Commonalities Among People Who Cannot Keep Up with Studying: It's Not About Willpower, But 'Reasons Why It Doesn't Last'

"I can't keep up with my studies."
Have you ever worried about that?

You start studying for a certification, but it ends after three days.
You buy a reference book thinking you'll study English, but it just stays on the bookshelf.
Even if you're full of motivation at first, before you know it, the act of studying itself becomes a chore.

Many people have likely had that experience.
And every time it happens, you blame yourself, thinking, "I can't keep it up because I have weak willpower."

Actually, I have had the same experience.
After graduating from high school, since my parents worked in accounting, I also started studying bookkeeping.
I passed the Level 3 and Level 2 bookkeeping exams relatively smoothly, and with that momentum, I thought about aiming for Level 1 and eventually becoming a tax accountant.
However, that was right around the time my university life began.
Meeting new friends, club activities, various fun experiences.
Student life was more fun than I imagined, and my interests gradually shifted toward things other than studying.

At first, it was just thinking, "I'm tired today, so I'll study tomorrow."
But as that "tomorrow" continued for many days, sitting at my desk became painful in itself.
Bookkeeping, which I used to find interesting, gradually lost my interest, and my motivation to study declined.
And so, I gave up on my dream of becoming a tax accountant.

At the time, I thought, "I couldn't keep it up because my willpower was weak."
However, looking back now, that's not the case.

The reason I couldn't keep up with my studies wasn't because I lacked ability or talent.

There was a "reason" there that made it impossible to continue studying.

In this series so far, I have talked about:
"Why do people forget?"
"What is learning?"
"The relationship between study time and grades"
"Commonalities among people who are good at studying."

This time, I would like to think about learning from the opposite perspective.
Why can't we keep up with studying?

If you can know the cause, you will understand that studying is by no means something that can be continued only with guts and spirit.
And if you remove those causes one by one, anyone can get closer to a "way of learning that can be continued."

People who cannot keep up with studying actually have common characteristics.
This time, let's look at those commonalities one by one.

<Chapter 1> The Purpose of Studying Has Become Vague

The most overlooked cause of not being able to keep up with studying is that "what you are studying for" has become vague.

People cannot continue doing things for a long time if they cannot feel the meaning.

For example, suppose you decide, "I'm going to study English."
However, if the reason is just something like "I think it would be better if I could speak English," then when you get busy or tired, studying will be the first thing you put off.
On the other hand, people who have specific goals, such as "I want to talk freely with locals when traveling abroad," "I want to be able to communicate with overseas offices at work," or "I want to enjoy my favorite movies without subtitles," find it easier to continue studying even if it's a bit difficult.

The same goes for certification exams.
The feeling of "I want to pass" is certainly important, but that alone is a bit weak to support a long study period.
"Why do you want to get that qualification?"
"What kind of life do you want to lead after getting that qualification?"
People who have thought that far are less likely to give up halfway.

When I passed the bookkeeping Level 3 and Level 2 exams, I enjoyed being able to learn new things one after another, and I was able to continue studying naturally.
However, when my university life began, my interests gradually shifted away from studying.
While the joy of interacting with new friends and student life expanded, the goal of "wanting to become a tax accountant" gradually faded away.
Then, the meaning of studying that I had felt until then also faded, and the number of days I thought, "I guess I don't have to study today," increased.

Looking back now, I didn't stop studying itself back then; I had lost sight of the "purpose of studying."

If you lose your purpose, studying becomes just a task.
Tasks are tiring.
Because they are tiring, they don't last.

Conversely, for people with a clear purpose, studying itself becomes an investment in the future.
Even if the content is somewhat difficult, they can think, "This is connected to the future I am aiming for."

Think about this for a moment.
Why are you studying?
Is it to pass an exam?
Is it to be evaluated at work?

Of course, those are also valid reasons.
However, please dig a little deeper into that.
What kind of person do you want to become after passing the exam?
What do you want to achieve by acquiring knowledge?

When you can see that answer, studying changes from something you are "made to do" to something you "choose for yourself."
And that small change in consciousness becomes a great power to continue studying.

<Chapter 2> The Goal Is Too Far Away

Another major cause of not being able to keep up with studying is thatthe goal is too far away.

People are good at setting big goals.
"I want to become a tax accountant."
"I want to be able to speak English."
"I want to raise my deviation score to 70."
"I want to pass a difficult certification."

These are all wonderful goals.
However, if you keep looking only at those goals, it gradually becomes painful.
This is because the goal feels too far away.

