I personally try to connect my life and hobbies to Japanese learning. For example, I’m doing things like following some Japanese creators and watching anime or listening to music in Japanese, but even more basic, like hanging in renshuu discord, or discovering more Japanese learning tools - all of it on some level leads me back to Japanese practice. And the more enjoyable these connectors are for you, the more often you’ll remind yourself to do some Japanese reviews. Also, for me, gamification and in-app motivators help, like I’m pretty excited to work on the garden and upgrade my Kao.
Additionally, a certain mindset helps. I sometimes struggle with being overly perfectionist, but reluctant to practice and blaming myself, when I don’t do the reviews - these feelings are super unhelpful. I’m learning to let these emotions go and instead treat these reviews like they’re not a big deal and just something fun I can do on a daily basis to get better at Japanese. And it’s definitely okay to take breaks if you need to.
When I was a beginner, I learn that I "can study every day". Before trying to "keep myself motivated".
To be honest, it was not even about language learning but pixel art. I tried to do only the minimum every day without thinking about anything. Before I realized it, a month has passed. And then I noticed that I made some progress.
Since then, I always remember that for anything that I want to learn (language learning). Then I accumulated more "proof" that I was able to do it. And now, I don't even think about "staying motivated". I even learn the opposite, I can keep myself always motivated. So I don't even try. I give up from time to time =p Because that my brain telling me that I'm close to my limit. And if I push myself a bit more, I will burn out and then stop learning for a certain time.
In the same time, it's not like I'm the same as when I started. I'm better at studying every day than before. By thinking about how I learned when I was able to learn every day and by trying to do the same thing. At first, I could only do it for a week or a month and now, it's for years.
But again, it doesn't mean that I can always keep myself motivated. Just two weeks ago, I didn't study at all for a week. Rather than keeping myself motivated, it more like I learned to avoid being demotivated. By not studying too much for example. When you study too much, you will struggle to remember more things. If you struggle to remember more things, you will start to feel demotivated because your brain focus on the "I'm not able to remember that word" rather the "I was able to remember that other word". It's probably the main reason why people struggle when they start. They try to do too much, then they feel like they not fit to learn a language or that they are doing something wrong. You aren't doing anything wrong and you don't need to "more" è_é The beginner stage is more about doing "less" than more. And that the hard part. Preventing yourself to learn 1 more words each day because you feel that you're "slow". And burning out a few weeks later.
Anyway, that's my tips on how not to "keep yourself motivated" but rather learn how you're "able to study every day" (and prove it to yourself too). It's more about avoiding, staying away from that threshold where you start to get demotivated. Rather than forcing yourself to stay motivated.
I don’t believe in motivation, you either enjoy or not and you really can’t trick your inner self into it
That’s why I knew 3 words before my first trip to Japan but now that I loved the experience and have a return date in half a year learning is easy as I have a goal and I am nearing 50 day strike :)
i dont think motivation exists for long time, need 2 cultivate discipline. the human brain and disposition is geared toward novelty and excitement and always seeking new activityies. you get motivated in anything through short bursts, and almost impossible to maintain this level of motivation or excitement without constantly changing stimuli. so for times when u cannot add novel stimuli or ur motivation is elsewhere, u need discipline to get u through long term goals.
