Anywhere near S Florida? I'd be delighted to help you learn the basics of star-hopping.

One hint, the key to finding things with a Dob is to use a good atlas that isn't too detailed. I would suggest something like Tirion's Sky Atlas 2000.0, especially if you can find the first edition which isn't as detailed and doesn't go as deep as the second. Use a good pair of 7x50 binoculars to complement your finderscope. A good catalog or observing guide will let you know if your object of interest is even visible in your scope. You can waste a lot of time chasing after faint fuzzies that are just beyond the reach of your instrument. Be aware of your scope's magnitude and resolution limits, and the visual characteristics of your target. A 6" Dobsonian is a very capable instrument, particularly for rich-field work, yet very easy to handle; a perfect optimization of performance and convenience. I wouldn't mind having one myself.

Locate the field where your target object is hiding using the atlas. Mentally mark the locations of the naked-eye stars on the chart as close as possible to your object of interest, and familiarize yourself with the area, both on the chart and visually.

Now that you know where the object is located relative to the field stars, use your binoculars to zoom in on the area to pick out fainter stars that may not be on the atlas or not visible to the eye that will guide you to your target. When you're starting off, stick to brighter objects that will show up in the binoculars, like the Orion Nebula or the Andromeda Galaxy. But even if you can't see the target, use stars as pointers and guides to zero in on the spot where the chart shows the object. Memorize star arrangements by seeing them as geometrical shapes and pointers and paths,

Now switch to your finderscope, which will show you the same field, more or less, as the binocs, but it will be upside down because it doesn't have the erecting prisms like the binocular. Take a moment to re-memorize the star patterns now that they are reversed. Also keep in mind that unlike the binocs with their erecting prisms, the scope will do everything backwards: when you point to the left, the field will appear to shift to the right. Learn to think in terms of N,S,E,W, instead of up, down, left, right.

The binoculars are very important, because they bridge the gap between naked eye and chart to the telescope optics.

Fainter objects and bigger scopes will require more detailed charts, but all of the M objects and hundreds more of the brighter NGC DSOs are within reach of your scope. It is perfect for a beginner, and will give spectacular views of the brighter, more extended objects which will not be easy to appreciate with a large aperture. Your Dob will never become obsolete, either, because it can serve as a finder for a much larger scope, you can use it the way you use the binocs, as a portable finder to help guide a big reflector.

As for not having enough time...I can't help you there. That one gets us all in the end.