Cognitive research has yielded many insights about what effective learning should look like. My own research has often focused on “desirably difficult” strategies such as spaced and interleaved retrieval practice. But these studies also show a marked discrepancy between empirical evidence and learners’ own beliefs. This gives rise to a more troubling question: How can we get students to engage these strategies? In recent years, my focus has expanded to understanding the metacognitive and motivational barriers to effective self-regulated learning. I will synthesize findings across experimental, survey, and focus group research that expands how we think about enhancing self-regulated learning, and discuss the implications for both researchers and instructors.