Deep work and focus actually hurts your brain and I think I’m avoiding it because learning a new language requires deep focus. This is something that I’ve forgotten how to do, I think. Writing – as I am now with a countdown clock in the foreground, white noise and preparing it as a stream of consciousness writing example – is easy for me.

2. What I wanted to do in today’s blog is really (well as I do in all of them) – write this as a
reminder to myself that I really need to get my arse in gear when it comes to actually
learning Italian.
If I look at it from a ‘raw progress’ perspective – the fact that I’m doing something is
definitely progress. Deep work and focus actually hurts your brain and I think I’m
avoiding it because learning a new language requires deep focus. This is something
that I’ve forgotten how to do, I think.
Writing – as I am now with a countdown clock in the foreground, white noise and
preparing it as a stream of consciousness writing example – is easy for me.
Ironically – everything I’m doing with this blog is about making things as easy as
possible for me – without necessarily thinking about what it is my audience actually
wants.

3. I feel like it’s a slow chore that won’t reap results over any short period of time.
HOWEVER……that’s why I’m here writing about my Italian journey.
I want to get better at the art of speaking (and I’m basically a ‘zero’ in this
regard) – and this is why I’m publishing it here on my blog.

4. Getting a tutor alone unfortunately hasn’t worked for me.
I have cancelled, rescheduled and just decided to not go to lessons.
I’m basically a sh*t student – something I’m trying to correct as quickly as I can.
Which is why I hope this public declaration serves me well.
The very next step is to write up my handwritten notes from the 7 Italian lessons I’ve
had.
Even if I could just remember the words and expressions from those 7-lessons – I
could contribute so much more to the dinner table conversations Strawberry has with
her family.

5. But that’s why I’m writing this blog – I’m trying to pull out all of the stops to drive the
motivation needed to get this done.
Imagine me in 5 years from now being with an Italian woman for over 10-15 years and
still not being able to speak Italian.
When you think about it in this way it’s embarrassing.
And when we do have children…not being able to communicate with them is going to
be terrible – if they just spoke English.
Speaking totally in Italian at home would be amazing.