, from different angles and to get used to the moves all in a safe environment (because, whether you win or lose it's just a game).

You need to be in that energized-but-relaxed state in order to perform well. It's a fine balance, and sometimes you get carried away by passion and excitement, in which case there may be tears . . . or hooliganism.

So be playful as you engage with language.