When I left my job 9-5 years ago, I used to be anxious about my 45 minutes commute between work and home. I would become frustrated thinking about all the things I could have done for my company rather than being stuck in dead, sluggish traffic.
What I didn’t know at the moment was that evening and morning commutes can be an extremely important time to develop your company and escape the world forever. Actually, the time in the car could be the only time to yourself during the majority of the time, when there are only a few distractions (emails and Facebook, Twitter colleagues, family friends, etc.).
If you’re an entrepreneur who has a side hustle that goes along with your business, you’ll need to master managing your time quickly. This is why making the most of your commute every day between work and the home job is so crucial. Instead of using the time to enjoy your favorite music or reminiscing about the last argument you had with your spouse or your boss, you’d like to take advantage of it to study new things and increase your knowledge.
Businesses are built on ideas that go beyond working hard. It isn’t always necessary to have the use of a computer, a networking event, or a sales pitch to expand your business. If you think more broadly or develop new ideas, gain fresh perspectives, or acquire new techniques, you are expanding your business as you’re becoming more of an individual and an executive. Also, you’re increasing the amount of your “human capital” which will benefit you for the rest of your lives, regardless of which field of work or profession you are involved in.
Here are 5 ways that you can think more broadly and uncover new concepts in the time you spend driving (or bus or train) making the commute for your job…
1. Use your commute to work: Take a listen to an audio business book
There are many amazing (and others that can change your life) business books available on the market. Sometimes, I wish I could instantly absorb their information of them by osmosis and then use it to propel the business I run to higher levels. Actually listening to the audio version is pretty similar. Go to Audible for the newest and best business books you can instantly listen to on your iPod or any other audio device.
2. Use Your commute to work You can listen to business podcasts
Another option to use an hour of your time is to tune into podcasts for business. Podcasts are an excellent way to increase understanding and help keep you up-to-date with the latest trends in business. Since podcasts are developed and updated regularly and are updated regularly, they will keep you up to date with the latest ideas, latest technologies marketing techniques including social media, and other tools for business (unlike books that may contain outdated information).
3rd Method to Make Use of Your commute to work Find an excellent audio business course
The most innovative ideas can be derived from listening to business education courses. I’ve heard courses from Ali Brown, Eden Pagan, David Siteman Garland, Naomi at IttyBiz, and many more and always picked up useful knowledge that will take my company to new heights. Some experts offer training classes at no cost, however many offer training courses on the internet if they have one. Select a business professional you like and trust, and invest in learning more about them and learning more about them.
4th Way to Utilize Your Commute to Work: Download the TEDtalks app
With the TEDtalks application, you can hear “world’s most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus, and music legends” any time and anywhere on your Smartphone. Doesn’t that sound pretty great, does it? It’s a great opportunity to generate new ideas and gain new perspectives for your company and in your daily life.
5th Method to Make the Most of your commute to work Relax and enjoy the silence.
Not the least, but certainly not the last, one method to make the most of your commute to work office is to be seated. What can you do to increase your sales? It’s not easy for fresh ideas to come into your brain racing at 1000 miles per hour. (And we’ve already discovered that successful business has their foundations on IDEAS which is why you require your ideas to flow.)
If you’re always trying to absorb new information, working at a rapid pace, and constantly trying out new strategies that it’s not giving the brain enough time to catch up. You’ll be in a rut and eventually exhausted (which is bound to adversely affect the business). Make sure to take every day each week to relax.