I Failed at Learning Spanish (Again)
Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I’ve tried. I’ve tried alot. But I can’t speak Spanish. Not really. Not after three different classes, two apps, and about 214 failed attempts at holding a conversation with my neighbor, let’s call him Marcus, who’s patiently endured my butchering of his language for years.
And it’s not just me. It’s all of us. We’re terrible at lifelong learning. We talk a big game about personal growth, about staying curious, about never stopping learning. But frankly, we suck at it. We start strong, then fizzle out. We sign up, then ghost. We mean well, but we don’t follow through.
I should know. I’m a magazine editor. I write about learning all the time. And even I can’t committ to learning something new. It’s humiliating.
Why We’re All Failing
About three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin. Over coffee at the place on 5th, I sat with a colleague named Dave. He’s a data guy, all facts and figures. He told me something that’s stuck with me:
“You know, we did a study. 87% of adults say they want to learn new things. But only 14% actually finish what they start.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. I’m part of that 87%. I’m also part of the 86% that doesn’t finish. I’m a walking contradiction.
So why is this happening? Why are we so bad at this?
First, life’s expensive. Learning costs money. Time too. And frankly, neither of those are in abundance for most of us. But that’s not the whole story. It’s also about how we approach learning. We treat it like a chore. Like homework. We think learning is something we have to do, not something we want to do.
And that’s a problem. Because desire is what drives learning. Passion. Curiosity. If you’re not into it, you won’t stick with it. It’s that simple.
What We’re Doing Wrong
Let me tell you about my friend Lisa. She’s a teacher. A good one. Dedicated. Cares about her students. But even she’s part of this problem. She told me last Tuesday, over way too much wine at her place, that she’s seen it all. The kids who start the year fired up, ready to conquer the world. Then somewhere around February, they’re done. Burned out. Bored. Done.
“It’s like they forget how to enjoy learning,” she said. “They’re so focused on the grade, on the test, on the end result. They forget to just… learn.”
And that’s the thing. We’re all like those kids. We’re so focused on the outcome, we forget about the process. We forget that learning is supposed to be fun. Or at least, not a total drag.
We also forget that learning takes time. It’s not gonna happen overnight. It’s not gonna happen in a 30-day challenge or a 7-step program. It’s a committment. A long one. And we’re not very good at long-term anything these days.
The One Thing We’re Doing Right
But it’s not all doom and gloom. We’re doing one thing right. We’re talking about it. We’re admitting there’s a problem. That’s huge. That’s the first step to fixing anything.
And we’re looking for solutions. For example, did you know that local news coverage update has been highlighting community learning initiatives? It’s true. They’ve been featuring stories about local libraries offering free classes, community centers hosting workshops, even bars with book clubs. It’s a start. A small one, but a start.
But we need more than that. We need a shift in how we think about learning. We need to stop seeing it as something we have to do, and start seeing it as something we get to do. A privilege. A joy. A way to connect with others, to explore the world, to grow as people.
A Tangent: The Time I Tried to Learn to Code
Speaking of growth, let me tell you about the time I tried to learn to code. It was 2017. I was 38. I thought, “Hey, why not?” So I signed up for a class. Paid the money. Showed up. And then… I hated it. I hated every minute of it. The jargon, the syntax, the whole thing. It was like trying to read a foreign language physicaly written in hieroglyphics.
But here’s the thing: I didn’t quit. Not right away. I stuck with it. For about six weeks. Then I realized something: I wasn’t learning. Not really. I was memorizing. And that’s not the same thing.
So I quit. And you know what? It was the right decision. Because I realized that coding wasn’t for me. And that’s okay. Not every learning journey has to end in succesfully aquiring a new skill. Sometimes, it’s just about figuring out what you don’t want to do.
How to Actually Learn Something
So how do we fix this? How do we become better at lifelong learning? I’m not sure but here are some thoughts:
First, we need to find our “why.” Why do we want to learn this thing? What’s the point? If we can’t answer that, we’re already doomed.
Second, we need to find our “how.” How are we gonna learn this thing? What’s the best way for us, individually, to learn? Because not everyone learns the same way. Some of us need structure. Some of us need freedom. Some of us need a teacher. Some of us need a book. Some of us need an app. Figure out what works for you.
Third, we need to find our “who.” Who’s gonna learn with us? Because learning is more fun with friends. It’s also more effective. We’re social creatures. We learn better together.
And finally, we need to be kind to ourselves. Learning is hard. It’s supposed to be. It’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to quit if it’s not working. Really. It is.
But it’s not okay to give up entirely. Because learning is life. It’s how we grow. It’s how we change. It’s how we become better people. So let’s get better at it. For all of us.
Honestly, I’m not sure if this helped. I mean, I’m still terrible at Spanish. But maybe, just maybe, we can all get a little better at learning. Together.
About the Author
I’m Sarah. I’ve been a magazine editor for way too long. I’ve written about everything from education to travel to food. I live in New York with my cat, who judges me constantly. I’m always learning, always failing, always trying again. Follow me on Twitter @sarahwritesstuff.
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