Would you open a store with no products on the shelf? Of course not. Would you open a business without a business plan? Not if you are smart. Would you try to speak in Spanish with a native Spanish speaker without being able to speak decently? Not if you do not want to be frustrated.

Many people who are just learning the language make three really big mistakes. This may surprise you!

• They tell everyone they know they are learning Spanish.
• They start trying to talk with native Spanish speakers before they are able to carry on a decent conversation.
• They try to listen to Spanish radio stations and watch Spanish television stations as much as they can.

The main reason you should avoid these activities too soon in the learning process is because you are setting yourself up for failure. You simply do not have the knowledge base to handle these activities well. You are much better off learning the language well, with the proper kinds of learning systems, than somehow trying to "pick it up by osmosis." It does not happen that way!

If you tell everyone you know you are learning Spanish, these same people can become your worst enemies in the learning process. If they are English speakers, they will chide you and say things like, "Well, you are taking Spanish lessons, you take the phone call from Venezuela." That is pressure, amigo!

Let's say you succumb to the pressure and try to talk on the phone. You get past "hola," start to talk with the person on the other end of the phone, (who now thinks you speak Spanish), get two sentences in, and you are completely embarrassed. Well, your friends all have a good laugh on you, and you are feeling pretty rotten. Again, put your products on the shelf!

Many teachers make the mistake of telling their students to "talk with everyone you can," and "watch as much television in Spanish as possible." I am telling you for most people this is really bad advice. Please understand that I am not questioning their intent or desire to help you, I am simply saying that for most new learners this is not good advice. Psychologically, this is defeating to most people. You will start watching a Spanish television program, get frustrated and tell yourself something like, "Wow, these people talk so fast, I don’t think I'll ever understand them." You are not ready for native speed!

As soon as you start creating a negative mindset about the process, things will get more and more difficult for you. My personal opinion is that you are much better off waiting to talk with people or watch TV until you at least develop a decent level of proficiency in a "safe" environment.

Why do babies stay nine months (in an ideal scenario) in their mother's wombs? Why do baby chicks stay inside an egg until they grow more mature? Why do people go to college before entering the professional workforce? One word and one word only — PREPARATION.

Think about the powerful elements of the following situation. Let's say that Marty owns a construction company and he wants to be able to talk with his Spanish-speaking laborers. Instead of making a big deal of "I am learning Spanish" he does not say a word. When he has properly learned and is able to communicate well he opens his mouth and starts talking to them in Spanish.

Imagine their shock! First, they are afraid because they wonder how much he understood when they were talking behind his back. They say, "Caramba, no sabíamos que usted hablaba español. ¡Habla muy bien!" That means, "Wow, we didn't know that you spoke Spanish. You speak really well!"

Will Marty ever fear opening his mouth again? No way. The reason is because when he opened his doors for business he had his products on the shelf. He was prepared and because he was prepared he was successful.

My favorite story is about a student we had in New York City who was the boyfriend of a Puerto Rican lady. He didn't tell her that he was learning Spanish and after he learned he took her out to dinner and spoke only in Spanish with her. According to him, she was absolutely flabbergasted!

Amigo, some of the best advice I can give you is to get into a great Spanish learning program. Do not tell everyone what you are doing, and wait until you can speak before you start speaking with people outside of your tutor. If you do not do that, you run the unnecessary risk of being defeated before you ever really start.

In closing, it does take some discipline to follow this advice, but it is more than worth it. Many years ago I learned a powerful two-word definition for the word "discipline." It is "delayed gratification." Think about it!