Commute Time Productivity

My first corporate job out of college was an hour away from where I lived. I did the drive for a year. The cold Kansas winters plus deer season were a formula for absolute chaos on the drive to work. During the winter season, I was stressed and my energy was drained by the time I made it to work. I was excited about the job and the one-hour commute was just part of what I had to do.

If you’ve ever had an hour-long commute you know that it gets old fast. I look back now and realize how much time I wasted on those drives. We moved after a year because I couldn’t keep doing the drive and stay sane. My work commute was cut in half and I was ecstatic about it. I believe the thirty-minute commute is perfect for me. I’m always trying to utilize my time as best as I can and after a few years of driving to and from work, I learned that I could be productive during that time.

In this article, I will share my commute time productivity activities. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me over the years.

Read More Books

You are probably wondering, “How can you read books while you drive?” Easy, listen to them! The best part about listening to audiobooks, aside from the actual stories, is that you don’t have to buy them. All you have to do is go to your local library and get a free library card. Libraries are amazing. You can check out physical books, digital books, movies, video games, and audiobooks amongst other things.

Here are a few ways you can access audiobooks for free via your local library:

Smartphone App

If you have a smartphone you can download an app called Libby. After you input your library card number, you can download audiobooks directly to your smartphone.

No Smartphone, No Problem – Listen on CD

If you don’t have a smartphone, you can still check out books on CD. You will need a CD player that functions, whether it is built into your vehicle or a sweet old-school Sony portable CD player.

Portable MP3 Player with a Pre-Loaded Audiobook

If you strike out with the options above, you will want to check out these amazing MP3 players called Playaway. The device is small and contains one full book, the only thing you have to do is put a AAA battery in it to provide power. The Playaway is great because it is small enough you can carry in your pocket, is distraction-free, and makes it very easy to start, stop and bookmark where you are in the story.

Here is a list of audiobooks I recently finished:

• Greenlight by Matthew McConaughey – Listen to the book, “alright, alright, alright.”
• Sutree by Cormac McCarthy – I enjoy McCarthy’s stories, this one had great characters, stories, and humor throughout.
• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah – This is a great historical fiction book about The Great Depression.

(If you decide to purchase instead of using the library for any of the books I mentioned above, please use the links as you would be purchasing from an independent bookstore. I am sure they would appreciate the business. Shoutout to Flint Hills Books in Council Grove, KS)

Problem Solve

If I am working on something at work or even thinking through a home project, the commute time as I drive gives me time to think. If I am trying to process information, I tend to turn music on that serves more as background noise while my mind jumps through possible solutions for things I am working on. I can’t tell you how many projects or ideas I’ve had while driving that gave me the additional answers I needed to push a project further or help me troubleshoot issues. You still have to pay attention to the road and the other drivers but it is nice to use the car ride to process.

Here are a few examples of things I’ve processed which helped me solve problems while on my commute.

Programming Issues

If I am having a particularly tough time with a piece of code, the drive helps me go back in my mind and question things I may or may not have done. I question why certain things are happening and in a way create a troubleshooting checklist for me to try the next day. It works because the drive gives me time away from the issue in a different environment.

Process Client and Team Solutions

Over the years I’ve been fortunate to work with great people, both as co-workers and outside of organizations I’ve worked for. I work in marketing and sales. The job consists of creatively finding solutions for my employers and clients. For example, if I have a meeting with a prospect, client, or co-worker where we discuss upcoming projects, I utilize my time during the drive to replay conversations, re-think through research I’ve done, and think about the next steps. It seems like a lot but it really isn’t. My mind goes to key things, highlights if you will, and from there I can mentally create bullet points of items to then prioritize the next day at work.

Prepare for the Day / Decompress

Before I start my drive to the office I check my calendar to see what is scheduled for the day. I also look at emails but with no intention of responding right away. It just helps me know what e-mails I will have to process once I am at my desk. Once I start the drive, I mentally prepare for what I have to do. If I know I have a meeting with a client or a prospect I begin to think through everything so that I am as prepared as possible.

Once my day is done and I start my drive home, I begin to decompress. The drive allows me to relax on my way home by listening to music or as mentioned earlier, by thinking through issues or projects. I know that seems silly but at that point, it is low-pressure, as it is only me and my thoughts. By the time I get home, all work things are out of my system per se. I can open the door to my home knowing that I did my best and then I can enjoy my family without the constant nagging of work thoughts and ideas. It wasn’t like this for me for a long time but I am glad I am at this point now in my life and career.

Pray

Everyone needs prayers from time to time. If I am overly anxious about something or if someone I care about, whether it is a family member, a friend, or a coworker who is going through a rough time, I use my drive to pray. I pray the Holy Rosary during those drives. The way I pray the Holy Rosary is by listening to a recording on Amazon Music/Spotify while following along. It is easy to do and when I am done praying, I feel better. It provides the comfort of knowing that no matter what is ahead, I will be at peace with it because I prayed. I am sure some readers don’t believe in prayer or are religious and that is okay. Instead of praying maybe listen to a good podcast that will help you grow into a better version of yourself :).

Thank you for reading and letting me share some of the things I do to be more productive during my daily commute. I hope you keep coming back as I write more. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my newsletter.

If you want to help me out, share this post on your social channels to help me get additional eyes on things I write, I appreciate your support.

As always, please comment below if you want, I love reading them.