3 Tips on Making the Most of Your Commute

Do you know what your most valuable asset is? It is not your home, or even your money. It is your time! Time is the most valuable asset we have. No matter your status in life, we all get 24 hours in a day; it is the only thing we all have in common.

For most of us, eight to ten hours a day are spent working and we spend six to eight hours a day sleeping. That leaves you with six to ten hours left in the day, or something like that. If you have a long commute as many people do, subtract another two to three hours from your day.

I am one of those people who has a lengthy commute, on a good day. Therefore, in an effort to be more productive, I came up with a few safe things to do while driving to and from work to make the most of my commute.

Tip#1: Listening to Music

If you do not understand the value of music, you could be thinking, how can listening to music be a good use of your time? I will tell you how. Music is therapeutic and energetic. The right song in the morning will give you the boost of energy you need to get through your day. The right music can even put you in a better mindset if you are listening to something calming and zen-like. Music is so many things, and it evokes many emotions. You have to know what to listen to get the result you are looking for in the morning. A pick up (sans caffeine), a positive outlook because you do not feel like going to work, or even a grateful heart for the fact that you have a job to go to. Whatever you need, music has the power to take you there.

Tip#2: Listen to Audio Books

I love to read. In fact, one of my retirement goals is to finish reading all the books in my collection. While I am one of those weird book people who love to feel and smell the pages of a physical book, I have slowly come to recognize the benefit of e-books and audiobooks. Audiobooks specifically are great for long commutes. I have had the opportunity to complete several books in a short amount of time by listening to them; and if you are a book reader, you know that finishing a book is a great accomplishment. For that reason, I have learned to appreciate audiobooks.

Tip#3: YouTube University

This one is my favorite. I don’t believe there is an official YouTube University. However, that is what I call it because there are so many things to learn by watching (in this case, listening to) YouTube. I will get all personal with you and share a few of my playlists. Right now, I have an inspirational playlist, a money playlist, a food playlist and a few other random Watch Later videos that I listen to, repeatedly.

YouTube is great and it is somewhat hard to remember what things were like before it. If you want to learn to sew, there is someone on YouTube teaching it. If you want to learn how to cook tofu 20 different ways, there is someone on YouTube showing you how. This is a commuting tip, be mindful to listen to videos that do not require you to watch the video. Morning motivational speeches are a great example.

While there are probably a few other things you could do, these are right at the top. Your first priority is to get to work or home safely. However, that does not mean you have to sit idle and let the time pass you by. I promise that if you do, you will resent your commute and eventually your job. You can be productive while you are driving. You can make the most of your commute.

What type of things do you do to make the most of your commute and other idle time?

Rita Lucas is a GovLoop Featured Contributor. She is a writer and author who works with the federal government as a management analyst and project manager. As a writer, she helps small business and non-profit organizations promote their mission and brand; and as an author, she has published several titles that promote self-development. As a government employee, Rita has worked in the field of human resources for 11 years and has volunteered for leadership positions with veteran-focused and millennial-centric organizations. Rita holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in publishing. She is a new mom and resides in Maryland with her family. You can read her posts here.