For example, suppose someone is aiming for the summit of Mount Fuji.
Even though they have just started climbing, what if they keep looking up at the summit the whole time?
"Is it still that far?"
"Will I really be able to reach it?"
You end up feeling like that.

Studying is the same.
It can take years to pass the tax accountant exam.
It also takes a long time to be able to speak English freely.

If you only look at that goal, you feel, "I still can't do it at all" or "I'm not making progress even though I'm studying this much," and you lose your motivation.

Then, what are people who can keep up with studying looking at?
Actually,they are looking at today's step, not the goal.

"I'll read 10 pages today."
"I'll memorize 20 English words today."
"I'll focus for just 30 minutes today."
Like this, they accumulate small goals that can be achieved right now.

Small goals have great power.
When you achieve them, you get a sense of satisfaction that "I did it."
That satisfaction leads to the next action and creates the feeling of "let's try a little more."

The accumulation of these small success experiences becomes the driving force to continue studying.

Conversely, people who only have big goals end up focusing only on what they can't do, such as "I still can't pass," "I still can't speak," or "my grades haven't gone up yet."
As a result, they convince themselves that "maybe this isn't for me" and give up halfway.

Studying is not a sprint.
It's like a marathon.
No one runs while looking only at the finish line 42.195 kilometers away.
"I'll run to the next utility pole."
"I'll do my best until the next water station."
Because they move forward one step at a time like that, they can run to the end.

Studying is the same.
A distant goal is an important target that shows you the direction to move in.
However, what you should look at every day is not that goal.

What will you do today? What is one thing you will be able to do today?

Beyond the accumulation of those small goals, a big goal is waiting before you know it.
People who can keep up with studying are by no means special people.
They are people who, while having big dreams, cherish "today's step" every day.

<Chapter 3> Aiming for Perfection

A common characteristic of people who cannot keep up with studying is thatthey aim for perfection too much.

At first glance, aiming for perfection seems like a good thing.
"I'll study for 2 hours every day."
"I'll understand the reference book perfectly from beginning to end."
"I'll make sure I never forget what I've learned once."

There are not a few people who set such goals.
However, this can actually become a reason why you can't keep up with studying.

For example, suppose you decide to "study for 2 hours every day."
However, on days when you come home tired from work or school, or when sudden plans come up, there are times when you can't study for 2 hours.
"I could only do 30 minutes today."
Then, perfectionists think like this:
"I failed today."
"I couldn't keep what I decided."
"There's no point in continuing if I'm like this."
And the feeling of starting to study the next day also weakens, and eventually, they stop studying altogether.

Actually, you were able to study for 30 minutes.
You are moving forward even a little bit more than you were yesterday.
Even so, because they think "if it's not 100 points, it's the same as 0 points," they end up killing their own motivation.

People who can keep up with studying have a different way of thinking.
"I was busy today, but I was able to do 30 minutes."
"I only progressed one page, but my understanding is deeper than yesterday."
In that way, they properly acknowledge small progress.
That's why they can naturally sit at their desk the next day.

In a previous article, I talked about how "the depth of understanding is more important than the length of study time."

This way of thinking also applies here.

If you can't concentrate even while sitting at your desk for 2 hours, much of that time is not learning.
Conversely, if you can concentrate for even 30 minutes and understand one thing, that is a valuable 30 minutes.

In other words, what's important is not "how long you studied," but "what you were able to understand."

People who aim for perfection get depressed, saying, "I couldn't read 100 pages today."
However, people who can keep up with studying think, "I was able to understand this one page well today."

This difference seems very small, but it becomes a big difference over a long period of time.
Studying doesn't change your life in a day.
Small daily accumulations appear as big results after half a year or a year.

That is precisely why, rather than aiming for 100 points,please make it your goal to move one step forward from yesterday.
If you have a busy day, try opening the book for just 5 minutes.
Try solving just one problem.
Try reading just one page of the reference book.
That is enough.

It is not "people who continue perfectly" who succeed in studying.
People who stop halfway but start walking again are the ones who reach the end.

Letting go of perfectionism and acknowledging yourself by saying "I was able to do this much today" is an important secret to continuing to study for a long time.

<Chapter 4> Relying on Motivation

"I don't have the motivation today, so I'll stop studying."
Aren't there many people who have thought this way?

When I couldn't keep up with my studies, I also thought, "I'll study when I get motivated."
However, looking back now, I think this way of thinking was a major reason why I couldn't keep up with my studies.

We tend to think, "I can act because I have motivation."
However, in reality, the order is the opposite.

Because you act, motivation is born.

