Eve's study logs and Random musings

Burning out is always something that can be a concern with any activity. For me, avoiding burnout while learning Japanese has come by interacting with the language, figuring out what exactly I want to do with it, so I can focus my efforts where they need to be! It seems like you are doing a great job so far, with Genki, Anki decks, BunPro, and WK! (Wow, what a workload! Seriously, give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back!) But out of curiosity, what is it that motivates your learning? Do you like anime and manga? Are there movies or dramas you want to watch? Novels you would like to read? Do you want to move to Japan someday, or just visit? Answering those questions and holding the answer close whenever you feel a bit fatigued will certainly help you keep the motivation! But you should always remember that motivation will often run out on you. That’s where discipline comes in, and it’ll keep you on the path.

I can’t even count how many days I had where I had zero motivation to do my reviews, but I had built the discipline before then to have set a habit of making sure to at least do some reviews every day, even if I felt like I couldn’t do them all. Usually, that meant I would start on my bad days, saying, “Okay, you only have to do 20 reviews (or whatever number felt attainable, this is just for example’s sake). Just get those done, and you can call it a day after that.” However, I would usually find that, hey, actually, this isn’t so bad, I’ll do a few more… and I would end up finishing the reviews. Discipline nags you, and seems annoying, but it’s a truer friend than motivation will ever be, which dips at the first sign of trouble!

That aside, if you do decide to start immersing soon and to try and start interacting with the language, may I suggest the book clubs here on WaniKani? There are a few levels, including the Absolute Beginner Book Club, the Beginner Book Club! On top of that, there a number of spin-off clubs that you could check out, some of which are still ongoing. The wonderful thing about the clubs (besides being a lot of fun, since you have a like-minded group of people to read along with for the active clubs), is that even the old clubs often have members still watching the threads, so if you find yourself with questions, you may ask in the threads, and are likely to get an answer!

The ABBC has only recently started a book that is a compilation of stories from different prefectures in Japan! They are around 3 weeks in, and the club is set to run until August 13th, if that sounds like your cup of tea! If not, you can check out the nominations on the ABBC thread, and see if maybe something there will catch your interest, and vote for it in the next poll (usually held a little while before the end of the current book!)

Of course, only start immersing when you feel ready, and when you have the time to do so! I know I put it off for a bit while I got my bearings with the language. I just like to point people to that support network, because after the initial growing pains of trying to read something in a totally different language, barely keeping my head above water, it totally unlocked my Japanese journey. I’ve learned so much thanks to the wonderful folks in the book clubs! :grin:

Sorry this turned out so long. If you read it all (or even just skimmed to the end) you’re a trooper! :rofl:

I wish you the best of luck in your Japanese journey! がんばってね! :grin:

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