As someone who also wrestles with constant distraction/lack of motivation, I understand your struggles The best advice I have for you is to ask yourself, "Why did I want to learn Japanese in the first place?" What is the thing that excited you the most about learning the language? If you can find a purpose to learn that really grabs your attention, you'll have an easier time staying motivated. It could be Japanese literature, music, folklore, or any other media you find engaging--if you love it, you'll want to pursue it!
Another suggestion is to make it a habit, whether you like it at first or not. It doesn't have to be much--just a few terms a day is enough. Once this becomes a habit, it will be a lot easier for you to stay consistent with your studies. As you discover the progress that comes steady determination, I'm sure you'll be more inspired to stick with learning Japanese in the future
You're not alone, not by far! And it's not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of people on Renshuu deal with this. Try using the Forums > Search to look up "motivation" (tick the box to search in thread titles) and you'll find some great advice from others who are dealing or have dealt with this.
A few ideas:
- maybe you've tried doing too much too fast and burned out? Take it easy for a while?
- maybe your initial motivation has just outgrown its natural lifespan and you need another one? Many people say things like "I first started studying Japanese because I thought [insert name of anime/game] was so cool, but then I stopped watching/playing that, only in the meantime I had realised how beautiful the language and culture are and continued because of that / I got into Japanese baseball / I found a new manga I liked".
- how about taking a look at how you're studying and trying a different method? Maybe you're just bored with practicing the same old methods and you'd have much more fun, I don't know, watching Japanese podcasts for your level, or playing games to learn kanji?
- you could try linking your Japanese study to another hobby you have - developing vocabulary about cooking, or car racing, or dog training.
- lastly, maybe you simply don't really want to learn Japanese, and that's OK too. We find many things in life that seem fun for a while and then naturally phase out. Not saying you should quit on a whim, just that you don't need to bash yourself for changing goals.
And whatever you choose, if it's something you enjoy, I'm sure you CAN learn Japanese. 頑張って！
OMG sooo been there! I've got ADHD too and I'm struggling so much with motivation and time (I have a job) and so a way I find time is set a alarm for just 5 mins a day! It might not seem like much time but believe me it adds up! Just keep on keeping on and don't give up! YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!
Motivation is very personal. What drives one person might do nothing for someone else.
What made you want to learn Japanese?
What made you lose 90% of your motivation?
Maybe you're not pacing yourself well. Maybe you're focusing too much on things you don't enjoy. Maybe you just don't have clear long-term goals. I've tried learning many languages in the past, and the ones that stuck were those I had genuine interest in. It's difficult to force your target language into your hobbies. You need to find hobbies only available in your target language. At that point, it stops feeling like study, and motivation becomes natural.
You just need to push yourself past the initial stages to where immersion can really start kicking in. Once you reach the point where you can actually understand bits of what you're immersing in, it starts feeding your motivation instead of draining it.
PS: If you tell us a bit more about yourself and how you've been studying so far, we might be able to give you more useful advice.
For me it’s the way I approach learning. For example, instead of trying to do my reviews in one go I stop whenever I feel tired or overwhelmed. Also, there are some more exciting ways to learn: music, movies, games, crosswords, shiritori, etc. Even switching between apps can help. Anyway, don’t pressure yourself, and do things at your own pace! Good luck and have fun
I recommend watching Mui’s Diary or Unique japan travel, you know the silent vlogs. You dont even need headphones so you can look at them even when riding the bus. Or I love the 4k walk videos where they just take the camera as if you are there. Then pauze the video when you see something interesting. A dish? A train station? A flower? Animal? Observe and for example the train goes to 川越 Kawagoe ? It means to go over the river. Or what is cow in Japanese? (牛 Ushi)
Or open Google maps and walk through the streets, how proud I was to be able to read a karaoke sign
Stop studying and thinking about japanese for a long period of time and come back stronger
It's a real advice btw x). That I'm unable to apply but still There is a hidden parameter called "mental fatigue" that accumulate through months and just snacks on your motivation. It also reduce your "daily motivation" and you're left with less and less energy until you just burn out one day.
That's usually what happen to me because I'm an idiot But after that, I also always come back. Because I'm used to it by now and I know also that it's just my brain telling me to stop. Plus I made some progress after taking a 2 month burn out break once (got complimented by a japanese that I didn't see for the last 6 month). That's the main reason why I give that advise x)
So, what I want to say is, if you manage to apply some of those advise and "revive" that initial motivation, good. And if you burn out completely, good too xD. Just remember that you were able to do it (level 108 is already a lot =p) and don't feel guilty about temporarily "giving up" :3
Other than that, well good luck and have fun! 頑張ってね～
I have the same issue (it doesn't help my attention span is pretty bad). Lately I've been trying to atleast study with this app even if it's at the last minute (I've used it at 12AM when I put it off for long). I do like seeing the Kao evolved. The advice I can think of is to take a break if you need to and to not use a study method you don't like. I tried to do that cuz I saw so many people praise the method id see mentioned so much and it ruined my motivation.
Focus on small wins- and I mean TINY. Learn one word or grammar rule if you feel up to that and let that be a win. Sit down and write down every word you remember, or even just character. ANYTHING you remember is another win. Anything you do further than that one small thing is just a bonus, but there's no pressure to do more.
Listen to one episode of a podcast or watch a youtube video about something that interests you in Japanese. A new show, a new manga, a new song. Anything that feels like you're contributing to your learning without "forcing" it and lets you feel like you accomplished something.
My motivation has been a huge struggle from time to time too, but this is what has helped me keep going until the motivation comes back (and it always does eventually) The real point is just having Japanese be part of your daily routine and showing up for it (and yourself!)
*And just for reassurance, in case you DO completely burn out and step away for a bit, you'll be surprised at how much you remember when you return. It may help motivate you to actually come back to it if you're not worried about having to redo all your progress from before. I opened my wanikani sooo many times with intentions of getting back on my journey after a very long break and every time I saw the huge review pile, I gave up before I even started. Once I actually DID sit down and do them though, I chewed through them wayyy more easily than I expected and it really motivated me to get back into studying hard on ALL the sources I use. That was months ago and I'm still showing up every single day.
The best advice I have for you is to ask yourself, "Why did I want to learn Japanese in the first place?" What is the thing that excited you the most about learning the language? If you can find a purpose to learn that really grabs your attention, you'll have an easier time staying motivated. It could be Japanese literature, music, folklore, or any other media you find engaging--if you love it, you'll want to pursue it!