This is the same not only for studying but also for work and exercise.
Even if you think you'll clean your room on your day off, there are times when you feel, "I don't have the motivation."
However, if you try starting to clean for just 5 minutes, haven't you had the experience where, strangely, you feel, "Since I'm at it, I'll do a little more," and before you know it, you've cleaned the whole room?

Studying is exactly the same.
The first 5 minutes are the hardest.
Open the textbook.
Take out your notebook.
Try solving one problem.
Once you can do that much, your brain will gradually switch to study mode.
"Let's do just a little more."
That feeling will be born naturally.

However, if you think, "I'll wait until I get motivated," studying will never begin.
This is because motivation is hard to be born in a state where you do nothing.

People who can keep up with studying are not "people who have motivation."
They are people who start anyway, even if they don't have motivation.

It is much easier to start if you think, "Let's try for just 5 minutes first," rather than thinking, "I'll do 30 minutes today."
It is not rare that you intended to do just 5 minutes, but before you knew it, you were concentrating for 30 minutes or an hour.

Conversely, if you think, "I have to study for 2 hours today," that alone makes your feelings heavy, and you even start to hate sitting at your desk.

What is important here is to think about "starting" and "continuing" separately.
People who cannot keep up with studying try to overcome the big wall of "studying for 2 hours."
People who can keep up with studying try to overcome only the small walls of "opening the textbook" or "solving one problem."

The lower the hurdle to start, the easier it is to take action.
And action creates motivation, and that motivation leads to the next action.

When this good cycle is created, you will be able to sit at your desk naturally without having to psych yourself up to "study."
"I don't have the motivation today."
It's fine even if there are days like that.
What is important is not waiting for days when you have motivation, butcreating a mechanism where you can start even if you don't have motivation.

Studying is not something that only people with motivation can continue.
"Let's try for just 5 minutes first."
People who can think that way are the ones who eventually get big results.

<Chapter 5> Too Much Preparation Before Starting

"Alright, let's study."
Even though I thought that, 30 minutes had passed before I knew it.
Haven't you had that experience?

Tidying up the desk.
Looking for a reference book.
Preparing a notebook.
I can't find a pen, so I look for it.
Getting a drink.
I thought I'd check the weather for just a second on my smartphone, and then I end up opening social media.
And before I know it, it becomes, "I don't have time today, so I'll do it tomorrow."

Actually, the more people cannot keep up with studying,the more steps they have before they start studying.

Each one is a small thing.
However, when those small things accumulate, the action of "starting to study" becomes very troublesome.

Conversely, for people who can keep up with studying, the preparation until they start is surprisingly simple.
Only the materials to be used that day are placed on the desk.
Writing utensils are also in a place where they can be picked up immediately.
If you open the reference book, you can start immediately from the page you studied last time.

In other words, they have created an environment where they can start within tens of seconds after thinking, "let's study."

This is by no means because they are meticulous.
It is to make the hurdle to start as low as possible.

People are made to avoid troublesome things.
"It's troublesome to take out the reference book."
"It's troublesome to tidy up the desk."
"It's troublesome to think about where to start."

The more this "troublesome" feeling accumulates, the further away you get from studying.
Therefore, before you psych yourself up to "do your best," please try to prepare the environment first.

For example,
Place the reference book and notebook you will use the next day on your desk before going to bed.
Use a bookmark to make it easy to open the next page you will learn.
Keep your writing utensils in one place.
Even just doing this will greatly reduce the burden until you start studying.

Another important thing is to decide "what to study" in advance.
"What should I do today?"
If you start thinking like this, time will pass just by doing that.

People who can keep up with studying decide the content before they start, such as "I'll solve up to page 10 of the problem book" or "I'll memorize 20 English words."
That's why they don't get lost.
Because they don't get lost, they can act immediately.

We tend to think, "I can't keep up with studying because my willpower is weak."
However, in reality, it is not a problem of willpower, but there are many cases where there is a problem with the mechanism until you start.

The secret to continuing to study is not "doing your best," but "making it easy to start."

If you think "let's do it," you can start immediately.

Just by creating such an environment, studying becomes surprisingly easy to continue.
People who can keep up with studying do not have a particularly strong willpower.
They are people who are good at creating an environment where they can start even without relying on willpower.

<Chapter 6> Leaving Things You Don't Understand Alone

Among the causes that make it impossible to keep up with studying, what is particularly easily overlooked is "leaving things you don't understand as they are."

Even people who started studying with motivation can have their hands stopped when they encounter slightly difficult content.
I read the textbook, but I don't understand the meaning.
I listen to the teacher's explanation, but it doesn't enter my head.
I solve the problem, but I can't understand why that is the answer.

