Nov 4

Japanese Learning Enemy #4: The Friction Goblin

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Dan Lowe is the founder of Boston Intercultural Consulting, LLC, including its Japanese learning arm, japanesecircle.com. The following is part of a five-part series covering the “Big Five Common Enemies” Japanese language learners must confront to maximize their Japanese learning effectiveness: 

1. The Passive Kraken(受け身クラーケン)
2. The Binge Beast(ドカ食いビースト)
3. The Isolation Ghost（孤独ゴースト)
4. The Friction Goblin（摩擦ゴブリン)
5. The Slow-Mo Swamp（スローモー沼).

Introducing the Goblin

Together, we’ve escaped the Passive Kraken, resisted the Binge Beast, and busted the Isolation Ghost. The next monster waiting to derail your Japanese is the Friction Goblin. This sneaky creature hides your tools, adds tiny hassles, and makes starting feel like slogging through knee‑deep mud. Every second you waste choosing a review deck, selecting a JLPT book from your stack, or deciding which shiny new grammar app to use fuels the Goblin.

photo credit: Vikram Singh@unsplash.com

My Run‑In With the Friction Goblin

In early 2019, my Japanese habit hit a wall. I’d open my laptop only to find 10 tabs open with various Japanese resources and study tools. My Anki deck alone had 12 different decks running. 

By the time I was “ready,” my motivation had evaporated, and I’d convince myself to tackle one task at a time. While that strategy sounds responsible, I felt distracted and overwhelmed by what awaited at the end of each task. 

Even with the best of intentions, I had chased too many shiny objects. These little points of friction piled up until my study effectiveness approached near zero.

Psychologists liken this resistance to activation energy: a burst of mental effort is required to start a task. Neuroscientists find that complex, deliberate tasks engage our prefrontal cortex (System 2 thinking), requiring more energy, while automatic habits rely on the basal ganglia (System 1) and feel effortless.

In other words, it isn’t Japanese that’s exhausting: it’s the mental “startup” cost of hunting for materials and making choices.

Spotting the Friction Goblin

• Symptom #1: “Where is that deck again?” You waste time locating your flashcards, app, or notebook every session.
• Symptom #2: Decision fatigue. You keep switching between different resources (“Should I watch a video or review grammar?”), and end up doing nothing.
• Symptom #3: Stalled starts. You tell yourself you’ll study later because prepping feels like more work than learning itself.

Why the Goblin Wins

Humans have a natural status quo bias. We prefer inaction because it requires less energy. When the default option is to do nothing, we tend to stick with it.

Starting a study session means pushing against that inertia and every bit of friction. Opening multiple tabs, hunting for the right lesson raises the “activation energy” required to begin.

Implementation‑intention research shows that forming if‑then plans (“If it’s 9 AM, I open my Japanese doc”) links a cue to an action, making the behavior more automatic. In short, the Friction Goblin feeds on unspecific plans and cluttered environments.

How to Defeat the Friction Goblin: Make the Right Thing the Easy Thing

1. One‑Tap Start. Put everything you need in a single folder or bookmark called “Start Here.” When it’s study time, there should be zero hunting -> open the folder and go. Pro tip: Most browsers’ bookmark tabs have an “open all” option or shortcut.
2. Create a Japanese “kit.” Keep your flashcards, notebook, pens, and headphones in a dedicated pouch or bag. The kit should live wherever you usually study: on your desk, in your bag, or on your nightstand.
3. Use If‑Then Triggers. Write one or two if‑then statements that link your study to an existing routine: “If I finish breakfast, then I open my flashcard deck.” These implementation intentions have been shown to close the gap between intention and action by making the cue highly accessible.
4. Two-Minute Rule. When you’re tired, commit to just two minutes of study. Often, the most challenging part is starting; once you begin, momentum carries you forward. That said, I’ve fallen into the trap of lying to myself. If after 2 minutes the momentum isn’t there, move on to something easier to build momentum, then make another 2-minute promise.

Mini‑Quest: Today’s Challenge

1. Assemble your Japanese kit and create a “Start Here” bookmark/folder with tomorrow’s lesson.
2. Write one if‑then plan (e.g., “If I brush my teeth tonight, then I will practice five kanji”).
3. For your next session, open your kit and begin immediately. No additional clicks allowed.
4. We can do anything, but we can’t do everything. Commit to 1-3 resources at a time. 
5. Consider adding japanesecircle.com to these bookmarks, as it pairs well with other resources and helps build momentum.

That’s it! We have just one more enemy to tackle in our next and final post of the series: The Slow-Mo Swamp