TOPIC: How Did You Fit in Study Time with a Demanding Job?

Hello fellow aspiring PMPs! I'm struggling with one of the biggest challenges I think many of us face: finding the time and energy to study consistently. After a 9-10 hour workday, the last thing I want to do is open another textbook. My weekends are precious for family time, and I'm worried I'm not making enough progress. I'd love to hear how you all managed your schedules.

Did you do micro-study sessions (like 20-30 minutes daily)? Did you block out large chunks on the weekend? Any specific productivity techniques or tools that kept you on track? Looking for some real-world, sustainable strategies.

Well, I'd say it's about sacrifice and consistency but not accuracy in your case. Try as much as possible to be consistent. 30 mins, full concentration and no distractions is better than 5hrs and not learning anything. Gradually you can increase the pace as you get used to it. Remember, 1>0.

Hi Edward, it is not realistic to try and plan for large chunks of time. Most people have busy lives, professional and family commitments, so it is neither realistic, nor good for motivation to plan for big chunks of time.
I would advise you to plan for consistency over volume - plan for 30 minutes a day and reinforce over the weekends. I would wake up earlier over weekends to cram before my family was up (that is what I have done in the past).
Once you are done studying, then take topic based tests (20 minutes or 30 minutes max).
Only when you are confident overall, should you plan to take full length tests - those are an investment of time, and there is no point in setting aside that kind of time until your incremental study has taken you to a place you will benefit from the full test.