How to Get Back on Track With Learning

Hi, this is Ray.

Let’s be real. At some point, we’ve all fallen off the learning wagon. Maybe you started an online course and made it halfway through before Netflix dropped a new season of something shiny. Maybe you bought five books, read two chapters, and now they’re stacked on your nightstand silently judging you. Or maybe… like me, you convinced yourself you’d “totally learn Japanese this year,” only to realize you can’t even order ramen without Google Translate.

Here’s the good news: falling off track doesn’t mean failure. It means you’re human. The key isn’t perfection. The key is knowing how to get back on track when life (or your own procrastination superpowers) derails you.

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Why We Fall Off Track in the First Place

Before we fix it, let’s nerd out on why it happens.

1. Overload

   You take on too much at once. Five courses. Ten podcasts. Three side hustles. Your brain waves the white flag.

2. Perfectionism

   You feel guilty about missing one session, so you quit altogether. It’s the “all or nothing” trap.

3. Life Happens

   Work, family, random emergencies, your neighbor deciding to start a heavy metal band at 2 a.m., life has a way of interrupting.

4. Motivation Fade

   At first, you’re pumped. Then the novelty wears off. Suddenly, studying feels like grinding for XP in a bad video game.

Knowing the causes makes it easier to fight back.

Step 1: Forgive Yourself

Seriously. Stop beating yourself up. Self-criticism doesn’t make you more productive… it just makes you feel like Gollum arguing with himself in Lord of the Rings. Research shows self-compassion actually improves motivation and persistence.

So say it with me: “I messed up. I’ll start again.” That’s it. No drama.

Step 2: Revisit Your Why

Why were you learning this in the first place? Was it career growth? Personal curiosity? Becoming the family’s reigning trivia champion?

Purpose fuels persistence. Without it, learning feels like punishment. Write down your “why” again. If it still excites you, awesome. If it doesn’t, maybe you’re chasing the wrong goal (and that’s okay too).

Step 3: Start Smaller Than You Think

One of the biggest mistakes is trying to “catch up” all at once. Spoiler: it doesn’t work. Start ridiculously small. Ten minutes of study. One page of reading. One video lesson.

Small wins rebuild momentum. Think of it like respawning in a game. You don’t jump straight into the final boss fight. You take on easy mobs first.

Step 4: Use the Reset Ritual

Create a ritual that signals to your brain: “We’re back.” It could be as simple as brewing tea, opening your notebook, and putting your phone on airplane mode. Habits become stronger when they’re tied to cues.

For me, it’s lighting a candle before I study. Does it make me look like I’m summoning a wizard? Yes. Does it work? Also yes.

Step 5: Track Progress (But Keep It Light)

Checklists, apps, or even sticky notes can help you see progress. Just don’t overcomplicate it. I once spent more time designing a productivity tracker than actually learning. That’s called procrastination in disguise.

Track enough to celebrate progress, not enough to stress yourself out.

Step 6: Add Accountability

Humans are social creatures. We hate letting others down more than we hate letting ourselves down. Share your learning goals with a friend, join a study group, or post your progress online. It’s like having Frodo without Sam… doable, but way harder.

Step 7: Celebrate Small Wins

Every time you complete a session, celebrate. Doesn’t need to be a parade. A fist pump. A piece of chocolate. A victory dance in your living room. Rewards reinforce habits.

The Science of Getting Back on Track

• Self-compassion boosts persistence: People who forgive mistakes are more likely to re-engage with goals.

• Tiny habits stick: BJ Fogg’s research shows small actions, tied to triggers, are more sustainable than giant efforts.

• Dopamine fuels momentum: Celebrating progress releases dopamine, which motivates you to keep going.

So yes, science agrees with me: beating yourself up is useless. Celebrating tiny wins is way smarter.

Side Quests vs Main Quest

Falling off track is like ignoring the main quest in an RPG to do side quests. It’s fine. You still gain skills, collect loot, and level up. But at some point, you need to get back to the main quest.

The trick is remembering the main quest is still waiting. It didn’t disappear. You just need to pick up your controller again.

My Own “Off Track” Story

Once, I bought a 12-week online course on digital marketing. I finished week one, then forgot about it for… eight months. By the time I logged back in, the platform had completely redesigned itself. I didn’t even recognize the dashboard.

At first, I felt awful. But then I told myself: “Hey, late is better than never.” I restarted small… one lesson a day. A month later, I was back in rhythm. Did I ace everything? Nope. But I finished. And that felt like a win.

Your Turn

Falling off track with learning is normal. The secret isn’t avoiding failure. It’s knowing how to restart.

• Forgive yourself.

• Revisit your why.

• Start small.

• Create a ritual.

• Track light.

• Add accountability.

• Celebrate wins.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to begin again. Because every time you restart, you’re proving to yourself that you’re still in the game.

And if you need a mantra, try this: “I’m not behind. I’m just on a different respawn timer.”

References

1. Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self‐compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21923

2. Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. https://tinyhabits.com/book/

3. Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner. https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/