How to Use Your Travel Time in the Car Productively
When you look at your travel time, you’re probably logging quite a bit of time on a weekly basis. What exactly are you doing with that time? Are you using it productively, or are you simply jamming to some of your favorite tunes? Both are ultimately your decision, but there are some benefits to one over the other.
One of the ways has shown that there’s a significant difference between those who are considered successful and those who consider themselves barely getting by or even living paycheck to paycheck.
In this article, I want to break down some ways to use your travel time in the car productively so you can better your life as well as your bank account.
Disclaimer: It should go without saying, but anything that would take your attention away from driving (assuming you are the one driving the vehicle and not simply a passenger) should not be done as it can cause an accident. Keep your eyes and attention on the road when driving.
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Traffic Jamming Your Commute? Get Productive with Your Travel Time
I’ll be the first to say that traffic sucks. Period. There’s nothing more that I hate than being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic that sits at a standstill while you’re driving to and from work. As if it’s not bad enough that many people already have a 30+ minute drive (one-direction) and then add on the time sitting in traffic, and it’s enough to have you blow a gasket (a little car humor).
So, how do we take your travel time and turn it into something productive? The first thing that comes to mind is to turn off the radio and put on a podcast. A podcast? Yup… a podcast. You might be asking, “why?” It’s simple. Knowledge is extremely powerful. The more you know and can execute on, the better off you’ll be. Want that promotion at work? You might as well use your travel time to your advantage and learn the skills necessary to move into that promotion you’re looking for. How do you do that? Listen to a podcast that will help you prepare for that new role and list of responsibilities.
Related Article: Helpful Tips to Maximize Your Day and Be More Productive
Why not use your travel time to improve your life? Look, I like music as much as the next guy, but what VALUE is that actually adding to my life other than taking my mind off of daily stress or issues? Nothing. Sure, it’s an escape, but you don’t need to put yourself in that place every second of your commute.
Something else you can do is catch up on calls (using Bluetooth, of course). Call a family member or friend you haven’t spoken to for a while and catch up. Or return someone’s call from your voicemail (either business-related or personal). Travel time is a perfect time to play catch up on things that aren’t distracting your driving but are good ways to fill the commute.
Passenger Productivity
There are many people who carpool to work in the morning. Maybe they’re neighbors? Perhaps they meet at a commonplace, drop off one car, and drive into the office together? Each day they switch who will be behind the wheel to help save on gas and expenses. What do you generally do with your time as a passenger in a car? You probably sit there and talk, maybe listen to music, and look out the window. Well, you can do that and still be productive with your travel time.
1. Power of the Podcast
If the driver of the vehicle is interested in learning new skills or bettering some existing ones, you can always put on a podcast and listen to it together. Maybe it’s a podcast on finances that interests both of you? Maybe it’s a podcast on health or fitness and can help you both live healthier lifestyles? Whatever the case may be, you don’t need to be the only person listening to a podcast and bettering themselves — spread the knowledge!
2. Play Catch Up or Get Ahead
Something else you can be doing with your travel time in the car is catching up on work. Now, I wouldn’t recommend completely tuning out the driver you are with and acting like they aren’t there, you can still communicate with them. However, catch up on something that needs to be done or that allows you to work ahead for the day.
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For instance, emails seem to never stop coming into your inbox. You could achieve inbox zero before bed and wake up to double or even triple digits worth of emails before the workday even starts. Use the travel time into the office where you’re stuck behind a windshield (and you’re not physically driving) to catch up on emails or text messages.
3. Plan Your Day
Personally, I like to know what I’m getting into before I step foot in my office. Do I have on-site meetings? Do I have off-site meetings? Do I have conference calls? What deadlines must I meet today? Check your calendar to see if anything new slipped in that your assistant or secretary put in that you weren’t aware of. Use your travel time to plan your day.
Figure out what are priorities for the day and must be completed and which aren’t setting the world on fire and can wait until another day. I try to mentally get all my ducks in a row so that I can hit the ground running as soon as I open my office door.
Make Good Use of Your Travel Time
The highly successful try to never waste their own time. They respect time, and that’s why they put so much value and emphasis on it. Wasting time means they are falling behind on something. If you want to be as productive as possible, you need to find times of the day when you’re losing focus and not working towards something. Travel time is a perfect example, and it’s for that reason that I wanted to write an article about it because most of us are stuck behind the dash for several hours each week simply commuting back and forth to go to work and then drive home.
Related Article: What Does Proper Snacking While Traveling Consist Of?
You can even implement the strategies above when you’re driving around town and not heading to work. There’s really never a “bad” time to better your skills and abilities. If you are a driven individual, you may already be implementing the strategies I laid out in this article. And if you aren’t, I highly recommend you give them a try if you are truly serious about moving forward in life and in business.
Don’t get stuck being complacent or getting comfortable. There’s always something to do and always something you can learn. Make the best of your time so you can be the best version of yourself and live a fulfilling and meaningful life.
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