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+--- Thread: How do you motivate yourself? (/thread-11395.html)
How do you motivate yourself? - Hirakana - 2013-12-16
I listen to music (with no lyrics) while studying to make it less tedious. I also think about how cool it'll be when I can understand everything I want to understand. Reading posts on this forum (in moderation of course) helps too. What do you guys do to motivate yourself while studying?
How do you motivate yourself? - Xanpakuto - 2013-12-16
I just watch dramas and tv shows while cramming vocabulary, It slows down my learning speed by about 40% but I get some listening practice so it probably balances itself out.
When I'm learning grammar I put music on instead because it needs more of my attention.
How do you motivate yourself? - zurisu - 2013-12-16
I keep a (private) blog of my progress, posting whenever I feel the need to say something or update about something (usually 2-3 times a week). That helps with motivation--chronicling everything makes it seem even more like an important journey--but the best part is going back to my old entries to see how far I've come. ^^
Aside from that, watching anime usually gets me pretty motivated too. It recharges my batteries and reminds me that, oh yeah, Japanese is fun!
How do you motivate yourself? - ktcgx - 2013-12-16
Make a goals list. Make them small, achievable, and specific. Tick them off as you go through them, but make sure you don't focus on too many things at once (from your goals list) or it'll make is seem like a huge mountain to climb.
How do you motivate yourself? - TheViking - 2013-12-16
I listen to music and watch drama and anime while doing Core6k in Anki. Depending on how much i like the show im watching i will split my concentration between the 2:
If i find the show im watching boring i will focus 80% on anki and 20% on the show.
If i find the show im watching entertaining i will either stop doing anki, or do a card or two whenever there's a cutscene of something.
Other than that doing vocab have become part of my daily routine and doesnt need much motivation. Also, Anki have made me an graphaholic, i can't stop looking at the graphs! That's where most of my motivation come from i think
How do you motivate yourself? - Animosophy - 2013-12-16
If you look at my old posts, I probably come off as an extremely intrinsically motivated self-learner. I started uni in late september and have done absolutely zero studying since. I can't put into words what a mental U-turn this feels like haha.
I can propose what I think is a guaranteed formula for perpetual motivation for learning Japanese:
See less than one opportunity for real life socialising per month on average
Have no money to afford going out more often anyway, or have zero desire to spend it
Own no game consoles, just a computer
Have no job and no sports team/hobbyish/relationship responsibilities
Consequently care quite a bit about your productivity with Japanese by accumulating healthy jealousy towards people who seem more motivated than you on koohii
I managed to squeeze in regular exercise too, and even then, that did interfere with my language learning from time to time. I remember someone said here that life shouldn't just be what happens to you; I don't like that I've almost completely halted learning Japanese and I know too much to give up now. Maybe I'll have more interesting anecdotes by the end of my first year. Hoping they'll be good ones, especially since I'm still ahead of drdunlap in terms of time vs accomplishment
How do you motivate yourself? - ryuudou - 2013-12-16
I usually read about methods and tweaks that have worked.
How do you motivate yourself? - sholum - 2013-12-16
I occasionally pull out a book or play a VN I found particularly difficult to see if I still think it's that bad. They're usually still difficult (the only time it wasn't was after I spent time getting used to reading without furigana and so instantly found that all the young people manga that didn't have furigana on everything were usually much easier than the ones that did), but compared to the previous time I checked, they're always a bit easier than what I remember.
Of course, I'm sure that sometimes it has to do with the distortion of my perception of that past event, but either way, it feels like I've progressed.
Sometimes I help people translate Japanese to English. Their gratitude makes me feel like I've actually learned something (though anyone with a basic understanding of Japanese grammar and a dictionary could translate as well as I do).
Other than that, I spend so much time on Japanese and Japanese media (as well as discussing them) that I always end up wanting to learn more.
How do you motivate yourself? - ryanjmack - 2013-12-16
ktcgx Wrote:Make a goals list. Make them small, achievable, and specific. Tick them off as you go through them, but make sure you don't focus on too many things at once (from your goals list) or it'll make is seem like a huge mountain to climb.I kind of do this - I set a quota each week for how many cards I'll add to core each week. No matter what I make sure it gets done.
