acovilla

How often do we abandon a desire to learn something new? 

We want to learn a language, an instrument, or a skill, but the perceived time commitment feels overwhelming. We often fall into an “all-or-nothing” trap. We believe that if we cannot dedicate hours a week, it is not worth starting at all.  But It gets worse, we believe that if we can’t be experts in the subject it is also not worth starting at all.

As someone fascinated by education, and the impact of habits, I have begun to question this assumption.  We know that consistent physical exercise can help our standard of living at any age and contribute to longevity. So can consistent learning bring further benefits in terms of standard of living and longevity?

This question led me to a personal exploration, a small, manageable experiment in an area I had always wanted to improve: learning a new language.

A Personal Case Study

My chosen tool was a simple language app, like Duolingo. Many people say these apps “don’t work” if your goal is fluency. But perhaps that is the wrong goal to start with. What if the true value of these apps is not fluency, but their brilliant design as an engine for daily repetition?

The app became a simple ritual. It was not a massive effort, but a small act of consistency. The goal was not to become fluent in six months. The goal was simply to show up for 25 minutes, every day. The surprising part was not just the language progress, but what I discovered about learning itself.

An Unexpected Discovery

The first thing I noticed was not my language skill, but a change in my mental state. This small, daily “win” had immediate cognitive benefits. I looked into the science, and this personal feeling is well-supported.

The simple act of active learning, engaging with and trying to recall information, boosts memory performance almost immediately. This boost of memory performance can be aligned with an improvement in fitness when comparing it to consistent physical exercise. The effort to retrieve information enhances functional connectivity within the brain, actively strengthening neural pathways. 

These immediate “wins” were encouraging, but now I believe the true power of learning as a habit seems to lie in what it builds over time.

The Deeper Impact

Committing to a small, daily practice for months and years is where the profound changes seem to take root. Consistent retrieval practice, the “spacing effect,” is one of the most powerful tools for creating long-lasting memories. It is far more effective than just passively restudying. This practice drives neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself. Consistent learning, even in small doses, leads to more optimized and efficient brain processing over time.

The training of working memory, holding and manipulating information, supports other complex skills, like problem-solving. Perhaps this could be unnoticiable in our younger stages in life, but what about when we get older? 

The same way as we see physical training we can look at learning. A buffer against cognitive decline through the years.

Reflections on a Small Habit

My 25 minute language journey taught me less about becoming a polyglot and more about the simple, profound power of showing up. It seems the “all-or-nothing” approach is less effective because It misses the compounding power of repeated efforts. For the skill you want to learn and for our well being.

So next time you feel those 15 minutes of practicing guitar chords, 10 minutes of sketching or 5 minutes of reviewing a concept from mathematics is lost time because you’re not going to become an expert at it, think twice. You might not only be giving yourself a dopamine hit, but ensuring sharper cognition through the rest of your life.