What's next
Make time to learn something new
A micro habit for feeding your curiosity, one talk or article at a time
Put a small regular slot on your calendar, spend it on one talk, article or episode about something you're curious about, and write one line on what stuck.
- 20 minutes a week
- Just you
- Weekly
- Make time
Why this can work
Learning something because you're curious feels different from working on something you were told to build. It asks little and gives you something to look forward to. A small fixed slot is what keeps it from becoming something you'll do someday.
Read moreHow to build a weekly learning habit
You’ll come away with a weekly slot for your curiosity and a line on what stuck.
- List a few things you're curious about.
Anything: how a different industry works, a stretch of history, the science behind something you use every day. Three or four is plenty, and they don't need to connect to your job.
Tip: If nothing comes to mind, notice what you read about when you're putting something off. That's a list.
- Pick your slot.
Twenty minutes, once a week, somewhere it'll survive: a lunch, a commute, a quiet Friday afternoon. Put it on your calendar with a name you'll like seeing.
MonTueWedThuFri9 am11 am1 pm3 pm20 min, yours5 pm1.3 hrs a month, for you17 hrs a year you didn’t have beforeSame slot so it stops being a decision - Choose the first thing before the slot arrives.
One talk, one article, one podcast episode. Choosing ahead means you spend the time learning, not searching.
- Write one line on what stuck.
After each session, a single sentence: the idea that stayed with you, or the question it raised. Over a few months, those lines become a small record of what you've picked up.
Good times to repeat it: once a weekon a commute or lunch you already havewhenever a new question catches your eye
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
If it starts to feel like homework, pick something lighter. The habit survives on enjoyment, not discipline.
What might make this harder
Pick something shorter, or skip it without guilt. A missed week costs nothing if you show up to the next one.
Questions people ask
How can I make time to learn new things?
Put a small slot on your calendar each week, about 20 minutes, and decide beforehand what you'll watch, read or listen to. A fixed time and a chosen thing do most of the work.
What's an easy way to learn something new every week?
Pick a topic you're curious about and spend one short session a week on a single talk, article or episode. Afterward, write one line on what stuck.
Is it worth learning things unrelated to my job?
Often, yes. Curiosity is easier to keep up than obligation. And sometimes it's simply worth it for the enjoyment.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Much of what gets called learning at work is really about a gap: a skill you need, a course you were assigned, a certificate someone asked for. That has its place. Curiosity works differently: it pulls you in instead of making you push, which is why it's so much easier to keep up. Nobody needs to check whether you did the reading when you actually wanted to read it.
The reason it slips is ordinary. Nothing urgent depends on it, so it loses to everything that does. That's why the slot matters more than the topic. Twenty minutes, one thing, chosen ahead, at a time that already exists in your week. It's small enough that a bad week doesn't break it, and regular enough that it adds up.
The line afterward is small and does a lot. Writing down what stuck makes you notice what you actually took in, and over a few months it becomes a quiet record of the things you've wondered about and followed. Ideas you pick up out of curiosity tend to show up later in places you'd never have planned.
If there's a specific skill you need for your job soon, a curiosity slot is too loose for it. Make a focused plan instead, and consider mentioning it to your manager, who may know where to learn it.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in What's next
A few minutes that compound
Do it with Truest and it goes on your permanent record, in a Career Vault your employer doesn’t own.
See how Truest worksAlready a member? Log in- A reminder beforePut it on your calendar and Truest reminds you before it starts.
- It comes back if it slipsA missed one comes back around instead of disappearing.
- Part of the check-inThe end-of-day text asks for two scores and a line; this fits in it.
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.