Planning and discipline are needed to carve out learning time amongst my daily chores. I schedule 30-minute blocks of time throughout the day — usually during quieter times, such as early morning or before meetings begin. They never made study time; it feels like an interruption. Whether I'm just trying to stay up-to-date on the state of the industry, looking at what's new in tech, or educating myself on what new things AI can do, I aim for easier-to-digest forms that can be quickly consumed in small bursts. I also use my commute to learn. As I travel a lot between meetings, I listen to podcasts or read AI-, business-strategy- and leadership-focused audiobooks. For me, it allows me to keep learning while not tearing myself away from work or personal time. Love it for its convenience and efficiency, using every minute that would otherwise be lost. And I've established distinct goals with each study session that I host, like understanding more about AI or refining operations at Angel City Limo. This framework helps keep me motivated and ensures I'm not just learning for the sake of information but for applying it.
The only option that ive found to be the most effective way to incorporate study into my day so far is to approach studying as a priority like studying is a priority. I do not safely fit learning in between other things; rather, I have a special block on the calendar to give my full attention when I do. I make it non-negotiable by making it part of my routine to assure myself that I will not be off track. I have found that I always prefer to begin with most important material in order to get the hard material out of the way and have a sense of accomplishment. It is important to be flexible in those days when everything is so hectic. I do not feel overwhelmed by studying longer periods of time. Instead, I split my time into smaller portions. This keeps me going and does not allow me to feel scorched or that study is felt as a chore.
Turning chores into study sessions can be a great way to weave learning into your day. One trick is to focus on the type of content you consume while doing these chores. Instead of sticking to a single podcast or audiobook topic, I mix it up based on the complexity of the task I'm tackling. Simple tasks get paired with more intensive material, like a business strategy podcast, while something requiring a bit more attention, such as organizing clutter, is perfect for lighter content or something motivational. This way, I keep my mind engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
I blend my study time with my daily routine by having my study material readily available at all times, so that I can take a quick study session whenever I get a few minutes. I make sure that my notes, case files and any other associated legal documents are printed or kept on my phone and laptop within arm length at home or otherwise digitally stored. By doing that, I will be able to access them quickly when I am waiting for an appointment or when I am on a break during a client meeting. When I am between calls or meetings, for example, I can use the time to read through a case file or go through a certain law that I should memorize. That way, the materials are easily accessible and it eliminates the problem of having to set aside a certain time and location to study. This makes it more manageable to keep up with my workload, and I can study less dauntingly because I can learn small portions at a time all through the day.
I stopped trying to make time and started tying study to trigger moments. For example, every time I finish a call, I have a 5-minute cooldown rule—no emails, no Slack, just one nugget of study (a podcast clip, article, or note review). It's like pairing a habit with a mental breath. I also read while waiting on hold or standing in line—I keep a "micro-learning" playlist saved on YouTube, all sub-10-minute clips. Instead of blocking off an hour that never happens, I just thread learning into the cracks of my day. Feels casual, but adds up to serious compounding.
I am a busy individual as my job entails planning various projects and teams in various countries, so what I have done to make study hours flow as part of my everyday routine is to study and do low-requiring tasks simultaneously. As I was preparing to take the Wiley Certified DiSC trainer exam in 2017, I spent time washing dishes, cleaning my office, and even walking my dog in order to absorb important ideas. I would record lectures or read audio notes out loud and as I went through those tasks, I would repeat important points quietly. This turned nonproductive times into learning time. On top of that, it allowed me to absorb the material naturally as I was studying the material in a less pressured manner. I recall it took me approximately 40 minutes a day mixing these tasks with studying and the preparation of the exam took me six weeks without taking additional time out of my already busy weekly routine. Repetition and reinforcement in the smallest way possible enabled me to stay focused and have the information in my memory.
