In a world overflowing with opportunities for growth and now with the supportive power of generative AI, access to highly specific tailored learning that fuels personal growth at your own speed is very much available and accessible. For those of us balancing the demands of a full-time job, finding the time to learn can feel daunting, but this commitment to growth is what sets the foundation for more variety in your success, with knowledge becoming part of who you are, staying with you as long as you find ways to apply it.
For the purpose of this post, I will define success as the ability to achieve something you intended and therefore learning how to do something that either leads you to accomplishing some version of what you intended or educates you to change course in your roadmap, taking you around or away from one of lifes many challenges and toward another is success.
Learning isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about future proofing yourself in an ever evolving world. Over my career, which spans more than three decades, I’ve seen my path shift from a linear progression to one that’s dynamic and adaptive a testament to the power of continuous learning.
Early on, I focused on building expertise in Business Analysis, eventually transitioning to Product Owner. This role, deeply rooted in technical experience, gave me the confidence to branch out into areas like Solution Consulting and Digital Marketing. These expansions didn’t come without challenges. Growth often demands stepping away from familiar roles to embrace new skills that elevate your passions and unlock greater opportunities.
For me, that meant at times sacrificing the interpersonal energy I thrive on, dedicating time instead to quiet reflection and decision-making. This deliberate shift was pivotal, it helped me tackle complex problems and unlock innovative solutions, but working isolated from the client reminded me of the limits of functioning within a silo.
Before the pandemic, I transitioned to a Solution Consulting Manager role, where I was fortunate to earn recognition for two consecutive years for helping to negotiate integrations that drove growth and stability. Yet when client interactions paused, I was offered the option to return to an internally facing Product Owner role, leaning on my established skills to navigate a familiar landscape adapting to the circumstances and the value that needed to be released at the time. This journey reinforced an important lesson: staying current with my tool kit can open doors but also keep them open.
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Next ClipGamify Learning: Find Enjoyable and Efficient Ways to Learn
Thanks to microlearning, short targeted bursts of education are available to fill the gaps in your day with valuable insights. Whether through podcasts, five-minute videos, or interactive apps, the flexibility to learn on your terms has never been greater and with milestone badges and hosted certificates we get to game our way to a better version of oursleves.
The key question remains: Is this approach practical for mastering complex skill sets?
In my experience, I’d argue it’s not. While fragmented, bite-sized learning is excellent for reinforcing familiar concepts and building confidence, mastering complex skills requires deeper focus and extended time to build context. For me, it takes a more immersive approach before my brain can connect the dots and have those “aha” moments that come before you level up.
Strategic Learning: Beyond the Goal-Setting Buzz
We’ve all heard it before: “Set a goal.” It’s the rallying cry of every motivational guru, productivity coach, and LinkedIn influencer. But here’s the thing they rarely talk about the strategy you need to actually follow through. And let’s be honest, just picking some content to consume and promising yourself you’ll finish it? That’s not a strategy; it’s a wish.
In my experience (which, fair warning, is the lens for this discussion it’s personal, not prescriptive), learning around work succeeds when you recognize the motives driving your choices. For me, those motives tend to fall into three categories:
- Unblocking or Verifying My Current Path: Sometimes, I need to confirm that the direction I’m heading in professionally is backed by solid understanding. Think of it as stress testing my assumptions.
- Exploring Adjacent Skill Sets: Other times, I dive into topics that connect indirectly to my work. These tend to reveal surprising, cross-functional insights that support my primary focus.
- Escaping for Inspiration: My favorite? Abstract topics that have nothing to do with my day-to-day. They give me mental breathing room and recharge my capacity to tackle tough problems with fresh perspective.
But let’s address the elephant in the room: learning around work isn’t easy. It’s tough, exhausting, and often discouraging. Why? Because your mind is fried after a 9-hour workday, commuting, or supporting family. Finding focus and energy for self driven learning requires remarkable effort, and even then, you may not be operating at your best.
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Next ClipThe Cold Truth About Learning Around Work
Here’s the first reality check: It will take longer than you think, probably way longer. An hour of focus in the morning is worth 3-4 hours at night when you’re burned out. Unless your schedule includes mid-day naps or split shifts, you’re working against a tired brain. Accepting this will save you the frustration of unrealistic expectations.
Cementing Your Learning: The Iterative Dilemma
The second hurdle is that learning isn’t just about understanding; it’s about doing. Practicing what you learn and iterating is the only way to internalize concepts and build lasting skill. But here’s the kicker: that process takes time, too. Combine foundational knowledge, test your applications, and craft something tangible from your training then repeat.
To really level up a skill, I’ve found it takes a full two years after intensive training to truly “own” it. That’s two years of revisiting concepts, applying them, and refining your approach before you can deploy those skills with consistent, standout efficiency. Sure, it’s slower than we’d like, but this journey isn’t about shortcuts; because the only person getting shorted would me you.
Embrace the Marathon
So, is learning around work worth it? Absolutely. But you need to pace yourself, celebrate small wins, and remember that progress, however slow, is still progress. This really isn’t a sprint although it helps to break learning into short time boxed events, once you are in the flow it never ends, every step, most of which are small, gets you closer to the next starting line so finding a way to enjoy it was my first big learning success. Making sure to occasionally step back, breathe, and remind yourself that you are doing this because if you don't you are being formed by what other people think is important for your life. After all, even the hardest climb is worth it when the view at the top is this good, or whatever it is you tell yourself to keep yourself going.
