How are those new year’s resolutions going? If you are like most people, then you’ve probably given up by now. Don’t feel bad. Creating new habits or changing old habits can be very difficult. The most common resolutions typically require pretty big lifestyle changes like losing weight, starting a new exercise routine, or learning a new skill or hobby and we end up over our heads.
The most common reasons that people fail to accomplish their goals is because of a lack of accountability (going it alone), lofty expectations, a lack of a clear plan, and giving up too easy.
So how can you actually stick to your New Year’s resolution? Well, to answer that question we are mostly going to focus on learning new skills, or more specifically, learning a new language.
When it comes to learning new languages most anglophones prefer Spanish, and there are plenty of good reasons why. It is already the most common 2nd language choice in the US and is spoken by 15% of Europeans. The British Council Report claims that it is the most important language for people in the UK to learn, and is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of world popularity. But, perhaps the most important reason to learn is that it will increase your employment opportunities, especially if you are living in a big city like Madrid. Given the similarity in alphabet, cultural familiarity, origin, and relative ease to learn, it is a very attractive option for people looking to learn a second language.
Maybe you have already thought about learning Spanish before and didn’t end up following through for one reason or another, or even have tried taking classes without any tangible results to show for it. Previous bad experiences shouldn’t sour you on the idea of learning in the future. With the right approach, learning Spanish could be the first New Year’s resolution that actually lasts… at least until February.
