Do you commute to work?

And do you feel there are never enough hours in the day to do all the stuff you want to do?

These are some of my favourite things I’ve done while travelling to and from work. I’ve done them all at one time or another, and depending on what your personal and career goals are right now, they can all help you achieve some of those important things that will enrich your life in the long run.

I’ve found that often, what’s most important gets shoved to the side in favour of what seems more urgent, but doing this comes back to bite you in the long run.

I’ll start off with my favourite activity, as this one has been most beneficial to my self-improvement over the last couple of years. 

 

1. Keep a Habit Journal and learn from every week

 

I found that Friday is often a good day to reflect back at your week, and think about how well you did in different areas that are important to you. Keeping a habit journal, whether digitally or in physical form, is key.

Do you want to become better at setting boundaries? Challenge yourself to say ‘No’ to 3 things that week, and keep track of this.

Do you always leave the office too late? Set yourself a target to leave on time at least twice that week. Note down how many times you achieved it.

Did you manage to do that course or read those articles, that are important for your long-term development? Schedule them in early mornings, when it’s least busy. Consider scheduling them in twice that week, so that when plans change, you increase your chances of doing them. Also, allow for 10-20% more time than you think you need.

These are just a few ideas to get your thoughts going. Have a long think about 3-5 points you want to most improve and therefore track, and then spend 10-15 min on your Friday commute (or whatever regular time works best for you) to reflect on their success.

Do this diligently every week, and rather than beating yourself up for not managing all your goals, focus on your gradual improvement over time. It’s your steady improvement that counts more than anything else.

 

 

2. Learn something new

 

A few years ago I decided I wanted to learn about investing in order to feel more in control of my finances, particularly long-term. I managed to get through 4 books on stock market investing over a period of 3 months, and it gave me the foundation I needed to get started with some sensible and relatively risk-free investments. 

Is there something you’ve wanted to learn for a long time, but never quite gotten around to doing?

Speaking a language, studying a course, or becoming extremely knowledgeable about a topic that would benefit you long term?

Don’t discount how much you can learn even by studying for 20-30 minutes a day. Things add up a lot quicker than you think. Once you get going and your understanding increases, this furthers not only your comprehension but often also your interest in the topic. A bit like a snowball rolling down a mountain which gets exponentially bigger over time. 

 

 

3. Meditation/ mindfulness

If you’re like me, you would benefit from having more focus and calmness, and less stress and anxiety in your life. These are just some of the benefits you can expect from doing mindfulness work.

My favourite way of practising mindfulness is by using the Waking Up app, developed by Sam Harris, who is equal parts Philosopher and Scientist.

I’ve had a lot of profound insights from using this method, such as becoming better at knowing what my most important work is, at any given moment. Rather than being pulled in several directions, or trying to ‘multi-task’ which rarely works, you can learn to get more stuff done, while feeling more in control of everything. 

Doing a 10-20 minute mindfulness exercise is an excellent way to use your commute, especially if you only have a short commute and you don’t always get a seat. You can literally listen to the teachings standing up and with your eyes closed!

 

 

4. Flex your hours 

 

Have you thought about whether your commute would be more enjoyable and comfortable if you travelled at slightly different hours?

Would you be able to beat the rush hour if you left 30 min earlier or later?

Even though working hours might seem to be fixed in your company, could you explain your reasoning to your boss, and get him or her to agree to allowing you more flexibility in your working hours?

It might only be a small change, but it could save you a lot of time, especially if you consider this affects more than 250 days in your year. 

 

 

5. Reach out to a friend

 

I know many people who complain they’re bad at keeping in touch with their friends. As life gets in the way and people are always busy, it seems to require a near impossible focus to stay in touch with everyone other than the few friends that are closest to you.

Developing a habit of checking in with one friend, acquaintance or relative a day, can make that difference. It’s very achievable, as it’s only one a day.

Spending 5-10 min on sharing something meaningful with that person, helps you not only reconnect your friendship, but getting a reply from someone you care about instantly brings a smile to your face.

 

Conclusion

 

Make the most out of your commute, and remember that something small done regularly, adds up a lot quicker than you think. It could mean the difference between feeling in control vs. feeling overwhelmed, and being an expert on a topic vs. being ignorant.

Depending on the length of your commute, you can probably attend to 2 of the above new habits. But focus on quality over quantity.

Which one will you get started with?