5 Finnish struggles? Giraffes offer perspective from above.
If you dream of learning Finnish but have been struggling to learn it, you are not alone. Here are the most common Finnish struggles people share with me:
#1 This is not fun.
“Learning is boring and uninspiring. My progress is really slow. Finnish just isn’t something I do for fun, so I try to make time whenever I can…”
I know this feeling all too well. I’m not the kind of person who ends up making much time for things that are boring, uninspiring and don’t get any easier. I can totally see how when that’s the case, learning falls by the wayside.
#2 Shit keeps happening.
“Life keeps getting in the way of my best intentions to learn Finnish. Either the kids get sick, or then I get sick, work gets busy. I miss a class or two, then I fall behind (with class/my intentions) and it’s a constant struggle to catch up again.”
Most of us are juggling a multitude of responsibilities and priorities. When our health suffers or things get extra busy, we need to make choices. Perhaps it’s because of #1 above that Finnish takes a backseat, and then we enter a cycle of constant struggle to keep up. It’s no wonder learning can feel like a chore!
#3 Not enough.
“I don’t know if I’m _____ [smart, diligent, motivated, young, etc.] enough to learn Finnish.”
Likely prompted by struggles #1 and #2, many of us look for some sort of explanation. The obvious one seems to be ourselves. This is my fault and maybe I should just give up. If this is you, read this.
#4 Will things ever get better?
“With all this struggle, I wonder if things will ever get better. Will I ever really learn Finnish? Will I ever really feel like I belong here?”
By this point, things are getting heavy. We’re carrying a lot of fears and insecurities around and possibilities start to look grim.
#5 There has to be a better way.
“I don’t see an inspiring, realistic way forward. What I’m doing in class doesn’t give me the confidence that it’s working. Yet, people do learn. There has to be a better way than this.”
This is the voice of inspiration. When we crack open a window and let in some fresh air, maybe even a little hope from our despair.
Here’s what I want you to know
The above struggles are so incredibly common, they’re mainstream!
Finnish has a reputation that’s known far beyond national borders as being a difficult language, and yet, people do learn it.
I want you to know that the above is not how it has to be. Learning Finnish isn’t something that happens despite what’s going on above; we don’t need to push and force our way through these. Instead, Finnish struggles are the reasons people aren’t learning, not the way it has to be.
Instead, I invite you to consider the struggles as symptoms of a way of learning that’s not working for us.
Looking for a better way? I can guide you there…
Want to understand the dynamics behind why we struggle with Finnish and start breaking the pattern? Consider joining my online community!
You’ll get free access to a course I created called Demystifying the Finnish Struggle. In this course, I go step-by-step in explaining the why these 5 symptoms show up and start painting a fuller picture.