Then, I think, "let's just move forward for now," and continue studying while leaving that part I don't understand.
However, when this "I don't understand" accumulates little by little, eventually studying itself becomes painful.

For example, what if you are reading a book and an unknown word appears on every page?
Even if you can read it somehow at first, as you progress 10 or 20 pages, you won't understand the content, and you should want to close the book.

Studying is exactly the same.
If you leave parts you can't understand alone, you cannot accumulate new knowledge on top of that.
Just as a house with a shaky foundation is dangerous, if your understanding is vague, your learning will also become unstable.

In the second installment of this series, I talked about how "learning is not memorization, but understanding."

Knowledge that you understand is hard to forget and can also be applied.
Conversely, knowledge that you memorized without understanding the meaning will be forgotten immediately after the exam is over.

In other words, leaving "I don't understand" alone not only makes it impossible to keep up with studying, but also becomes a cause for making what you learned easy to forget.

Then, what should you do?
The answer is very simple.

It is to reduce the number of things you "don't understand" by even one within that day.

Of course, you don't need to understand everything perfectly.
If you have one question, try looking it up.
Try asking a teacher or friend.
Try reading the explanation in another reference book.
Utilize the internet or AI to have it explained until you are convinced.

What is important is the attitude of "not ending it while not understanding."

Strangely, once you can understand one thing, there are times when you can see the content before and after it connected.
"So that's what it was."

This moment is the most fun time in studying.

The joy of being able to understand creates the feeling of "I want to know more."
That curiosity leads to the motivation for the next study.

Conversely, if the state of not being able to understand continues, the belief that "this isn't for me" or "I'm bad at studying" is born.
However, that is not a problem of ability.
It's just that you didn't have the opportunity to understand.

People who can keep up with studying are not "people who have nothing they don't understand."
They are people who do not leave things they don't understand alone.

And this difference becomes a big turning point that separates "studying by memorizing" and "studying by understanding."
It's interesting because you can understand.
You want to continue because it's interesting.

What is most important for continuing to study for a long time is not guts or spirit.
It is to accumulate the small emotion of "I understood!" one by one.

<Chapter 7> Only Doing Input

There is one more common characteristic among people who cannot keep up with studying.
That isending up with only input.

Reading reference books.
Listening to classes.
Watching videos.
Taking lectures.
These are all important studies.
However, just by doing that, even if you get the "feeling of having studied," you cannot say that you have understood it in the true sense.

For example, even if you read many cooking books, you won't become good at cooking just by that.
Because you actually hold a kitchen knife, cut vegetables, and try cooking, you truly acquire it.

Sports are the same.
You won't improve just by memorizing the rules of baseball.
Only after swinging the bat many times, throwing the ball, and moving your body does it become a skill.

Studying is exactly the same.
Just by reading, knowledge does not become your own.
Only by using knowledge does it change into true understanding.

In my articles so far, I have talked about how "understanding" is the essence of learning.
Then, how can you tell if you truly understand it yourself?

There is the simplest method.
It is to try explaining it to someone.

It doesn't matter if it's family or a friend.
If there is no one, just trying to explain it to yourself out loud is enough.

If you get stuck for words while explaining or feel "why does it become like that?", that means your understanding is not yet sufficient.

Conversely, if you can explain difficult things in an easy-to-understand way, that knowledge has become your own.

Solving problems is also an important output.
It's fine even if you make a mistake at first.
By making a mistake, you understand "where you don't understand."
That is not a failure, but important information that tells you your weak points.

Also, summarizing in your own words in a notebook is effective.
Instead of just copying the sentences in the textbook as they are, try writing them in your own words, saying "in other words, this is what it means."
Then, the parts you can understand and the parts you cannot understand will become clear.

People who can keep up with studying are very good at the balance between input and output.
Use it after learning.
Explain it after understanding.
Solve problems after memorizing.
Through this repetition, "understanding" changes into "being able to do."

On the other hand, people who cannot keep up with studying tend to think, "I should be able to understand if I read more reference books" or "I should be able to understand if I watch more videos."

Of course, obtaining new knowledge is important.
However, knowledge does not settle just by putting it in.
A cup that only has water put in without an exit will eventually overflow.

By putting out what you have learned, knowledge is organized, fixed in memory, and changes into true understanding.

The purpose of studying is not "to know a lot."
Being able to use what you have learnedis the true purpose.

