WORDS: DANIELA KRALJIĆ
We often find ourselves trapped in the mindset of „one day.“ One day, I will go on that trip. One day, I will start that project. One day, I will make that call. One day, I will master that language. One day, I will …
Unless we take action, that day may never come. The most powerful tool we have at our disposal is not the future. It is this very moment. Life happens now.
Our experiences have brought us here, shaped us to a certain point, and taught us valuable lessons. The future is yet to be determined, therefore unreachable and vague. The only thing we have ownership of, the only thing that is truly ours and over which we do have significant control is this very moment.
I’ve been a bookworm my whole life. The highlights of my presence on Earth are the moments I spent with the people I love and with books. Those are my best memories but also incentives that pushed me to live in the present moment, savor it and always take a step forward embracing the next one, no matter what.
At an early age, I discovered the power of words and the power of action. I realized that the way we communicate with ourselves and others shapes our environment, inspires us to move or stay still and that the action we finally decide to take makes everything possible. Personally, I believe that if we’re not moving forward, we do not stay in one place, we go backward. And that, in my book, is not an option.
Once I understood the power of action and the power of communication, I simply knew my life was going to be closely linked to both. I followed my calling and moved in an unexpected direction, despite everything (and everyone). I was determined to make my own path even though I didn’t have a clear idea of where I was going.
The end result – I got to work with some truly amazing people from (literally) all over the world, helping them make their voice heard over borders. As a Neurolanguage Coach, I help my clients communicate confidently and effectively in English using coaching tools, and the latest findings in neuroscience to create an optimal environment in which we learn and perform best.
A true blessing. People and words continue to be an important part of my life. I intuitively knew that we’re all different and special in our own way, and that precisely because of that, we can make this world beautiful for everyone. By doing things differently my whole life, I learned that everything, even language mastery requires a unique, personalized approach and taking immediate action.
I have seen time and again how the ability to harness the power of now transforms not only the learning process but also our whole life. The brain is wired to work best when we focus our attention, narrow our scope, and prioritize what truly matters. When we stop treating life (or language mastery) as a mere never-ending accumulation of knowledge and instead shift our focus to immediate, meaningful implementation and action, we accelerate progress dramatically.
How Our Brain Learns and Remembers
The brain is a fascinating organ, designed to process and retain information through patterns, repetition, and relevance. However, it doesn’t remember everything. Instead, it prioritizes what is meaningful and useful at a given time.
Every moment, your brain filters through an immense amount of data, selecting what deserves attention and discarding the rest. This is known as selective attention, and it is the key to effective learning. If we try to learn everything at once—grammar rules, vocabulary lists, pronunciation tips—our brain becomes overwhelmed. However, when we narrow our focus to what is immediately relevant, we activate deeper levels of retention and application.
This is why many people study English for years but still struggle to use it. They collect knowledge but fail to prioritize practical implementation. The shift happens when we realize that language mastery is not about knowing everything (nobody does) but about mastering what is useful now.
The Power of Now: My Theory on Learning
I believe that the present moment contains both the past and the future. Every action we take now is built upon our past experiences and aimed at shaping future outcomes. In language mastery, this means that we are constantly drawing upon what we have learned while directing our efforts toward immediate use.
This perspective changes everything. Instead of focusing on what we don’t know, we begin to focus on what we can do right now, to communicate effectively, for instance. This is the difference between saying, I need to learn more grammar before I speak and I will use the grammar I know to express myself now, improving with each conversation.
A group of my clients loved this approach and took the initiative to meet weekly and use their knowledge by discussing different business topics in English. It was a huge success and CSC (Confident Speakers Club) was born. They stopped seeing English as a distant goal and started seeing it as an active tool, moving from passive learners to confident speakers overcoming their speaking blocks and insecurities one meeting at a time.
We are work in progress, therefore, we never stop learning. Language mastery also never stops. No one can claim to know 100% of any language or anything else, for that matter. There will always be something new to learn. Rather than aiming for perfection or waiting to be fully ready, we need to focus on using what we know and then perfecting it as we go along welcoming mistakes as an inevitable part of, not only the learning process, but life itself.
If there is one takeaway from this perspective, it is that we have far more control over our learning process (and life) than we think. Every decision we make—whether to focus, to prioritize, or to take action—brings us one step closer to our goals. Sometimes, it may take longer to achieve them. One thing is certain, though: as long as we move forward, we will, eventually…
By embracing the power of now, we take charge of our learning journey, making every moment purposeful. Success, in language mastery as well, is not about waiting for perfect conditions, or that perfect moment —it’s about making the most of what we have now, taking imperfect actions, refining and doing it a bit better next time.
At the core of The Power of Now is the realization that the only thing we truly control is this moment. We can choose to hesitate and miss opportunities, or we can take decisive action now. This is how we reclaim our power. We are no longer passive spectators watching life pass by. We are active participants who are writing the script and living it with wins and losses, ups and downs, aiming for excellence and experiences, never perfection.
Every moment counts, but this one, right now, is unrepeatable.
The only question is: What will we do with it?