I find doing my reviews first thing in the morning while having a cup of coffee is actually kind of enjoyable.
How do you motivate yourself? - TheViking - 2013-12-16
Animosophy Wrote:Consequently care quite a bit about your productivity with Japanese by accumulating healthy jealousy towards people who seem more motivated than you on koohiiHaha yea, that's a good one!
How do you motivate yourself? - Socky - 2013-12-16
Lang-8 and this (http://chatpad.jp/chatroom.html) website.
Lang-8 improved my Japanese more than anything else. Reading my old entries and seeing how bad they are gives me hope. It makes me know I've been improving, and tells me that someday I'll read back on my current entries and think even those are really bad. So that's really motivating.
The link above is a Japanese online chat. You click a button and it pairs you up with one chat partner. Even though it's not the same as speaking, and I often use Rikai-kun to see what the other person is saying when they use words I don't know (I have a small vocabulary), it helps me to think faster and is at least similar to a real life conversation. Also I make friends using both of them ^_^
How do you motivate yourself? - Aikynaro - 2013-12-16
I don't really need motivation anymore. It's just pure routine. Motivation is only needed if I'm trying something new or difficult, and I tend not to do that.
How do you motivate yourself? - afterglowefx - 2013-12-16
I live in Japan. Nobody speaks English. It's stupid-hard having the vocabulary of a five year old. I don't love Japanese and I don't love studying, but when it's a choice between constantly relying on other people or finally being able to get shit done by myself it's pretty clear-cut for me.
How do you motivate yourself? - dtcamero - 2013-12-16
Aikynaro Wrote:I don't really need motivation anymore. It's just pure routine. Motivation is only needed if I'm trying something new or difficult, and I tend not to do that.ya after 3 years, I just rely on inertia.
How do you motivate yourself? - Hirakana - 2013-12-18
When I study, I like to listen to basically anything by Devotchka.
How do you motivate yourself? - dizmox - 2013-12-18
I've never found studying Japanese a chore, it's always been fun. I like memorizing stuff.
How do you motivate yourself? - travis - 2013-12-18
Aikynaro Wrote:I don't really need motivation anymore. It's just pure routine. Motivation is only needed if I'm trying something new or difficult, and I tend not to do that.This, and to form a habit I used this method: Jerry Seinfeld's Productivity Secret. I use this site to keep my chains. Actually I use it for a whole bunch of things that I should do everyday but find excuses not to, like making my bed.
How do you motivate yourself? - Abajour - 2013-12-18
Looking at japanese books in places like Kinokuniya (but online as well) motivates me
. I also like flipping through my old notes.
Listening to podcasts (even if I don't understand everything), and chatting with japanese people are huge motivators too
.
How do you motivate yourself? - JapaneseRuleOf7 - 2013-12-18
travis Wrote:The Seinfeld article is a good one. Like others have said, I don't feel like it's motivation; it's just habit.Aikynaro Wrote:I don't really need motivation anymore. It's just pure routine. Motivation is only needed if I'm trying something new or difficult, and I tend not to do that.This, and to form a habit I used this method: Jerry Seinfeld's Productivity Secret. I use this site to keep my chains. Actually I use it for a whole bunch of things that I should do everyday but find excuses not to, like making my bed.
If I didn't study Japanese every day, I don't know what I'd do with my time. I'd have to find something new to do, and I'm far too lazy to do that.
How do you motivate yourself? - fxlle - 2013-12-19
I don't need motivation while learning, and lauguage forum is essential for me to act as a enzyme.
And Japanese sound nice, the interst effects the action to start.
How do you motivate yourself? - KanjiMood - 2013-12-22
I just think "in the future, when you think back to this moment, don't you wish you just studied", that usually does the trick plus more.
How do you motivate yourself? - TheVinster - 2013-12-22
I keep a picture of a fine looking Japanese woman in my wallet.