Balancing study and work

Ongoing learning and development is an important way to remain relevant in a changing business landscape, keep skills fresh and support career progression.

During the course of my career I studied degree specialisations and many courses and programs to help me amplify my most valuable skills and develop new skills that would support me to expand my value offering.

It wasn’t easy. I had to do all of it in my personal time which, given the heavy workloads I experienced in my career, I rarely had enough of as it was.

I know what it’s like to have the best intentions and sign up to study a course or program and then for it to feel like life can’t accomodate it. There’s not enough free time. There’s too much pressure already. All the valid reasons and the excuses. 

I also know that we can often start something full of motivation and excitement and lose momentum mid-way through.  We kid ourselves that we can skip a week here or there and catch up under pressure later, but the reality is this creates more overwhelm and anxiety that we don’t need. 

That’s why I want to share some of the tips that helped me to prioritise the learning I signed up for, even when life was busy and the pressure was on. 

Your why

Staying connected to our purpose helps us to maintain momentum or stick to our commitments when what’d prefer to do is skip the work.

Ask yourself:

• Why did you sign up for the learning and development?

• What motivated you to make the time, energy and money investment in the first place?

• What is the change you want to see in your life or career?

Do some soul searching so you can stay connected to the commitment you’ve made and keep your focus on the outcomes and the end game. The change you wanted to see in how you perform or how you feel.

Coming back to this on the hard days goes a long way to regaining motivation and commitment when it begins to waver.

Accountability

Having an accountability system is an excellent way to maintain momentum. 

There are many different ways to do this - ask a friend to be your accountability buddy, join an accountability group or even a platform where you co-work in silence with a stranger virtually for a set period of time and declare your progress at the end of the session. 

When we have someone checking in on our progress it becomes a lot harder to make the excuses and not prioritise what we’re working towards. 

Schedule and focus

Life isn’t going to become less busy in a few days, a few weeks or a few months so to ensure success we need to plan. 

Plan the time blocks where you’ll study and protect those windows in your life. 

If you can, make it the same time every week or every day so it becomes routine and habitual. 

If you don’t have solid, big blocks of time you can set aside just break it down into smaller chunks and chip away at it regularly. 

Plan around your natural energy (are you a morning or night person) to ensure your focus and concentration is at it’s peak when you intend to study. 

Set a strict time limit that you’ll immerse yourself in the work in and don’t stop until the allocated time is up. Using an hourglass or egg timer is a great way to avoid being sucked into an instagram hole when you pick up the phone to check how long you have to go. 

Use binaural beat music to help you focus, put the phone onto focus mode and silence laptop notifications to avoid disruptions. 

Give yourself the best chance you can of being fully present for the window you’ve set aside.

Time leaks

Time is the most precious commodity there is but it’s also the one we waste the most.

Time is like money - we have a budget and we need to spend it wisely.

Get honest with yourself about where your time leaks are. 

How many hours are you wasting on social media, news scrolling or Netflix every day or week? 

Are you de-prioritising what you want most for whatever is easy right now? 

When we take a critical eye to how our time is being spent we can usually find extra time we didn’t realise we were wasting with activities or pursuits that aren’t serving us.

Communicate

Making the commitment to work on yourself is a big deal, and this may mean you can’t be as available to others they might like. Having the support and understanding of others is important for your success. 

Let those closest to you know that for a period in time you need to prioritise your learning and development. It’s also helpful to tell your manager what you’re working on and share what you need to be able to dedicate time to your studies. If your studies are relevant to your current career or role don’t forget to share the benefits they and the organisation will experience from your learning. 

Prioritising you

We wear many hats in this life and have responsibilities and obligations to others that we often prioritise over our own needs.

This is the fast track to losing our sense of self, a lack of fulfilment and dissatisfaction.

Remember your long game. 

What it is you want most in your life and your career? Honour that. See your development as supporting that goal.

When life is busy and it feels hard to make space for something that will consume more time and mental energy, don’t give up. Take as many smaller steps as you can to ensure you’re still inching forward in the direction you want to travel in.

I hope these tips help keep you motivated and stay on track.

Remember, the pressure and challenge of fitting in study alongside work is temporary.

Development and further education sets you up for success forever.

It’s worth the effort, and so are you.