That is precisely why, without ending it just by reading, please try to be conscious of output, such as solving problems, explaining, or trying to write.
That small accumulation should change the sense of duty that "I must study" into the joy that "it is fun to understand."

<Chapter 8> Being in an Environment with Many Temptations

"I thought I'd study and sat at my desk, but before I knew it, I was looking at my smartphone."
Haven't you had that experience?

"A notification came, so I'll check it for just a second."
"I'll watch just one video."
"I'll start studying after looking at social media for five minutes."
Even though I thought that, 30 minutes or an hour passes before I know it.
This is by no means just you.

Actually, the human brain is made to be weak against temptation.
Smartphones, social media, video sites, games, etc., are made to draw out the feeling of "I want to see more" or "just a little more."
In such an environment, trying to "win against temptation with only your own willpower" is a very difficult thing.

People who cannot keep up with studying think, "I must make my willpower stronger."
However, people who can keep up with studying are different.
They think about changing the environment, not willpower.

For example, leave your smartphone in another room when you start studying.
Turn off notifications.
Study in a room without a TV.
Place only the materials you will use that day on your desk.
Even just doing this will greatly change your concentration.

We want to think, "I won't lose to temptation."
However, the more people can truly keep up with studying, the more they know their own weakness.
"If my smartphone is nearby, I will look at it."
"If the TV is on, I will be curious about it."
"If there are snacks in front of me, I will eat them."
That is precisely why they keep temptation away from the beginning.

This is not just about studying.
It is the same way of thinking for people on a diet trying not to buy snacks.
It is the same for people who want to quit smoking disposing of ashtrays.
It is much easier to succeed if you reduce the temptation itself rather than relying on the power of willpower.

Also, the place where you study is important.
In the living room, you can hear family members talking.
You can see the TV.
You are also curious about smartphone notifications.
Then it becomes difficult to continue concentrating.

If possible, please try to create a place where you can decide, "if I sit here, I will study."
It doesn't matter if it's a library, your own room, or a quiet cafe.
Just by changing the place, it becomes easier to switch your feelings.

What is necessary to continue studying is not "a strong heart to win against temptation."
It is to create an environment where you won't be troubled even if you lose to temptation.

The environment greatly influences people's actions.
People who can keep up with studying do not over-rely on their own willpower.
"How can I study naturally?"
They are preparing the environment from such a perspective.

It is sometimes said that studying is a battle with yourself.
However, in reality, you don't need to keep blaming yourself.
Just by devising the environment a little, studying becomes surprisingly easy to continue.

<Chapter 9> The Time and Place to Study Are Different Every Time

"I'll study in the morning today."
Though I thought that, I couldn't wake up, so I changed it to the evening.
The next day, I had plans in the evening, so I studied during the day.
On holidays, I study at a cafe, and on weekdays, I study at home.

At first glance, it might seem like they are just studying according to the convenience of the day.
Of course, plans change in life, so it would be difficult to study at the exact same time every day.

However, people who continue to study have one thing in common.
That is,keeping the 'conditions for starting study' as consistent as possible.

Our brains are good at creating 'habits'.
For example, people who wash their faces every morning when they wake up don't think, 'I'll wash my face today' every day.
People who say 'Itadakimasu' before a meal don't consciously think, 'I'll say it today'.
Because it has become a long-standing habit, their bodies move naturally.

Studying is the same.
Every day, sit at the desk after dinner.
Every morning, study for just 30 minutes before work.
On holidays, go to the library from 9:00 AM.
If you decide on the time and place to some extent like this, the brain will remember, 'This time is study time'.
Then, the time spent wondering, 'Should I study today, or not?' decreases.

In fact, the more people struggle to continue studying, the more they think about 'when to study' every day.
"Should I do it in the evening today?"
"Maybe I should do it tomorrow morning after all."
"I'm tired today, so maybe I'll take a break."
By repeating these judgments, the day sometimes ends without studying at all.

On the other hand, people who continue to study reduce the amount of 'thinking'.
"Sit at the desk after eating dinner."
"Open the reference book after drinking coffee."
"Study English vocabulary for 10 minutes after waking up in the morning."
In this way, they incorporate studying into their daily life.

This utilizes the 'power of habit'.
Once it becomes a habit, studying is no longer something special.
Just like brushing your teeth, it becomes 'natural to do'.

Of course, there are people who cannot study at the same time every day.
Some people have shift work, or their schedules change due to housework or childcare.
In that case, it is recommended to link it to an 'action' rather than fixing the 'time'.

For example,
"Study for 10 minutes after finishing breakfast."
"Solve 3 problems after getting out of the bath."
"Read 5 pages of the reference book before going to bed."
If you incorporate studying after an action you do every day like this, it becomes easier to make it a habit.

