Is "Learning Spanish" Actually a Goal?

Thu Feb 26 2026

Most People Say

“I want to learn Spanish.” It sounds good. It sounds productive. It even sounds ambitious. But here is the uncomfortable truth: “Learning Spanish” is not a goal. It is an idea, and this is where many people go wrong.

“Learning Spanish” is not a goal. It is an idea.

When someone says, “My goal is to learn Spanish,” what does that actually mean?

• Hold a conversation?
• Order food confidently on holiday?
• Watch Netflix without subtitles?
• Pass an exam?
• Become fluent?

There is no finish line, and without a finish line, your brain has nothing concrete to work towards.

Research in behavioural psychology shows that specific goals increase performance significantly compared to vague intentions. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham’s goal setting theory has consistently demonstrated that clarity and specificity drive action.

“Learning Spanish” is vague. Your brain cannot measure it. So it procrastinates.

We do this all the time.

• “Get fit.”
• “Be healthier.”
• “Grow my business.”
• “Read more.”

They sound productive, but they are foggy, and fog kills momentum.

Foggy goals create stuck people. Clear goals create movement.

Why This Matters

When your goal is unclear, three things happen:

1. You delay starting.
2. You never feel finished.
3. You quietly lose confidence.

You might buy an app. Watch a few videos. Learn some vocabulary. Then life gets busy.

Because there was never a clear target. As James Clear writes, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” If the goal is unclear, the system never forms.

So What Is the Solution?

Instead of saying “learn Spanish,” define what success actually looks like.

For example:

• Have a 10 minute conversation with a native speaker.
• Order a full meal in Spanish without switching to English.
• Complete 30 consecutive days of 15 minute practice sessions.
• Pass the A2 Spanish exam.

Now we have something measurable, and now the brain can work.

A 10 minute conversation is specific. It has a finish line. You either did it or you did not.

That clarity creates urgency and direction.

A clear finish line changes everything.

This Is Where SMART Comes In

You have probably heard of SMART goals:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time bound

“Learn Spanish” fails almost every part of that test.

Let us break it down properly.

Instead of:

“I want to learn Spanish.”

Try:

“I will have a 10 minute conversation in Spanish with a native speaker within 8 weeks.”

Now it is:

• Specific, 10 minute conversation.
• Measurable, either you manage it or you do not.
• Achievable, with focused practice.
• Relevant, if speaking is what you actually care about.
• Time bound, 8 weeks.

That is a real goal.

Other Everyday Examples

This mistake shows up everywhere.

Instead of: “I want to get fit.”

Try: “I will run 5km without stopping by 1st June.”

Instead of: “I want to grow my business.”

Try: “I will secure three new clients in the next 60 days.”

Instead of: “I want to read more.”

Try: “I will finish one book every month for the next three months.”

Notice the difference.

The second version creates behaviour. The first version creates good intentions.

The Consequences of Getting This Wrong

When you keep “learning” as the goal, you stay in preparation mode. You collect resources, research methods, tweak your plan, but you rarely perform.

Over time, that chips away at self trust. You start thinking, “Maybe I am not disciplined.” In reality, the goal was just too vague.

Clarity builds confidence, while vagueness builds frustration.

A Better Way Forward

If Spanish matters to you, ask yourself this simple question: “What would prove to me that I can use Spanish in the real world?”

Then design your goal around that proof.

Maybe it is: “I will book a 10 minute conversation on iTalki and complete it by 30 April.”

Now you are not “learning Spanish.” You are training for a conversation. That changes everything, because progress becomes visible, and visible progress fuels motivation.

As research in motivation science shows, perceived progress is one of the strongest drivers of continued effort.

Small, concrete wins compound.

And before you know it, you are speaking. Not because you aimed to “learn.” But because you aimed to do.

So here is the question for you

Where in your life are you hiding behind a vague goal, and what would it look like to turn it into something real, measurable, and slightly uncomfortable?

Momentum begins the moment the goal becomes concrete.

Let’s build goals that move.