Overcoming Obstacle One of the most challenging obstacles I have had to overcome was learning a second language. To be successful I established two specific few goals to help guide me in the right direction. First, and I feel the most important goal, was to speak the language at all times. The second goal I made was to read the language whenever possible. Speaking the language was the most important goal to me because the act of speaking words helped ingrain those words and their definitions into memory. I always carried a dictionary/translator with me so I could look up words I did not know. In the beginning, not having a proper core knowledge of the language made this goal extremely difficult. As time progressed, however, I realized that it was becoming easier and easier to not only speak, but I required less time to think of what I was trying to say. Reading the language was another important goal to help me learn a second language. Reading the language was very helpful for increasing my vocabulary. I would always read out loud while working on this goal, which in turn also helped me achieve the first goal, as well. As I did with speaking the language, I kept a dictionary close by as to look up the words I did not know. Again as time went on, I noticed that the frequency of having to look up words began to decrease. Having to learn a second language is a difficult task to accomplish. The setting of goals was crucial to the success of my accomplishment. Had I not made goals I probably would not have learned a second language, at least, not the degree that I now