How Not to Juggle Studying Multiple Topics

An example of refocusing to avoid accomplishing nothing

Mar 12, 2025

Sometimes I remember what made me improve my languages in the first place: focus.

You see, I’ve studied over 20 languages but I can “only” speak 6 languages, five at a high level. None of the languages I say I “speak” are languages I started after 2014.

The reason? 2014 is when I began letting my thirst for new languages take over. For about 2 years from then, I focused on Japanese with a bit of other languages but once I got the JLPT N1, all reigns were dropped. I began digging into language after language without restriction.

My main languages (Japanese, Korean, and Chinese to a lesser extent) stayed at the front but the time I spent on them began dropping.

And now, in 2025, I’m pretty much doing the same, although in a different way: not only am I studying a few languages, but I’m also preparing for a work certification and my driver’s license—all this while having way a lot of work on my plate.

Trying to accomplish everything at the same time is simply not possible.

That’s why I’ve decided to drop German this year and to focus on one single language: Mandarin.

Why Mandarin? For one, I’m tired of always having to add an asterisk to say “Well, I understand it rather well but I don’t speak it well. It’s been a long time so I should speak it better, blah blah blah.”

I’ve also recently discovered the Polyglot Conference will be happening in Taipei in November. I’m not sure I’ll be able to go but I’ll aim for it and I really want to enjoy Taiwan to the fullest this time around, a year and a half since the last time.

I’ve also recently taken my ticket to go to Japan, in May, and I want to travel to places I could never reach before, which means driving so I have to pass the driver’s license exam before then.

As for the work certification, I have no urgent need for it but I’ve been pushing it back for too long. Preparing it is supposed to take about 6 months so that’ll take a big chunk of the year too.

I’m also extremely late in my reading goals (7 Japanese books, 6 Korean) as I’ve only read 1 Japanese novel and part of a Korean book. I’ve gotten hooked on a way-too-long series of books in English and that’s taken time away from the more difficult reading experiences that are Japanese and Korean).

All this to say, there’s no time to waste.

I’m therefore removing the Japanese reading goal so I can focus on reading Korean when I have the energy to read in another language.1 If I feel like it and am done with the rest by the end of the summer, I may add part of it back, but that’d be a bonus.

In short, here’s what I’ll focus on:

Driver’s license
Mandarin speaking skills (+HSK4 by the summer if possible)
Work certification
Korean books (6)

If I do more, great, but no pressure. If I accomplish these, this year will have been a success.

And I know if something needs to be updated again, that’ll be done through reducing the Korean books, although I’ll try my best to avoid this.

It’s all too easy to remember our time as children or students and wonder at all the time we used to have. As adults, responsibilities take over and hobbies take a back seat. Whether we accept it or not, it’ll be forced on us.

This may seem pessimistic but it’s not in the meaning I use: We’re forced to choose what matters to us most.

I could very well choose to keep working on German2 and drop my work certification since I don’t need it at the moment. Or switch the Korean books with the Japanese ones. My priorities are what made me choose what I chose.

If you think you’re not making any progress in any of your languages or other topic you’re learning, maybe you’ve spread yourself too thin.

Why not take the time to reevaluate and focus once again on what matters?

We’ve got 10.5 months left. It’s not too late.

The Average Polyglot

Discussion about this post