How to Make Time for Learning and Growth?

There was a time when I believed personal growth meant signing up for structured courses, setting aside focused learning hours, and maintaining a beautifully organized planner. That was before 'THE' real life happened—before I became a mother and ran a household, all with a full-time job. Now, personal development happens in the spaces between deadlines, meal preps, and toddler tantrums.

If you're a working mom in a nuclear family, you know the struggle. Work-life balance isn’t a neat equation—it’s like juggling where you constantly feel like you’re about to drop the ball.

But here’s the good news: personal growth doesn’t require extra hours in the day. It just requires consistency.

I didn’t fully understand this until recently, when I stumbled upon an old journal from three years ago. In it, I had written about my learning goals—the courses I wanted to complete, the skills I wanted to develop, and the books I aimed to read within a year. Spoiler alert: I took seven extra months to achieve those goals.

Was I disappointed? Not at all. I was actually proud—because despite the delays, I got there. What remained constant during all that time was my commitment to small, consistent efforts.

And that’s when I realized: the timeline doesn’t matter. What matters is that you keep going.

So, how do you make time for learning when life is already overflowing? Here’s what has worked for me.

1. Try Microlearning: Because an Hour is a Luxury

Who has an hour for self-improvement? Not me. Instead, I grab learning in bite-sized pieces.

Gone are the days when I could sit down with a book for an hour. Now, I take what I get. Five minutes while waiting for a meeting to start? That’s enough for a LinkedIn post or a quick read of the latest news. Brushing my teeth? That’s two minutes of a podcast. Cooking? That’s when I absorb audiobooks like Atomic Habits (ironically, while burning my own).

Key realization? You don’t need hours to grow. You just need pockets of time—and the right mindset.

2. Redefine "Me Time" (Because Bubble Baths Are a Myth)

People say self-care means relaxing with a book and a cup of coffee. If that’s your reality, congratulations! For me, “me time” means watching a TED Talk while chopping vegetables or reflecting on a interesting podcast while putting my child to bed. The trick is to weave learning into your daily routine.

3. Set Boundaries (Or at Least Try To)

Blurred boundaries are the bane of every working mom’s existence. It’s hard to focus on an article when your kid is screaming for a snack right now. I’ve learned (the hard way) that I need to schedule learning time like I schedule meetings. A 30-minute online course during my lunch break? Non-negotiable. A book before bed? Fine, two pages. If I don’t guard my time, everything else takes over.

4. Build a Support System (Even If It’s Small)

For a really long time, I tried doing it all—until I realized that “doing it all” really just means doing it all yourself. Now, I shamelessly outsource what I can. My partner takes over dinner duty some nights (like today, while I am typing this), and on weekends, we sometimes swap—I get an 40 minutes of uninterrupted learning while he wrestles with our child. It’s not perfect, but it surely helps.

5. Perfection is Overrated, Ditch It (Let's Be Real)

There are days when I have grand plans to upskill and learn, and then there are days when just making it through work and bedtime is an achievement. And that’s okay. Some weeks, I finish a course. Other weeks, my biggest professional growth is managing my patience when my child asks 'what is this' for the 500th time.

6. Apply What You Learn in Real Time

You don’t always need formal learning. Managing a household teaches time management, delegation, and problem-solving. Instead of worrying about courses, look at how you can apply what you learn daily—whether it’s improving communication with your child or handling work challenges with more patience.

Learning and Growth is a Mindset, Neither a Task, Nor a Slot

That journal reminded me of something important: achieving your goals isn’t about how fast you get there—it’s about staying on the track. Seven extra months didn’t make my growth any less valuable. What mattered was that I kept going, one small step at a time.

So, to my fellow working parents—how do you make time for learning? Let’s share survival strategies in the comments!

Vaishnavi Prasad J R Riya Jacob Chandra Mouli Ejje Rohan Katagi Shanti Sharma ICF PCC / EMCC Sr. Practitioner / Mentor Coach Nandini Sharma Pawan Sharma