How do I find the time to learn with everything else going on?

Some people are very organized. They plan out their days and set aside time for work, exercise, personal time, and other activities/responsibilities. Others are not as organized and do their best to make it through each day with at least some sort of progress. Many fall in between, and regardless of how hard they try, they will still have those days where they fall short.

One of the activities or responsibilities that rarely gets the love it deserves is continuous education (we will also refer to this as learning or personal growth). When work, family, hobbies, or other important responsibilities exist they usually take precedence over learning. Not only is it challenging to set aside time for learning, but many of us stop short when it becomes difficult to decide what to learn and where to learn it. Gaining new skills or understanding more about specific topics is great when they are applicable in some way (i.e. vying for a promotion at work, getting a new job, or finding a more fulfilling career to pursue) but when they aren’t applicable (think about some of those general college courses you paid thousands of dollars for) it can be frustrating. On the other hand, when you make the right choices about your education the process of learning and discovery can be extremely rewarding.

So, why don’t more people do it?

Well, it seems like there are a few reasons why.

• The benefits of learning are not always immediate

It takes time to learn and even more time to learn something well. When that is the case and there is not a clear end goal in sight it can be challenging to stay motivated.

• It takes consistent effort

Just like exercise, you can’t spend one day a week or one day a month doing it and see meaningful results. Consistency is extremely important.

• We struggle to give ourselves permission to learn

This usually occurs because we think learning is not as important as the other tasks or responsibilities that compete for our time. Here is a great article that lays out various reasons why continuous learning is important. Why are we sharing it?

To convince you to give yourself permission to learn!

7 Reasons Why Continuous Learning is Important

With 2021 around the corner a lot of people are setting goals. Here are a few tips that you can apply in your goal setting or frankly, at any time. It is never too late to prioritize learning! In fact, I believe if you aren’t prioritizing it you should do so now. After enduring an unusual year (2020) it has become even more apparent that having the right education, and therefore, knowledge, is invaluable.

1. Determine ahead of time why you want to learn (find a new job, promotion at work, find a new hobby, etc)
2. Set a goal for when you want to accomplish your “why”
3. Focus on topics and subjects that align with your “why”
4. Give yourself permission to learn

Here is an example:

• I want to get a promotion at work and start leading a team of people. This will not only be the next step in my career but it will also come with a pay raise.
• I want it to happen by the end of 2021 (in the next 12 months).
• I will spend at least 30 minutes a day learning about leadership from various online courses and talking to managers at my current company or through connections on LinkedIn.
• I will write this down and keep it in a place where I can see it regularly — if it is not on my mind often then I will become distracted from my end goal.

Does it seem simple? Yes, it does.

Will it help you actually make progress? Definitely!

Finding time to learn is a personal decision and, at the end of the day, it is up to you to decide whether or not you will choose to do it. There are obvious benefits, but they most likely won’t be immediate. For the record, there are a lot of things in life take time, especially meaningful things!

Edifi was founded to help learners of all ages find the time to learn something meaningful. Through personalized educational advice you can learn the right thing, from the right place, and do it in the way that is best for you.

Interested in learning more about edifi? Check us out here.