Maximize Your Time: Strategies for Continuous Learning in a Busy Schedule
The IT world is constantly changing, and it has become necessary to obtain new skills and improve the ones we already have to stay relevant in the industry. However, finding time for training in our super hectic professional lives gets more challenging as we take on more responsibilities within our projects and departments and face high peaks of workload at the end of each sprint.
This article intends to provide you with some tips and tricks on how to make space in your calendar for learning so that, next time you tell yourself "I'll study tomorrow," you may take the following pieces of advice into consideration:
Find the Little Minutes
Remember that all learning is forward progress. Author Mattias Anderson states that "learning is not an all-or-nothing process." We should understand that any small amount of learning moves us forward. If you think about it, little minutes pass by while standing in line at the grocery store, during your daily commutes, and even while waiting for your turn at the dentist. Why not take advantage of those small spaces to continue listening to a podcast, reading a blog, or finishing the next section of that Udemy course you've been trying to complete for months? According to Julie Wedgwood, even 15 minutes of training a day can make a difference in the long term. If you do the math, 15 minutes a day equals 75 minutes a week or up to 50 hours a year (considering business days only).
Combine Courses and Skills
If you are the type of person who gets bored easily, try moving from one course to another or even from one skill to another (perhaps from a technical skill to a soft skill and back). Taking a pause to resume a different course is definitely better than losing motivation and not progressing any further in your training at all. Editor Lindsey Ellefson calls this study strategy "interleaving" and claims that studying two topics at once (or more, depending on your capacity) can help students "retain information by making connections between subjects." So, next time you find yourself yawning while doing a course, don't give up! Just move to a different course.
Identify Your Learning Style
Learning styles refer to a range of theories that aim to explain the differences in individuals' learning processes. Some of the most popular styles include visual, logical-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, auditory, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.
The University of the West of Scotland states on its website that "understanding your learning style is not intended to restrict you, but to empower you in becoming a more efficient learner." Think about how much time you can save by studying through methods that make learning easier and more fun for you. If you feel you are investing too much time in training and not learning much, you may be using resources that are not aligned with your learning style. Take a free quiz to get to know how you learn best: Learning Style Quiz . For strategies on how you can study according to your learning style, check out this paper from the University of Florida: Study Strategies by Learning Styles.
Divide Your Learning Time into Smaller Bits
Leaving some time between your study sessions can help you process information better. Anderson explains that it is beneficial to break apart your learning hours into "smaller separated bits." Have you ever tried to absorb a lot of information in one single study session? Although it might work for some learners, it can be overwhelming and exhausting to such an extent that you may want to quit your training before finishing, or you may start disliking the topic you were passionate about at first. In conclusion, don't feel bad if your study sessions are short. You will get there if you are consistent and disciplined.
Keep Your Learning Environment Ready All the Time
If you have limited time to learn, you need to make learning as easy as possible to get started. Author Scott H. Young describes this good practice as "frictionless learning." Let's be honest, if every time you want to train, it takes you twenty minutes to start your computer and set up everything you need, you are less likely to feel motivated and will end up spending more time getting everything ready rather than using that time for training.
According to Young, some ways you can make learning frictionless are:
a) Having materials on you at all times. This includes installing your favorite training app (Udemy, perhaps?) on your phone to downloading reading materials in advance.
b) Setting up your working area so starting is instantaneous. Keeping your window with that pending hands-on project open is certainly a good idea if you want to learn faster. The same applies to those practice test questions you have been trying to complete to get certified. If you are the type of person who needs a cup of coffee while studying, you might want to keep the coffee maker as close as possible.
All in all, finding time for training should ideally be a matter of motivation and not so much of obligation. Of course, we will always need to learn new things because our work requires it, but it is certainly our responsibility as professionals to find those little things that light the spark of learning in ourselves.