Studying is not something you do only on days when you feel motivated.
Only when it becomes a part of your life can you continue it without strain.
Instead of thinking every day, 'Should I study today?', 'Start naturally when this time or timing comes'.
Creating such a mechanism is the big secret to continuing to study for a long time.

<Chapter 10> Comparing Yourself Too Much with Others

One of the reasons why studying doesn't continue iscomparing yourself too much with others.

When we were students, we were often compared by test rankings and deviation scores.
Even after becoming a working adult, seeing people who passed certification exams, people who can speak English, or people who passed difficult exams can make you feel depressed, thinking, 'I'm still not there yet'.
Recently, the influence of social media is also significant.
"I studied for 5 hours every day."
"I passed the certification exam on the first try."
"I got a TOEIC score of 900 in half a year."
When you see such posts, some people might think, 'Compared to that, I am...'

However, there is something we must not forget here.
We are only looking at other people's 'results'.

How much effort that person made to get there.
How many times they failed.
How much time they spent.
We don't see that far.
Even if you compare yourself with others by looking only at the results, it is not a fair comparison.

Also, everyone has a different environment.
Students and working adults have different amounts of free time.
Some people study while working, and some people study while raising children or caring for elderly family members.
Health conditions are different, and strengths and weaknesses are different.
There is not a single person who is in the same condition.
Even so, blaming yourself by looking only at other people's achievements is a great waste.

People who continue to study compare themselves with a different person.
The one to compare with isyourself yesterday.

I was able to concentrate for 10 minutes longer than yesterday.
I solved a problem I couldn't solve yesterday.
I gained one more piece of knowledge than yesterday.
You can be happy about that small growth.

As I mentioned in a previous article, studying is not a sprint.
It is a long journey of stacking up step by step.
That is why what is important is not 'who is running in the front', but 'whether you have moved forward from yourself yesterday'.

When I was studying to become a tax accountant, I also felt impatient seeing 'people who can study more' and 'people who can understand faster'.

But thinking about it now, I was comparing myself with the wrong person.
The person I should have really compared myself with was not others, but myself.

If there is one thing you understood today that you didn't yesterday, that is certain growth.
If you were able to sit at your desk for 5 minutes longer than yesterday, that is also a splendid step forward.
That accumulation will make a big difference in half a year or a year.

Comparing yourself with others is a cause for losing confidence.
However, comparing yourself with yourself yesterday is a power that nurtures confidence.

Studying is not something you do to win against someone.
It is something you do to grow a little more than yourself yesterday and get closer to the person you want to be.

If you don't forget that, you will be able to continue learning at your own pace without being swayed by the speed of the people around you.

<Chapter 11> Not Noticing Small Growth

The difference between people who continue to study and those who don't is not just ability.
There is a bigger difference.
That ishow to find your own growth.

People who don't continue to study cannot think they have grown unless they achieve 'big results'.
Passed the exam.
Got a perfect score.
Acquired a qualification.
Deviation score increased significantly.
They think only such results are 'success'.

Of course, those are wonderful achievements.
However, such big achievements cannot be obtained every day.

The announcement of passing a certification exam might be months away.
Deviation scores don't increase significantly just by studying once.
If you were studying looking forward only to big results, you would feel 'I haven't grown at all yet' the whole time.
It would be difficult to continue studying like this.

On the other hand, people who continue to study are very good at finding small growth.
A problem I couldn't solve yesterday, I solved today.
I was able to memorize 10 English words.
I finished reading 10 pages of the reference book.
The time I can concentrate has become a little longer than before.
I understood the teacher's explanation better than before.

They can be happy about such small changes, thinking, 'I moved forward today too'.
Each one might be a small thing.
However, by accumulating that small growth, it leads to big results.

Think about the time until a baby can walk.
There is no child who can walk from the beginning.
They become able to roll over, learn to crawl, pull themselves up, and while falling many times, they become able to walk little by little.
Every time that happens, the family rejoices, saying, 'You did it'.
If they thought, 'It is not growth unless you can run', all of that child's efforts would be wasted.

Studying is the same.
Small growth every day is the true growth.
We have been evaluated at school only by results called 'test scores'.
Therefore, it is easy to fall into the belief that 'effort is meaningless if there are no results'.
However, learning is originally the accumulation of being able to do today what you couldn't do yesterday.
Because there is that accumulation, you can pass exams and acquire qualifications.

I have one thing I want to recommend to people who are studying.
That is to ask yourself at the end of the day.

