How to Make Even Your Daily Commute Meaningful

My daily commute to work can eat up valuable time and depending on traffic and other variables, sometimes it constitutes a considerable amount of time. This time spent driving does not need to be wasted. As part of my overall time management plan, I find ways to squeeze in tasks that can be done while driving.

Make Lists

I use the time spent commuting to organize my thoughts on a range of topics and make mental lists. This is a helpful time management technique used by many. Sometimes traffic is stalled or slow, and when this happens you can jot things down in a notebook. If you have a passenger in the car, you can have them make notes. I can utilize good time management skills to make a grocery list, a list of people who I need to call or errands to take care of later. Lists make life easier and using your driving time to make lists is smart.

Run Errands

Time management is a valuable skill, and you will have more time by running errands during your commute. Take notice of businesses that you drive by daily and think about how you can save time by stopping in to and from work. A lot of tasks can be taken care of this way: grocery shopping, a trip to the library, the post office and countless other small stops. I make sure to keep my to-do list on hand. Most of us commute to and from a major center and have access to most types of businesses. Instead of going home and then back out to a gym, think about signing up for one on your route. This is probably the most effective way to make your commute meaningful and will allow you to have more free time after work and on the weekend.

Discover Great Places

I love Chinese food and used to live in a town where there were several good Chinese restaurants. When I moved to a new town, I discovered that the two Chinese restaurants in town were awful. I dealt with bad food for a while, then I had an ah-ha moment. I went online and looked at my route to and from work. I made a list of all the Chinese places on the route and have been systematically trying them out. Trying out restaurants in this way has helped me with my time management. I still haven't found a great place, but I have had fun trying and I know where I can get some decent Chinese food. You can use your commute to try new restaurants or check out new stores and services. With a bit of luck, you are sure to discover some place that you love.

Bring your Laptop or Smart Phone

Sometimes when you're commuting, the worst can happen. Traffic gets backed up or there is a major accident. Waiting for a long time, sometimes hours can be a drag and a waste of valuable time. When a situation like this happens, I use my laptop or smart phone to catch up on messages. I take the time to organize my email address book or other contact lists. Duplicate contacts are a real pain, making it difficult to send an email to the correct person. Sending multiple messages in to the same person in error makes you look bad. There are programs available that can organize your address book and remove multiple contacts. Time management is about using programs to save you time.

Other relevant articles:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2082171_be-productive-driving.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_5944349_productive-stuck-traffic.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/181871/eight_productive_things_to_do_when.html?cat=16