You know the value of education, and it could be your lack of education that is holding you back from growing your business and getting the career that you want. As an adult, you have lots of options to extend your knowledge base and further your education, but it can be difficult to find the time to take those additional classes and do well with them.
If that’s your struggle, and you’re not sure how you’re going to be able to make time for further education, then we have a few suggestions for you. Keep reading to find out what you can do to clear your schedule and make time to get the additional education you want.
Cut Back on Entertainment and Time Wasted
Where most of us lose our extra time is in what we choose to do with our free time at home. How do you spend your off hours? Are you being productive or are you wasting time watching TV, going to the movies, playing video games, or spending time on your phone?
Most people spend about three hours a day watching television alone, not to mention the amount of time they spend on their phone scrolling through social media and simply wasting time. Imagine what you could do with that time if you put some or all of it toward gaining an education.
If you are thinking about going for an online education, you can put in the hours for those classes whenever you like, in most cases. That means you could find time throughout your day and throughout your week where you’re not doing anything important and use that time to focus on taking online classes, completing quizzes, turning in assignments, and studying. Why not take the time you spend on social media and watching television to get your education? If you can be motivated and disciplined enough to do that, you could earn an education quickly.
Clear Non-Essential Tasks
What are some tasks you do throughout the day and the week that you don’t have to do? Maybe there are some tasks that you could give to someone else and assign responsibility away from yourself. Perhaps there are some tasks you could do without or that you could limit to doing fewer times per month.
If you spend a lot of time cleaning your house, consider professional cleaning, like San Antonio balcony cleaning or deep cleaning for your home. That would take a lot of work away from you and give you more time to focus on gaining an education. Maybe you spend a lot of time landscaping and cutting the grass. If you were to hire someone to do those tasks, that would free up at least a few hours a week for you to work on your studies.
Do you spend a lot of time answering emails, filling out paperwork, and making phone calls? If these are tasks that could be assigned to a secretary or personal assistant, then consider hiring someone for that position. Imagine how many more hours per week you would have if you didn’t have to do all these menial tasks that really don’t require your personal skills and expertise.
Take It One Step at a Time
It can be a little intimidating to look at all the hours you have to put into studying and the coursework you need to do, especially if you have a fairly busy schedule. Try not to look at the big picture if it scares you. Instead, focus on doing smaller tasks and getting through your education step by step.
Think about how long it would take to do a single course or even one online session. Taking it little by little can be much easier on you and make you feel less pressure. It may take a lot of work to complete your education and achieve the goals that you’re aiming for, but if you break it down into small parts and focus on those parts instead, you may be more likely to start moving towards your goal. Many people fail to even take that first step because they feel overwhelmed by all they have to do. Don’t let that hold you back if you really want to further your education.
Share Responsibility
There are some responsibilities that you can give to other people or hire people to take care of, and then there are some that you need to do yourself. Think about responsibilities that take up a lot of time like raising children. You can handle your responsibilities but share some of the workload, if you want to achieve your education goals.
What’s holding you back from putting in the time to get your education? The answer may be different for many people. Let’s look at one possibility, which is raising children. Obviously, your children need you to be a part of their life and will value your contribution to their childhood. However, you may need to make some sacrifices as you take a few months or years to earn an education.
Talk to your spouse or partner and find out if they would be willing to take on some extra child-rearing responsibilities while you pursue an education. As you propose this to them, think of ways that you can pay them back and show your appreciation. Talk about the benefits of you earning an education and how it can help you move forward in your career and earn more money that will be to everyone’s advantage. If you can present a reasonable case and show responsibility for what you’re trying to do, your spouse may be on board.
These are a few ways you can make extra room in your schedule and find time to extend your education. Your challenges are going to be unique to you, but we hope the information in this article has been helpful for you. If getting an education is really what you want to do, consider using the methods prescribed above to help make some extra time to do that.
