I’ve been debating about quitting one part of my language learning routine. My current routine is quite stable with things that I do daily (reading, listening and apps), things I do several times a week (workbook exercises and writing) and things I do weekly (a variety of online Greek learning groups). But … I’m not sure if one activity is working for me anymore.

I’ve had no hesitation stopping other parts of my learning process in the past. I mean, Peppa the Pig videos in Greek were a huge help to me as an early beginner, but there’s other Greek language content that I’d rather watch now.

So what’s the problem with stopping this particular activity?

I think there are three factors at play.

1. I’ve invested a lot of time in the activity.
2. Sometimes it is helpful.
3. There is a sense of community with the activity – even if it is only to complain about it.

Are these reasons good enough to keep doing the activity?

A time investment is definitely not a good reason to continue. In fact, there’s even the “Sunk Cost Fallacy,” which says that people falsely use the idea of “sunk cost” to keep doing something. What is sunk cost? It is time or money that was spent in the pursuit of the activity. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the activity, so it feels harder to quit. In reality, if I don’t do the activity tomorrow I will still keep the benefit of the past learning. I won’t have lost anything by stopping.

On the other hand, occasionally the activity introduces new words or phrases that are useful. It is also a quick method of review. But, does the irritation caused by the activity outweigh the benefit? I’m not sure at this point. Perhaps I could achieve the same results with something I enjoy more.

As for the last reason, I have plenty of community through a variety of Greek learning groups.

So is the second reason enough to continue? Does the usefulness of the activity outweigh the downsides? Can I find a replacement activity or do I even need to find one? These are the questions I am considering.

Have you ever quit an activity that stopped working for you? Leave a comment below!