Learning new skills can be extremely difficult for many of us. We never feel like we have the time. How after we eat, sleep, work, run errands, take the kids to their many functions are we supposed to find time for learning?

I had this same dilemma. I was working in an unsatisfying Sales Manager job. Sales was never my dream nor my passion. I was doing it because it paid good money and I needed to support my family.

I felt very stuck. I didn’t like where I was at but seemingly didn’t have the ability to get out of it. And then it hit me. I found this nearly magical slice of underutilized time. I had always known it was there, but I never had considered it. It happened nearly every day…

Travel time.

I’m always traveling somewhere; commuting to and from work, running errands, biking, walking, etc. When I did the math, it equated to over 10 hours per week!

I thought to myself, instead of wasting my travel time, I could be learning. I could use it to gain new skills, insights, and perspectives I never would have known about otherwise. I could grow professionally and personally without having to take more time away from my family, friends, and hobbies. I always had my phone and earbuds anyways, so I figured, why not put them to use?

So I signed up for Audible’s free 30-day trial, downloaded their app, and took the plunge into the audiobook world.

Audible was simple to install, made it easy to find the audiobooks, and had amazing clear quality audio. In fact, I was really surprised to hear so many books actually read by the book authors. This helped to give insight and emphasis that even reading the book wouldn’t provide.

So, listen to audiobooks I did. I listened to books related to business analysis and business analytics. I dove into the world of agile and user stories. I learned about communication, negotiation, and problem-solving. I listened to so many books and I learned so many new skills and techniques, by simply taking advantage of the time that I had been squandering earlier.

And it wasn’t long after, I had the opportunity to utilize my newly learned skills and landed my dream Business Analyst job. I tribute a good part of landing that first job and my early success working as a Business Analyst to what I learned in those books.

The insights. The inspiration. The motivation.

So, if you are feeling like I was, (stuck and too busy) there is still hope. You can still reach your dreams.

Go sign up for Audibles free 30-day trial.

Download your two free audiobooks. Listen to them when you are on the go. And only then can you begin to understand the transformation that can occur.

What do you have to lose? It’s a free trial. You can cancel at any time.

It helped me change my life. Can it help change yours?

– Written by Jeremy Aschenbrenner, The BA Guide

Epilogue

I had some students reach out to me right after I released this blog post for recommendations on the two free books they get with their trial. While it would be hard for me to narrow it to two, here are some of my recommendations.

• Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond – Deepak Malhotra, Max Bazerman
• Improve Your People Skills: Build & Manager Relationships, Communicate Effectively, Understand Others, & Become the Ultimate People Person – Patrick King (great book, but it’s rather inexpensive – may be best just to purchase)
• Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone – Simon Sinek
• How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age – Dale Carnegie

I hope those recommendations help make your decision a little easier. In any case, enjoy your two free audiobooks!

Note – Some of the links contained within our blog posts are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these companies and resources, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.