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How to find time to learn after work (2017)

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Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#21

Post by TheFragenTaken »

Ugh. Posts like this are well meaning, but destructive. Why would you learn after work? Why do you strive towards something? Why is it important to learn, and constantly evolve? Are you really just doing it, because everyone else are, and you feel like you _have_ to?

It's poisonous, because you end up blaming yourself because you are not living up to constantly changing external demands.

It's okay to say no to what challenges your well-being. Otherwise you'd be at risk of losing your own autonomy. Accept your limitations, cherish them, and know you don't have to (or even can) change them.

I'm not saying you should say no to everything, but not everything is necessary.

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#23

Post by xattt »

Decabytes wrote: post #16

I’ve found that if I really want to learn something, I just get up an hour early, makes some coffee/tea and get to it. It’s the only thing I can control with any certainty. The quiet time while everyone is asleep provides a distraction free environment. I also like giving my most productive/energetic time to my own projects/learning, as opposed to work, but that is just me. After work time is for dinner, family, and…

Waking up early works but only if your kids don't have a variable time range, say 5:30 - 7:00, when they get up :)

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#24

Post by dlisboa »

Companies should devote actual work time for studying, because relying on personal time is not just unethical, but inefficient. It's way cheaper to pay people to study in-house than paying for outside training or bootcamps.

Not everyone can (or want) to study this way, but devoted focused time give you far more benefits than one hour a day randomly whenever you can squeeze it. You can read most books (even technical ones) in under 8 hours, that's a single work day's worth. It's very likely your employees are wasting more than that over a two-week period on other things.

That requires someone who's driven to learn, who would appreciate this time for what it is (it's not vacation), but would foster an environment where people were constantly trying to improve themselves and apply those things to the work (because that's the best way to learn).

I study like crazy on my off time, mainly because I love learning, but it's definitely bordering on unpaid labor since I get all the best ideas after hours.

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#25

Post by bluedino »

Decabytes wrote: post #16

I’ve found that if I really want to learn something, I just get up an hour early, makes some coffee/tea and get to it. It’s the only thing I can control with any certainty. The quiet time while everyone is asleep provides a distraction free environment. I also like giving my most productive/energetic time to my own projects/learning, as opposed to work, but that is just me. After work time is for dinner, family, and…

>> I just get up an hour early, makes some coffee/tea and get to it.

This works well for me for getting a headstart on the workday, but I can't seem to "learn" anything in either the first hour or so in the morning, or the last hour or so before I go to bed.

Plus, with the latter, if it's anything interesting, it keeps me up at night.

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#26

Post by cheschire »

Decabytes wrote: post #16

I’ve found that if I really want to learn something, I just get up an hour early, makes some coffee/tea and get to it. It’s the only thing I can control with any certainty. The quiet time while everyone is asleep provides a distraction free environment. I also like giving my most productive/energetic time to my own projects/learning, as opposed to work, but that is just me. After work time is for dinner, family, and…

I learned a similar concept in a drivers ed course many moons ago. The only space around your car that you have any control is in front of you. Granted you don't have complete control, but your decisions do impact how close people are to your front more often than the other sides.

And what you're describing for time management is similar. You have influence over how much space you leave between you and the things in front of you on your calendar, but you'll never have much control over the end of the day, and how exhausted the final events of the day end up making you feel.

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#27

Post by Nitant »

emerongi wrote: post #6
presentinmoment wrote: post #2

I prefer to be present in the moment. I'm slowly leaving my phone behind and just trying to be present. Actually experience reality and not get my brain busy all the time. Because of that I'd say, just don't try to be productive at all times. That "downtime" you're trying to cram another podcast into is actually necessary.

This is my most important lesson in the past few years. There is value in _not_ learning, building, doing all the time. I like to work and study, but doing either of it for more than 8hrs is not sustainable for me. I expect to be writing the modern-day equivalent of Fortran when I'm 60. All the young bucks will look down on me for not advancing in my career, but I think I'll be happy. That's all I need. Everyone has…

>Don't try to be Carmack if you're not and you can still live a fulfilling life :).

Thanks, I needed this.

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#29

Post by Cthulhu_ »

dlisboa wrote: post #24

Companies should devote actual work time for studying, because relying on personal time is not just unethical, but inefficient. It's way cheaper to pay people to study in-house than paying for outside training or bootcamps. Not everyone can (or want) to study this way, but devoted focused time give you far more benefits than one hour a day randomly whenever you can squeeze it. You can read most books (even technical…

> Companies should devote actual work time for studying

I like to think that IT workers learn on the job all the time, although usually only relevant to the current task at hand. But, I've always browsed sites like HN during work hours (instead of going outside to smoke for example), possibly too much, and consider it to be self-study.

It's resulted in me knowing a little about a lot of things, I don't know if it translates to actual skills or career advancement but at least it makes me feel smart. ish.

Re: How to find time to learn after work (2017)

#30

Post by zemvpferreira »

dlisboa wrote: post #24

Companies should devote actual work time for studying, because relying on personal time is not just unethical, but inefficient. It's way cheaper to pay people to study in-house than paying for outside training or bootcamps. Not everyone can (or want) to study this way, but devoted focused time give you far more benefits than one hour a day randomly whenever you can squeeze it. You can read most books (even technical…

I'm with you and if you employ good people this naturally happens when they're not pushed to the limit for a period of time. If your team is at 70% capacity for a month, a number of them will take the downtime to learn.
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