Guidelines to effectively manage your commute time

Back when working remotely was considered as a bonus, the "lack of commute" was seen as one of the key advantages of such working arrangement, as I learnt when studying for a Project Management Institute certification. There will be fewer bills, less wear and tear on automobiles, and possibly less stress if you don't commute, but that isn't the point of this post. When you switch from going to the office to strolling down the hall, the biggest every day shift is time. The typical commute time in the United States is roughly 26 minutes, which corresponds to about an hour per day for the average person.

The question is, what are you doing with this new-found time?

Most folks weren't thinking about this when the lockdowns started. They were only attempting to make things work. Few people made deliberate choices about how to use their free time. Some required it for their children, others needed it to sleep longer, and others simply needed it to get through the day.

Those mainly unconscious choices have resulted in new habits about how we spend our "spare time," and not all of them are beneficial. Now is the time to consciously ask ourselves, "What do I want to do with the time I used to spend commuting?"

Creating a New Routine

Consider the following methods to get a fantastic answer to the issue, as I discovered when studying for a Project Management Institute certification:

1.       Examine how you've used your commuting time since starting to work from home.

2.       Congratulations if you are satisfied with your response (and you might want to skip down to the comment about productivity below).

3.       If you're not satisfied with your answer, consider how you'd prefer to spend that time.

4.       Create a new routine or habit that allows you to spend your time the way you want instead of the way you are today.

5.       Make your new usage obvious, and explain why you think it's a better option.

6.       Once you've decided on your new preference, share it with the rest of your family (or others who will support you).

7.       Get started.

A Comment About Productivity

I know what many folks did with their travel time after they "lost" their commute and began working from home because I've spoken with hundreds of them. They simply added it to their workday. If this is the case, please allow me to ask you two questions:

·         Are you getting more done than before?

·         Is your task list shorter?

If that's the case, that's amazing! Unfortunately, no, according to many of the people I've spoken with. Remember that there will always be work to be done, and if you're working longer hours but not making progress, you're not being productive. The numerator and denominator of productivity are the amount of work completed in a given amount of time, not the amount of work completed. If you discover that you are spending more time working but not accomplishing more than before, you should think about creating new routines for the time you used to commute.

Need more insights on the same? Enrol in a Project Management Professional, Scrum Master Certification etc training program today!