Honestly, I doubt you know what it is.

Actually, I challenge you right now:

If you had to give it an answer, what would it be?

Lack of practice?

School didn’t teach it well?

You’ve never traveled abroad?

Wrong.

It doesn’t matter if you have practice, good teaching, or trips if you lack the most important thing.

The why.

The motive behind why you really want to learn this language.

Keywords: ‘motive,’ ‘you,’ and ‘really.’

I say motive, not reason, due to etymology.

‘Motive’ comes from the Latin ‘motus,’ past participle of the verb ‘movere,’ literally meaning ‘to move.’

A 15th-century definition details it further:

“that which internally moves a person to behave in a certain way, a mental state or force that induces an action of will.”

In everything in life, having a motive strong enough is what will move you or not.

With languages, there’s no point in listing the standard ones.

We already know that speaking another language opens up job opportunities.

Allows us to travel with ease and enjoy it more.

Meet new people around the world.

Problem is: if these don’t move you, they make no difference.

Here’s when the second keyword comes up: you.

Why do you want to learn another language?

That answer will necessarily be very personal.

And that’s good.

Learning is necessarily a very personal endeavor as well.

There are universal principles, but a thousand different methods.

One of them will certainly work for you.

But with nothing pushing you forward, you won’t be willing to test them out.

That’s when the third keyword comes in: really.

One day of focused study in another language is not enough.

Nor is a week.

Learning a language is challenging because it requires getting used to constant discomfort.

Yes, requires.

Your brain will be introduced to logics that don’t make sense.

Your ears to sets of new and strange sounds.

Your mouth muscles to movements it has never made before.

At first, you won’t know how to put sentences together.

You won’t understand most of what you hear.

Nor pronounce the words correctly.

Inevitably, it will create discomfort.

This discomfort will remain for a while.

That’s why you need a really strong motive.

Because without a solid motive, discomfort will easily knock you down.

As Nietzsche said: “If we have our own why in life, we shall get along with almost any how.” (Twilight of the Idols, maxim 12).

Before worrying about the “how to study,” think about the “why.”

I ask you again:

Why do you want to learn another language?

Once you find your true why, bring it to the present.

Don’t think about how your life might change in a distant future.

Think about the changes that will take place now.

How you will change.

How you’ll become more confident.

Smarter.

More capable.

More, in every way.

Don’t let that slip from your mind.

Remember: today’s world competes for your attention non-stop.

If you don’t prioritize what you want, life will give you priorities that aren’t yours.

So, keep your motives in mind at all times.

That’s a training in itself.

But one that will ensure your success in whatever you do.

Two books that can help you with this:

• “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek.
• “The One Thing” by Gary Keller.

But please, don’t outsource your responsibility.

Do not think “alright, so I need to read these two books and THEN I’ll be able to learn!”

No.

What you need is to move.

These books can help, no doubt.

But what will create this movement are your motives (remember the etymology?).

So sit down, reflect on it, and act.

Go.