We’re reaching that time of the year when (knowingly or unknowingly) the psychological weight of ‘the end of the year’ becomes clear to most of us. And that means that we’re saving energy to apply it in the areas where it feels absolutely essential.

Unfortunately, it means language learning gets pushed to the back burner until further notice.

I get it —it’s not always self-sabotage. It’s life and it’s chores and it’s the less flexible parts of your routine.

And to be honest, it does not need to be the end of the year. The end of the year only makes it worse. That’s why it’s better to have strategies in place that save you the pain of regretting not doing what you aimed for.

But don’t make it the end of your language learning goal! Don’t quit altogether (don’t be so dramatic).

Easier said than done, right?

One the many strategies we can implement to stay consistent in our language learning is surprisingly simple: doing a little is better than not doing nothing at all.

By embracing this mindset you could avoid the common pitfall I see students encounter more frequently than you’d imagine.

Take 10 minutes off your day in the most realistically possible moment and do something —anything— with your target language:

• Review your notes
• Go through your flashcards (or create new ones with fresh vocabulary)
• Listen to a podcast episode
• Watch a YT video
• Write a paragraph
• Check the headlines of AR newspapers (if you dare!)
• Read a page of a book

Get creative! If you’re feeling up to it, do something more actively engaging like reading or writing. If not, do something more receptive. But be there for those 15 minutes. Don’t multitask.

It’s the buzzword of our times: building a habit is difficult, sure, but is far from impossible for anyone who has a reason to stay in the game..

Last week one student who’s been taking lessons with me for over three years shared a phrase that illustrates this:

Most people overestimate what they can do in a day but they underestimate what they can achieve in a year.

So, come on. Shake off your rust and finish the year strong!

PS: No [insert your name here], I’m not talking to you. Well, not only you.

You might also want to read these articles:

• Something is better than nothing
  This post is a friendly nudge for learners who stopped pushing towards their language learning goals.
• Estar chocho/a
  This short post will give you a new phrase to practice your CHs
• Expressions with MIERDA
  As a sequel to our previous post, today we focus on MIERDA and its multitude of meanings.
• The body and bodily functions
  A handy list of things we all do but rarely (care to) learn in a foreign language.
• Spanish Class | SNL
  A fun sketch from Saturday Night Live where students are in class ‘learning’ Spanish.
• How to go about with reading in Spanish
  In this post I want to make you want to read, even if you feel you’re not ready for it.