Do you ever think, “I would love to be able read a book or learn something new”, but who has the time?

Let’s be real, I love to read and learn. But in between activities, work, kid activities, family time, household work, friends, and church activities, it can feel like there is no available time to do that. I have been inspired by other busy women who have done it.  And I have also needed to do it out of necessity to grow my business. I have been intentional to find ways to learn with the time frames that I have. I have discovered time hacks for making time to learn, some by seeking out solutions and some by accident.

5 time hacks for making time to learn in the midst of being a busy, busy mom:

1) Audio Books:

Audio books are an easy way to consume and enjoy books. If you are anything like me, you are pretty busy driving yourself and the people that you care for, places for different activities. Or maybe you live in a city that has great public transportation and you use that transportation to commute and get around town. One of the ways that I have learned to take advantage of, enjoy, and redeem the hours that I spend in the car each week is through audio books. I was talking to another mom recently who does the same thing. With the technology and devices that we have now, the selection of audio books is so much bigger than it used to be. You can subscribe to a service like, Audible, buy them, or you can check them out from your library. The library in my county has a great digital library for digital and audio books that I can check out using my phone, computer, or tablet.

2)Set a Routine Time Everyday:

One way to learn is to make time each day for it. Carve out 15-30 minutes each day to read books, the Bible, or blog posts to be intentional about learning. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you spend regular time, even when it is not a lot of time in one stretch. There is also a huge sense of accomplishment that comes from making the time to do something so fulfilling.

3) Podcasts:

Did you know that there are thousands of podcasts available through apps on your phone and through the computer? Podcasts are an amazing way to learn from experts and others’ experiences. You can use a podcast app on your smart phone or computer. I started listening to podcasts a couple of years ago to make my runs more fun and and I have used them to help me learn about business too. I love the content available to cultivate my hobbies, develop my business, and increase my spiritual growth. And there are so many other categories of podcasts, including humor, radio programs, history, politics, parenting,…. All you need to do is put a podcast app on your phone and either download episodes or subscribe to certain podcasts that will automatically download to you phone.  Then you can listen to them in the car or wherever you are.

4) Ask Someone Who Knows:

Seems obvious, right!? There are so many people in our lives that know a skill or information that would help you. Sometimes we forget to ask, feel intimidated, or just don’t know who to ask. A great, faster, and more effective, at times, way to learn is to ask someone who has developed the skill or been through the experience. It can be a great way to get insider tips, a demonstration, or a chance to learn with a friend.

5) Use an App to Subscribe to and Read Blog Posts:

An increasingly popular way to learn is through blog posts from people who have been through an experience, have learned, and want to share there experiences. There are a wealth of blogs out there, but how do you find them and keep track of them? There are several apps out there that you can use to search for blogs and subscribe to blog feeds. Then the app will give you an excerpt of the blog post from that blog when a new post is published. You can quickly read the excerpts for the day or week and then decide whether you want to click on and read the entire article.

Though your busy life may make learning feel impossible to squeeze in, don’t be too quick to dismiss it. There are several time hacks for making the time to learn. Pick one item from the list to use or contact me to discuss coaching with me to work on making the most of your time and energy.  And just a heads up, I will be writing posts over the next 4 weeks revealing time hacks that make it easier to accomplish all that you want in your busy life.