The Myth of the “Right Time” to Upskill

The last few months have been a blur. I keep trying to make time to learn for cloud exams between rolling deployments, new tickets, and whatever fire erupts in Slack. Every Monday, I’d tell myself: as soon as this sprint closes, I’ll get some actual time to study. But another project would drop, another “emergency” would surface. Glancing at my calendar became almost a ritual, hoping for an opening. Never happened.

At some point I had to admit—probably later than I should’ve—that work just doesn’t slow down. There’s always another centerpiece project, another incident bubbling under, another shiny urgent thing. Waiting for it to chill out? That just lets the queue grow. It took me months, honestly, before I even noticed how stuck I was.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re probably staring down your own certification, or that skill set you keep swearing you’ll tackle—right after this sprint, after this bug, after the next release. Most engineers I know still say, “As soon as I finish this…,” instead of committing to a learning schedule for engineers. The refrain’s a classic.

And to be real, I played that game myself for way too long. I’d move my learning block, push it later, come up with reasons why this day was special. But then every day was an exception, and learning was paused—indefinitely.

Six months ago I looked up—almost by accident—and realized nothing had changed. I was still in the same loop, still telling myself I was waiting for the “right time.” My task list got longer, but the line for my own development? Still empty. That’s when it stung enough to make me rethink my approach.

Consistency Beats Perfect Timing

Here’s the plain truth: the “right time” to upskill is a myth. Hanging on to it is just another way to stall. We all underestimate how long work takes, how much energy we’ll have left over—which means the “right time” hardly ever appears. If you’re waiting for downtime, odds are, you’ll keep waiting.

You don’t find time—you make time to learn. My calendar keeps filling up with new priorities, like some kind of twisted Tetris. Nothing ever gets easier; you just have to guard one block and commit.

Still, I know how it feels. You’ll wonder if you’re skipping out on something critical, feel that pang about ignoring a Slack ping, and stress about production suddenly breaking loose. But what helps—at least what helped me—is to protect learning time early in the morning. The interruptions drop off; you’re ahead of the flood. Any emergencies are easier to reroute than losing another day to “busyness.” If you treat learning time like a standup—no excuses—you actually keep showing up.

Here’s a fun callback to earlier—the morning slot works for me. It just does. Maybe it’s that lingering quiet before my inbox explodes; maybe it’s because the ritual of coffee makes it feel different. Whatever it is, that window matters. Mornings are when attention’s fresh, Slack’s still hush, and your energy hasn’t been scattered. High-focus work belongs there; stick to it and let the routine stuff take the later shift, per circadian rhythms. Guard that morning block. It’s not just about ticking a box—tracking the shift in momentum is way more satisfying than chasing perfect timing.

How to Make Time to Learn—and Protect—Your Learning Block

Pick a morning slot—actually open your calendar to schedule learning time, grab thirty minutes before the chaos starts, and make it recurring (every weekday if you can, or whatever works for now). Name it something simple: “Cloud Skill Sprint,” maybe just “Learning.” It’s a meeting, not a suggestion. That digital fence brands it as real—to you, to your team.

Zero in: make each session about a tiny target, not a marathon. Don’t say “study cloud security”; focus on one lesson or a single hands-on lab. Shut off all notifications—Slack, email, phone screen-down. I still mess this one up, honestly. I’ll leave an extra window open, and one notification can totally kneecap my learning streak.

One thing I haven’t figured out yet: sometimes, even with all the boundaries, my brain drifts back to bugs or unfinished tickets midway through a lesson. I know the trick is to refocus, but it’s still a work in progress. Maybe it always will be.

If you’re worried your manager will see the block as slacking, mention it upfront—“I’m putting aside thirty minutes early each day to prep for my cert. Good for us long term. Just flagging it so it’s on your radar.” Most of the time, you get a nod or thumbs-up. Framing your growth time as maintenance, not extra, shifts minds—including yours.

At the end of each session, jot a note: “Learned S3 bucket policies; next up IAM roles.” Doesn’t matter where you record it—sticky note, document, whatever. A few days in, you’ve got proof it’s working. It’s not just an aimless log; the streak takes shape, and you start believing again in your own momentum.

How to Protect Your Learning Block When Emergencies Hit

Here’s what changed things for me: making my learning block visible. Tag it as “Cloud Cert Prep” on your calendar so teammates spot it. Set Slack to “Heads down: studying, back at 9:30am.” Even a quick note—“Heads up, focusing on cert for half an hour”—works. When someone pings, “I’ll reply in 20, mid-cloud lesson” buys you breathing room. Tools don’t matter as much as committing—making your boundaries gentle but unmistakable.

If you hang on to, “I really want to learn [X], but I just need to get through this project first,” trust me—it’s a script worth ditching. Life won’t hit pause for your growth. Use time blocking for learning, defend it like you’re defending a key meeting, reschedule forward whenever chaos blows up. That’s the practice that lasts through sprints, surprises—and actually gets you learning for real.

Lock It In—Start Your Learning Streak

Here’s a final push—take a minute, right now. Open your calendar, grab a stack of mornings, and plant a 30-minute block. Set it on repeat. Don’t just think about it—make it a click, not a wish.

Pick your first focus. What’s the one skill you keep pushing aside? Label your session—“AWS Core Cert,” “Terraform Labs,” whatever makes sense. Make it real, cut out distractions. Next week, that learning slot is your anchor.

A month from now, watch the hours stack up—two, six, maybe ten real hours on your goal. Over six months, you’ll finally have the time you kept saying you “couldn’t find.” Progress like that changes the vibe: urgent interruptions aren’t roadblocks, just ripples. You’re moving forward, not just dodging chaos.

You don’t need silence to grow. Learning happens even when everything else feels urgent—if you protect small, consistent time, especially in the morning. Momentum builds; give yourself one block, and let it multiply.