Learn a foreign language

“The next step I took was both demanding and essential—I completely revamped my daily environment. I spent two full days redecorating my apartment, meticulously labeling every object within sight. Laptop, door, fridge, cocoa powder, cup, chair, lip balm—everything that surrounded me became a vocabulary lesson. [...] Every day, I took a brief break to stroll outside and visit a café, where I'd order coffee or maybe breakfast. Studying the menu became a rigorous exercise with my private tutor—questions like these were commonplace. Initially, the staff hesitated to respond in Hebrew, but I persisted, doing my best.”

“Learning a language is an interesting goal because it fluctuates between grand overconfidence and crushing embarrassment. I’ll often pride myself in my French ability, until tongue-twisted in a seemingly easy situation. My French friends will often comment that I speak, “super bien.” At which point they will make a comment and I won’t understand. Two steps forward, one step back. Language learning often feels like a drunken stumble towards progress.”