With increased emphasis to continually upgrade and reskill, a sizable proportion of working adults are finding themselves taking up short courses or even a part-time degree to improve their credentials. So how can we strike a balance between achieving our career and education goals while also setting time for yourself?
Remember Your Long-Term Goals
Whether is it seeking career progression or achieving your educational goals, remembering why you started on this path will help you to press on. Breaking your long-term goals into shorter, more actionable steps can make the work feel less daunting. Push through the difficulties now for the reward that will undoubtedly arrive in due course. Remember to also periodically review your goals and mark your achievements, because they matter!
Celebrate Every Milestone
Instead of focusing on big victories like finishing an entire semester, why not start stringing together small victories like getting an ‘A’ on a test. Observe the completion of short-term goals by giving yourself a little treat, like buying yourself a cup of bubble tea. Rejoice when you complete your paper on time, and celebrate the end of a difficult week or month. Keeping your close friends and family informed on your achievements can be a great motivator. Having the support of people closest to you will also help you to build confidence.
Communication is Key
When it comes to juggling a full-time job and school work, communication is crucial. Open communication with your managers and professors can be beneficial, so make sure they are all on the same page in terms of your goals. You should also engage them when struggling to keep up with coursework, as they may have advice on time management skills and can assist you if you are feeling overwhelmed by your workload.
When you work and go to school, having effective communication can help you collaborate more efficiently with your colleagues. For instance, establish early how work should be delegated among yourselves, as well as an agreed-upon protocol for taking leave. Clearing these matters ahead of time will not only avoid workplace conflict, but it will also set you up for further success in your career if your managers see you putting in an effort to take initiative and be proactive with your communication skills.
Create a Schedule
Scheduling your time allows you to prioritise the things you have to do and allocate adequate time to completing what’s important. Start by listing tasks, upcoming assignments, meetings, projects and goals. Then, plan out your week or month by setting aside blocks of time for the various things you have to do. Having a schedule is also especially important when you have a particularly busy week with back-to-back meetings or several assignments due that week. Also, setting a regular time to do your scheduling, for example, on Sunday nights before the start of every week, can make planning become a habit.
The benefit of having a schedule is that it helps you devote enough time to all aspects of your life, including your friendships, hobbies, and physical and mental health. Make time for these things, too, by adding them into your schedule!
Enjoy Flexible Learning with PSB Academy’s Short Courses
Here at PSB Academy, we offer a range of part-time courses catered for working professionals in Singapore, empowering them to pursue their studies in tandem with their career goals. Our courses are offered as a way for students to fine-tune and refine specific skill sets that will prove invaluable in any workplace. By keeping our courses concise, we try to establish to our students the importance of striking a balance between their career goals and any other pursuits in their life. Reach out to us today to find out more.
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