"What did I understand newly today?"
"What did I grow in compared to myself yesterday?"

It doesn't matter how small it is.
If you can find even one thing, that day you have moved forward.
And please acknowledge that progress yourself.
When people realize their growth, they feel like, 'I'll try again tomorrow'.

In psychology, this feeling of 'I can do it' is calledself-efficacy.
Self-efficacy is not an innate talent.
It is something that grows by accumulating small success experiences.
People who continue to study do not overestimate themselves.
They are people who don't miss even a tiny bit of growth and can acknowledge, 'I moved forward today too'.
That accumulation becomes confidence, and eventually leads to big results.

Studying does not change your life in one day.
People who accumulate growing one step more than yesterday are the ones who realize they have grown significantly.

<Chapter 12> Believing That Studying Is Painful

"Studying is painful."
There are not a few people who think so.

Sitting at a desk is hard.
Opening a reference book is troublesome.
Studying for exams is painful.
There are many people who have such an image.

Then, why do we feel that studying is painful?
I think the big reason for that isthe influence of school education.

At school, you are required to get good scores on tests.
You are ranked.
You are evaluated by deviation scores.
In entrance exams, you are clearly divided into passing and failing.

Of course, there are situations where those are necessary.
However, as a result, the image that 'studying is something you endure to get scores' has remained in many people's hearts.
Originally, studying is not like that.

Babies take an interest in things around them without being told by anyone.
"What is this?"
"Why does that move?"
"I want to touch it."
"I want to try it."
Because there is such curiosity, people learn words, become able to walk, and grow.

In other words, people originally like 'knowing'.

Then, why do people come to dislike studying as they become adults?
It is because the 'pain of having to memorize' becomes greater than the 'joy of understanding'.

Memorizing without even understanding the meaning.
Forgetting it once the exam is over.
Memorizing new things again.
There is no way studying can be fun like this.

As I talked about in this series, 'learning is not memorization but understanding', the moment you can understand is the most fun moment in studying.

"So that's what it was."
"That's why it becomes like this."
"I see, it all connects."
When you experience this moment, studying changes from 'something you are made to do' to 'something you want to know more about'.

For me too, it was after I started to be conscious of 'understanding' rather than 'memorizing' that I started to feel studying was interesting.
One piece of knowledge connects with another piece of knowledge.
Scattered dots become a single line.
Furthermore, that line expands and becomes a big map of knowledge.
When you start to taste that feeling, studying is no longer painful.

Interest is not necessarily something that exists from the beginning.
Interest grows as understanding deepens.

It is not 'I can understand because it is interesting'.
"It becomes interesting because I can understand."

This might be something many people misunderstand.
So, people who feel that studying is not interesting now don't need to worry.
It might just be that you haven't understood it enough yet.
Understand one thing.
Understand another thing.
That accumulation nurtures the feeling of 'I want to know more'.

People who continue to study are not people who are especially patient.
They are people who know the joy of understanding.
And that joy becomes the best driving force to continue studying.

If you think 'studying is painful' now, please try changing that thought just a little.
Studying is for expanding your own world.
You understand what you didn't know.
You become able to do what you couldn't do.
You can meet a self different from yesterday.

When you can feel that joy, studying changes from an obligation to 'learning' that you want to continue for a lifetime.

<Chapter 13> Being Too Impatient for Results

The last commonality of people who don't continue to study isbeing too impatient for results.

When people start studying, many expect results immediately.
"I studied for a week, but I still can't memorize it."
"I studied English for a month, but I still can't speak it."
"I am studying every day, but my grades aren't going up."

When such thoughts accumulate, you feel 'it's meaningless even though I'm trying this hard', and you might stop studying.

However, there is something we must not forget here.
The results of studying do not appear on the day you made the effort.

Just as flowers don't bloom the day after you sow seeds, results don't appear immediately in studying.
Because you give water little by little every day and grow it over time, eventually buds appear and flowers bloom.
Knowledge is the same.
Learn one piece of knowledge.
Understand it.
Try using it a few times.
Connect it with other knowledge.
Only then does it become knowledge you can really use.

This process requires time.

As I have talked about so far, studying is not 'collecting knowledge' but 'accumulating understanding'.
Understanding is not completed in one day.
Even if you only understand it vaguely at first, it deepens little by little by relearning it many times.
So, there is no need to be impatient.

I often compare studying to muscle training.
There is no one whose muscles grow just by going to the gym and exercising for one day.
Even in a week, you probably won't feel a big change.
However, if you continue for months, your body will change little by little.

