This post was updated in 2024.

I have mentioned it before: I am an avid learning procrastinator.

Meaning I can easily rack up a list of over 100 courses on LinkedIn Learning or a six-page long booklist on Amazon (the first entry there must be from 2016...) - and I am not alone!

The moment I confess my vice, people enthusiastically chip in and tell me about their own lists- Podcasts, books, videos to watch, the works.

None of us ever finished her list, but we keep adding to it on a weekly basis. Why?

Well, if you are a curious person who likes people and runs her own business, you are likely to look for inspiration- and there is SO much inspiration out there!

In every form, every taste, whether you want to listen to it, read it or watch it. It's dazzling, it's exciting- and it's distracting. That's why I made the decision to have dedicated learning days.

The concept of learning days

In 2020, I spent between 1-2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday on all the information flying around my house and in my browser folders.

To do that, I had to be ruthless: First, I went through all my saved links and courses and deleted over 100 of them. 100! What was I thinking? When would I have the time for my actual job if I would watch all of these?

Then I chose dedicated learning days. I began with two days because, you know, 2020. We all had more time back then. It made all the difference. Now, I stick to Thursdays instead.

How to make use of your collected content

I’m embarrassed to say I collected even more screenshots, articles and links in the last two years. If you’re like me, don’t fret: Just add them to dedicated albums on your phone and go through them daily.

That can pay off: I squirrelled away so much that I haven’t had to research content for a specific client for months. All I need to do is scroll through the client album on my phone these days.

When I see an interesting article now, I quickly scan it and decide on the spot whether it will be worth my time to read it in depth or not.

If that’s the case, it goes into my learning folder.

I also stop myself from watching videos if it's not my learning day- otherwise, I will get sucked into the never-ending work vortex. It keeps my head free and my mind clear.

Use task managers

If creating folders on your phone isn’t for you, you can use programs such as Reminder apps on smartphones or task manager apps such as Trello, Asana, or BubblesPlanner. They can help you to create lists for multiple things. 

And that list of courses? I am down to 25. I can't wait for Thursday.