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Vital words for understanding
Stick with (something) – continue doing something, even when it’s difficult
Specific – clear and detailed
Take a break – stop an activity for a short time
Motivation – your reason or drive for doing something
Vague – not clear or specific
Decision fatigue – feeling tired from making too many decisions
Follow through – complete something you started
Plan – a clear idea of what, when, and how you’ll do something
Exercise habit – doing physical activity regularly as a routine
Track – to follow and record progress
Schedule – a plan that shows when activities will happen
Goal – something you want to achieve
Takeaway – the main idea or lesson learned from something
Fall off – stop doing something you had started
English: how to stick with it
How many times have you promised yourself that you’ll finally start learning English – only to give up after a week? This ties in nicely with my last article, where I talked about the problem of taking breaks in learning. You know that frustrating feeling: one step forward, two steps back. So today, let’s look at how to actually stick with English.
The problem with motivation
Most people rely on motivation. If you’re one of my clients, you probably remember me asking about yours during our first session. Maybe it’s work, travel, or just a feeling that I really should know English.
But here’s the truth: motivation is often too weak, too vague, and too unreliable. Unless you’re highly driven – or under pressure – it’s rarely enough to keep you going.
So what works better? A clear, specific goal.
Spoiler: To be able to speak English is not a real goal.
Why specific goals work
We all need goals to stay on track. But in my experience, it’s not just any goal – it’s the quality of the goal that makes the difference.
There’s a great study from the UK in 2001 that proves this. Researchers worked with 248 people who wanted to build an exercise habit over two weeks. They split them into three groups:
- Group 1: Tracked how often they exercised.
- Group 2: Did the same, and also read about the health benefits of exercise.
- Group 3: Got everything Group 2 did, plus they wrote a specific plan:
During the next week, I will engage in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [day] at [time] in [place].
And the results?
Only 35–38% of people in Groups 1 and 2 exercised at least once a week. But in Group 3, a whopping 91% did.
The takeaway? People with a clear plan—specific time and place—are much more likely to follow through.
How I use this (and you can too)
I’m a planner. Seriously – you should see my calendar.
I run on Mondays and Thursdays at 6 pm. I do yoga on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2 pm. I play the piano for at least 10 minutes every weekday. I schedule my clients‘ sessions and send them invites – so the times are blocked in their calendars too.
They might not know why I do this (unless they’re reading this article!), but I do. I’m sending a message to my brain (and theirs):
I will [action] at [time] in [place].
This eliminates the need to think about it – it reduces something called decision fatigue. The more choices you have to make, the more likely you are to do… nothing.
Final thought
So, what’s the big takeaway?
Motivation fades. Systems and clarity win. If you want to build a real English habit, start with this sentence:
I will [action] at [time] in [place].
What’s one small English habit you could start tomorrow? Fill in the sentence – and if you like, share it with me. I’d love to hear what you come up with.
Hello Michaela,
Thank You for new inspirations.
I have a planning calendar, but only partially for English, so I’ll give it a try. The problem is the variables that can’t really be planned — but that’s okay.
A new habit?
I’ll talk to myself in the car on the way to and from work. And if I don’t know a word, I’ll add it to my vocabulary list. It won’t be many, because I probably won’t remember much once I arrive — but even a little is better than nothing. Finnaly, I´ll talk to myself when I fly. Daniel
Well done! It’s a step-by-step process and your plan doesn’t always come true. For example, I’m working now, it’s 9.55pm and that wasn’t my plan. Some days are unpredictable and you do little (or nothing) that you had planned. But that’s OK, the important thing is not to punish yourself and try again tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed! Let me know in a week how you did! Take care. M.