Studying is exactly the same.
Even if the daily change is small, it will be a big difference in half a year or a year.
However, people who are impatient for results stop in the middle of that.
"There are no results yet."
"It's not for me."
"It's impossible anymore."
They judge like that.

If that person had continued for another month, or another three months, they might have grown significantly.
It is a real waste.

There is also the following quote by Edison that I wrote about in a previous article.

People who continue to study value the 'process' more than the 'results'.
I was able to study as planned today.
My understanding deepened more than yesterday.
I was able to learn one new thing.
They value such daily accumulation.

That is why they can wait until results appear.
And while waiting, they are steadily continuing to grow.

In this series, I have talked about 'reasons for forgetting', 'essence of learning', 'importance of understanding', and 'commonality of people who can study and those who don't continue'.
There is something common to all of them.

That is,learning is not something that is completed in one day.

Understanding deepens little by little, knowledge accumulates little by little, and people grow little by little.
So, please don't be impatient for results.
I understood a little more than yesterday.
I moved forward a little more than yesterday.
That accumulation will eventually appear before you as big results.
Studying is not a competition that seeks results in a short period.
It is a long journey where only those who accumulate learning step by step can acquire true power.

<Final Chapter> Studying Is Determined Not by Talent But by a 'Mechanism to Continue'

So far, we have looked at the characteristics common to people who don't continue to study.

● The purpose of studying is ambiguous.
● The goal is too far away.
● Aiming for perfection.
● Relying on motivation.
● Too much preparation before starting.
● Leaving things you don't understand as they are.
● Only doing input.
● Being in an environment with many temptations.
● The time and place to study are not decided.
● Comparing yourself too much with others.
● Not noticing small growth.
● Believing that studying is painful.
● Being too impatient for results.

When we line them up like this, one commonality comes into view.
None of them are problems of 'ability'.

People who don't continue to study are not because they are not smart, or because they don't have talent.
It is not because their willpower is weak either.
The cause of not being able to continue studying lies in the way of thinking, the environment, and the mechanism of studying.

At the beginning of this article, I told the story of when I was studying to become a tax accountant.
I passed the bookkeeping 3rd and 2nd grade exams smoothly, but as my university life began, my motivation for studying gradually faded, I couldn't continue studying for bookkeeping 1st grade, and eventually, I gave up on the path to becoming a tax accountant.
At that time, I thought, 'It was because my willpower was weak'.
However, now I can say it clearly.

I at that time did not lack ability.
I didn't know the 'mechanism' to continue studying.

The purpose of studying became gradually ambiguous, my interest shifted to a new environment called university life, and the feeling of 'studying that I have to do' became stronger than the 'joy of understanding'.

If I had known this back then, the result might have been different.
That is why I am writing this 'Learning Textbook That School Doesn't Teach' now.

At school, they teach the content of textbooks.
However, they don't teach much about 'how to continue learning' or 'how to study without losing the joy of understanding'.
But isn't this what is really useful in life?

Even after entrance exam studying ends, you need to continue learning new knowledge when you go out into society.
Whether it is work, qualifications, or hobbies, life is a series of learning.
That is why acquiring a way of learning that can be used for a lifetime becomes the best investment in yourself.

People who continue to study are not people with special talent.
They are people who know the joy of understanding and have created a mechanism to continue.
And anyone can acquire that mechanism.

Next time, as a summary of this series, I will write 'Study Method That Doesn't Memorize That School Doesn't Teach - Creating Knowledge You Won't Forget for a Lifetime with Understanding-Based Learning'.
In the articles so far, I have thought about the essence of learning, such as 'why we forget', 'what is learning', 'why grades don't improve', and 'commonality of people who can study and those who don't continue'.
Next is finally the stage to connect that theory to practice.

A method to accumulate knowledge through understanding without relying on memorization.
A method to acquire knowledge that is hard to forget, applicable, and usable for a lifetime.
I would like to convey the practice method of 'understanding-based learning' that I reached through many years of learning and experience as concretely as possible.

Studying is by no means painful.
It becomes interesting when you can understand.
You want to continue when it becomes interesting.
You gain power because you continue.
And because you gain power, your life's choices expand.
This virtuous cycle is true learning.

People who don't continue to study are not people with weak willpower.
They were just studying in a way that doesn't continue.

From today, why don't you start 'studying that can continue' instead of 'studying that you try hard at'?
Beyond that, the true joy of learning that school didn't teach you is waiting.

Thank you for reading to the end.
I would be happy if you could give me a like, follow, or tip.
I look forward to your continued support.

#StudyRecord