Aimed for 40 Hours, But I’ll Take 30
Focusing on What I Did, Not What I Didn’t
Last week, I decided to spend 40 hours learning languages over 7 days. The challenge is now over, and while I didn’t reach 40 hours, I managed to study for a total of 30 hours. It did exactly what I hoped it would which was to help me spend time with my languages and enjoy the process!
Taking on this challenge during the holiday season was a choice, but I think it was the perfect time. On the second day, when I only studied for just under 2 hours, 3 hours short of my goal, I didn’t feel like giving up. This challenge taught me to be okay with not reaching every goal. Instead of focusing on what I didn’t do, I am choosing to be proud of what I did do.
This challenge also served as a great way to get back into language learning after not studying much in recent months. I started on a Saturday and ended on a Friday, which reminded me that challenges and “new starts” don’t have to begin on the first day of the week, the month, or even the year. Sometimes, the best time to start is simply now.
📊 Stats
I used Toggl to track my language activities and created the following charts on Google Sheets using my study log template.
French: 28h 57m
Japanese: 1h 10m
Total: 30h 8m
Time Overview:
Least time spent: 1h 52m on Sunday
Most time spent: 6h 23m on Monday
Activity Overview (Total activities tracked):
French: 18 activities
Japanese: 2 activities
The most activities I tracked in one day was 6, and I reached that on 4 different days.
Top 3 Activities:
Gaming: 7h 58m (26.4%)
Listening to audiobooks: 4h 47m (15.8%)
Reading: 2h 50m (9.4%)
These three activities together made up 51% of my total study time.
Some of the books/audiobooks I completed, while others I am still in the process of completing. 1
⏳ Summaries of Each Day
Day 1 - 3 summaries can be found here.
Day 4 - 5h 35m
On Christmas Eve I painted Christmas cards. While painting, I like to listen to something, so I spent the day listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and watching YouTube videos.
Day 5 - 3h 21m
Since it was Christmas, I knew I wouldn’t have much time to study. I mostly did passive activities like listening to an audiobook and having the TV on in the background while getting ready in the morning.
Day 6 - 3h 1m
On Day 6, I did a language exchange session, which gave me a chance to study more Japanese. We used Genki for one lesson, then read a short story in Short Stories in French. Most of my language study is independent, so it was nice to study with someone else for a change. I also enjoyed Genki more than I expected after losing interest in it a year ago.
I ended the day gaming in French, playing Dave the Diver. I loved it! It’s the perfect game for me, and I was surprised by how much I understood, especially since I knew nothing about it.
Day 7 - 4h 46m
On the last day, I decided to do what I could without stressing about reaching the 40-hour goal. Since I was close to 30 hours, I focused on hitting that target.
I started the day by listening to an audiobook, then played Dave the Diver for nearly 2 hours. In the afternoon and evening, I did some writing and reading. I ended the day and the challenge by working through my Teach Yourself French textbook and reviewing some vocabulary.
As the stats show, French is still my primary focus language. In November, I celebrated two years of learning French, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year will bring. I’ll likely have an update post in the future to share my progress! Similarly, you can expect a 2024 reflection post and a 2025 language plan & goals in the coming weeks.
Thanks for following along with my journey. Here’s to more language growth in 2025!
For those of you who took part in this challenge, how did it go for you? I’d love to hear about your experience! Wishing you all a happy new year!
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I get most of my audiobooks & ebooks from Cantook Station.