Even after working from home for nearly three years, there still seems to be commute time that shows up in the middle of my workday. Our morning routine includes getting the kids to school and getting mom and dad to a workout before we are both in our home office for the workday.
With seemingly every day being too short on hours to get everything done, how can you utilize your commute time to multi-task safely?
Here are some of my favorite commute time activities to make for a productive workday:
Schedule hands-free calls
Confession: I hate having calls in the middle of the workday. I want as many uninterrupted hours as I can to be able to focus on completing projects that require my focus and attention. Any call that I can take in the car, i.e., that does not require me to have documents in front of me, is best suited for commute time.
This also is an ideal time to make annoying calls you may have to sit on hold for (think IRS). I have been known to call the IRS on my way home from the gym because I can drive home, make another cup of coffee and be back at my desk before I ever get off hold.
Host ‘office hours’ or team meetings
If you regularly meet with your team to discuss workflow or allow for office hour-type Q&A sessions, host these in your commute time. It does not require you to be at your desk. Especially if you are able to do these in the morning, you can start your workday knowing the rest of your team is set up for the best success.
Get your mind right
If knocking out calls is not your jam in the morning, take the time to get in the right frame of mind for your day. There are millions of podcasts and audiobooks you can use to start the workday with a good foundation. You also can consider professional development opportunities if there are audio courses you are interested in.
I am personally not a morning person and calls aren’t always the best way for me to start my day, but leadership podcasts and a cup of coffee are my personal favorite in terms of being excited to get to my desk by the time my commute ends.
No matter how you multitask your commute time, finding something that sets the tone for a productive day will distract you from traffic and starting off on frustrated footing. Experiment with the above for three weeks (it takes 21 days to form a habit) and see how your productivity changes.
