There was a woman who approached three men working on a construction project together.

She approached the first man and asked "What are you doing?"

"Laying bricks," the first man replied.

She walked up to the second man and asked "What are you doing?"

"Building a wall," the second man said as he plopped mortar on brick.

The woman walked to the third man and asked "What are you doing?"

"Erecting a cathedral."

I'm willing to wager that by now you've almost certainly heard the advice to "start with why" already.

Consider this a reminder.

Our why is powerful.

It helps us get started.

It helps us to keep going.

It helps us to enjoy each step of the long journey.

Identifying Why

When doing hard things that need a lot of time, such as language learning, I start with why.

It can be hard to figure out why.

Simon Sinek has three categories to explore when seeking why:

1. Personal Experience Reflections

What activities make us lose track of time or give us the greatest sense of fulfillment?

2. Motivations

What do we find ourselves repeatedly drawn to?

3. Desired Impact

What do people frequently ask for our help with?

Let's take a moment to reflect on why we're learning a language and write that down.

Do we want to connect more deeply with family members?

Do we want to operate more effectively while living abroad?

Do we want to nurture our curiosity and it's many wonders?

Whatever we want, let's nestle that why into our hearts.

For me, my why for learning Japanese is simple. I've been drawn to Japanese artifacts since I was 5.

I love eating ramen, tamagoyaki, and sukiyaki donburis.

I enjoy anime.

My favorite author is Haruki Murakami. And, I'd get a kick out of reading his works in Japanese.

I consider snowboarding in Japan to be a peak life experience.

My why is a reflection of my personal experiences and a realization that I'll likely continue to enjoy these artifacts for another 25 years.

Learning Japanese will enable me to enjoy these artifacts more often and more deeply.

Identifying How

We've talked a bit about how to learn a language on this blog.

Today let's discuss how to combine our how with our why.

The how is a guide to the why. It can be a set of processes or values. Ultimately, it is what brings your why to life. is brought to life.

Our how answers the question, "How do I do what I do?"

Beneath your why statement, I'd like you to add your how.

Here's an example:

I will learn Japanese primarily through reading and listening to books. My experience and research shows that for each hour I read and listen, my fluency improves.

Identifying Your What

The what is the tangible outcome of the how and why.

It answers the question, "What do I do?"

This is where a lot of people start and end.

They'll say "I should learn a language".

Then they download a bird app and practice 5 minutes a day.

After 800 days, they've made little progress in learning that language.

Their why and how are missing.

But when you start with why.

Then move to how.

Your what becomes a lot clearer.

My what is simple: I'll read Japanese every day by using reading tools like LumiReader.ai.

And, sure I may aim for an hour a day and only hit 15 minutes, but as long as I’m moving forward in my what then I’ll be happy.

Bringing It All Together

When on a challenging journey like learning a new language starting with why, then the how, before the what can be transformative.

Why is the foundation. We start with why.

It's our motivation. It keeps us going when the path gets tough. It helps us celebrate each step along the way.

How is the bridge between our inspiration and our actions.

It's the strategy we'll employ to bring our why to life, reflecting our unique approach and values.

What is the tangible manifestation of our why and how.

It's the specific, actionable steps we'll take each day or week to move closer to your goal.

And yes, this framework transcends language learning. It can help us in any difficult but worthwhile endeavor.

By starting with why and aligning these three elements, we'll create cathedrals while others lay brick walls.