Hi, Whenever I need to sit and study for a while, the first thing I do is to break it down into shorter goals based on my attention span, ability to retain, etc. Each of these goals works like a "level" of its own, with specific points for each. For example, it could be 20 points for completing a chapter of studying, 10 points for studying for half an hour at a stretch, etc. Since biking is my primary hobby, I set up a system where I could redeem 50 points for an hour of biking, celebrating a new weekly benchmark by going to a biking trail over the weekend, etc. This method also helped me fight fatigue, finishing my studying in "rounds" and winning each "round" by surviving until the end of it, be it a chapter or a 30-minute session. Once I calculate my score for the day, I add it to the total weekly and monthly score. My goal for each day is to try and beat the daily average of last week. For each week and month, it is to beat the last preceding one. This method also did wonders to maintain my attention span and manage stress and distractions while I'm trying to study. Cheers! Shailen BikingBro.com
I treat study time like a meeting that can't be rescheduled. I block it on my calendar alongside team calls, product reviews, and investor updates. Once it's locked in, I don't push it around. I use those windows to study trends in cannabis legislation, patient behavior data, or emerging telehealth models. I study with purpose, not volume. I focus on what impacts our users directly. I also keep my materials short and mobile. If I'm in a Lyft, waiting for a call, or grabbing lunch alone, I pull up articles or research I saved earlier. I use voice notes when something clicks, and I summarize key takeaways weekly in a doc my leadership team can access. That way, study isn't isolated. It informs how we operate Elevate Holistics. Most people think of study as something they do in a quiet room with hours to spare. That's not reality, you build it in like a discipline. You treat it as fuel and you squeeze it between emails, after a workout, or before bed. It's not about finding time but about using time you already have and assigning it more weight. That's how I make learning work while running a fast-moving company.
As strange as it may sound, my study time often happens while stuck in traffic in Mexico City—not behind the wheel. As the owner of Mexico-City-Private-Driver.com, I spend a part of my day in the passenger seat.evaluating routes and service quality with new chauffeurs. I started to use that time of otherwise passively riding, to listen to audiobooks and business podcasts that build both my Spanish and business thinking. One of my more memorable stories happened when I was riding with one of our new drivers on an airport run when to my good fortune I was listening to a podcast about customer journey design. By the time we got to Terminal 1, I had mapped out three small, but high-impact changes we could make to our website: better clarification of our airport pickup instructions; clarity around our luggage policies; and a new booking form, that displayed pricing by zone. In the following week, we saw a 22% increase in conversion rates. I have transitioned study from reading a book to placing learning within real-time business transformation. Or, whether it is a 25-minutes' time window while sitting at the hangar door, or an hour ride across 'Periferico', I consider the time to be micro-MBAs. That flexibility is the reason I feel confident I can grow a service business while learning every day.
We have AI at the core of our mission to drive towards sustainable transportation more quickly. We're enabling more people to adopt electric vehicles by demystifying data. The proven capability of our AI-enabled solutions demonstrates AI's potential to enable niche industries, such as fintech, to scale to a mass market. It's a useful weapon for any tech company that wants to change and offer more user-centric services. And, in the evenings, I give myself 10 minutes to dig more deeply into technical papers, especially around battery tech and solid-state batteries. This makes this a curated option to keep me updated on the latest trends before I sign off from the daily grind. One standout micro-learning on solid-state batteries was a source of inspiration for a viral article on EVhype and resulted in a 23% increase in traffic to the site in a week. If you're an entrepreneur, here is my advice: you need to find two "dead time" slots in your day, such as your commute or waiting for meetings, and that's when you should get into bite-sized, high-value learning. This regimen doesn't take over your agenda and keeps you focused in a way that stimulates the growth of your business while remaining ahead in a quickly changing industry.
Every morning before I leave the driveway, I record a quick voice memo with one thing I want to remember or figure out that day. Could be something I read the night before, a quote from a customer, or a question I am working through. Then I listen to it five, six, maybe ten times during the day. Between driving job to job, hauling gear, and prepping estimates, that same 60-second clip plays in the background like a loop. It burns into memory without feeling like I am studying at all. The kicker is I answer the memo at night. I record a response of what I learned, how it went, or what I still need to figure out. Some days I get clarity, some days I just vent, but it builds a mental habit of asking and answering my own questions. I have over 600 memos now. Zero editing, zero structure, just raw thinking. Turns out, hearing your own voice trying to work something out hits different. And it sticks better than anything I tried before.
Turning my commute into a learning journey felt like discovering a hidden asset. To expand this idea, I often use "Association Day" during my commute, where I connect new information with something tangible or visual in my surroundings. For example, if I'm listening to a podcast about urban planning while passing through a new part of town, I try to associate the concepts with buildings I see. This way, I can visualize the information next time I pass those landmarks, reinforcing the lessons.