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Next ClipThree Principles for Learning Around Work
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✅ Explore Before Investing
If resources are tight, avoid committing to expensive courses upfront. Instead:
- Start with free or affordable resources like audiobooks, videos, and public libraries.
- Break subjects into manageable chunks to understand their footprint before diving into formal programs.
- Reflect deeply on the relevance of the subject within your broader goals.
- Identify knowledge dependencies to align learning with your holistic perspective.
Continuous learning is deeply personal, starting with your motivation to learn. Early stages of any topic are often entertaining and engaging. However, as you advance, fundamental skills must be well practiced so you can start to struggle with more complex material and if you are not struggling, you are likely just memorizing, and you don't want to know how quickly that can become less vivid when not used immediately. This is where growth happens recognizing patterns and exploring new possibilities.
Manage Expectations
There were times when I wanted to accelerate my learning, imagining that speed would bring immediate respect or expertise. But I learned that rushing often leads to anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion especially when balancing work and study.
If you’re learning around a full-time job, time and money are probably limited. Paying for an intensive program can add unnecessary pressure, detracting from the joy and effectiveness of learning. Instead, focus on steady, incremental progress.
Embrace Iteration
Accept from the start that mastery requires repetition. If a skill or knowledge base is valuable, you’ll revisit it many times. So, take the first pass slowly gauge its footprint, validate its relevance, and build a foundation. This deliberate pace gives you a head start should you decide to pursue formal accreditation later.
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Next Clip✅ Focus on Consistency, Not Speed
Early in my learning journey, I struggled to match the pace of my thoughts with the material I was trying to absorb it was like attempting to leap onto a spinning carousel. I vividly remember sitting on the New Jersey Coastline train to Manhattan, listening to audiobooks. Every distraction could knock my focus, a flash outside the window, a passing thought might break my concentration. I’d rewind the same section a dozen times, frustration mounting as exhaustion made it harder to focus.
The breakthrough came when I realized that learning wasn’t about cramming. Progress happens through steady, incremental effort, practiced daily over time. By treating learning as a sustainable habit, I turned it into something manageable and rewarding. Occasionally, clarity strikes, and it feels like every mental traffic light turns green, those are the moments when focus intensifies, and progress accelerates. Tools like fitness trackers are now even exploring how to pinpoint mental peaks for optimized focus. While I’ll be experimenting with such tools out of curiosity, the fundamentals remain the same: slow down, stay consistent, and learn something no matter how small every day.
To make this sustainable:
- Incorporate bite-sized learning into your daily routine.
- Shift your mindset, learning should be enjoyable, not a burden. (But be mindful: consuming reduced learning content isn’t the same as passive entertainment.)
Two decades later, I face a different challenge. Traditional entertainment has lost its appeal; TV feels repetitive, uninspired, and formulaic. Instead, I’ve turned to taking classes as my form of entertainment. What began as a way to stay engaged has unexpectedly led to cultivating hobbies, something I once struggled to sustain.
✅ Pay for Quality, Not Quantity
Paying for educational content can boost motivation by adding perceived value, but it’s essential to do so thoughtfully:
- I avoid purchasing large bundles of courses or materials.
- I focus on completing manageable sections and re-evaluating my roadmap as I progress.
This might seem counterintuitive to the idea of starting with free or low-cost resources, but it’s not. While you don’t need to invest heavily upfront, paying something even a modest amount for well presented content can significantly increase the likelihood of completing it and realizing its value.
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Back to First ClipWhy Subscriptions Often Fall Short:
Many educational platforms promote annual subscriptions, aiming to appeal to corporate sponsors or individuals who believe that “more is better.” However, I’ve found that I complete less content on subscription plans. Having unlimited access means you can learn anything at any time, which for me lead to procrastination. Judging from my losses in the stock market from Udemy, Fiverr and Skilz I am not the only one that started to realize that buying content subscriptions is different to realizing value from courses.
In contrast, buying courses individually even at a higher total cost keeps me accountable. I usually wait for sales, like those on Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve, to purchase what I need. While I might spend more over time than if I had bought a bundle, I complete what I buy, which ultimately makes the investment worthwhile.
This approach might not work for everyone perhaps it’s a challenge unique to me but I found that paying selectively for quality content made a noticeable difference. Of course, there are exceptions. For me, MasterClass.com was one of them. While it’s an intense experience, I’d categorize it more as edu-tainment a blend of education and entertainment that feels engaging and inspiring rather than purely instructional, I consumed three years of subscription to this service and often rewatched content.
Conclusion: Your Roadmap to Lifelong Learning While Working Full-Time
In a world that demands continuous adaptation balancing full-time work and learning is a requirement of staying relevant but mastery doesn’t happen overnight. Real growth requires patience, iteration, and an acceptance that learning is not a sprint, although you can technically do it as an agile sprint. Progress may feel slow, but every step moves you forward.
As someone who’s spent years balancing work and learning, I’ve learned to gamify the process, savor the small wins, and approach education as both a challenge and a source of joy. The journey doesn’t end it evolves, offering new starting lines and fresh perspectives at every turn.
So, pace yourself, celebrate your progress, and remember why you started. Lifelong learning is a mindset, one that transforms who you are and prepares you for what comes next.