4 of 29

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

requires a bit more hardware, as a fairly powerful computer and a good quality microphone are important for high accuracy. The benefits of this increased hardware is transcription. It is possible to dictate long, flowing chains of thoughts in a coherent manner and not have to retype it later. An example would be a reporter who could complete the first draft of an article while driving back from the interview.

II. Alternative

Even better would be finding an alternative to doing the commute. Not having to spend time commuting will give you that much more time to find something productive to do.

Eliminate the Commute

There are several ways to eliminate or reduce a commute. The first would be to modify your job to allow telecommuting or find a new one that allows it. The second would be to live as close to work as possible. The third would be to have somebody else do the commute for you.

Telecommuting consists of establishing and using an office at home to do your work. It only works well for those people in an information job. Most assembly line jobs have trouble finding ways to effectively telecommute. The big risk with telecommuting is that the lack of face time with co-workers can cause problems. Many telecommuters avoid that issue by coming in to the office at least part time.

Living closer to work offers many benefits. First is that it minimizes the time and money spent commuting. It can also make it easier to come home for lunches and otherwise increase time spent with the family. The downside here is that it often costs more to live close when you work for a major employer and when the office is located in a metropolitan area.

The third option is to have somebody else get you to and from work. In many cases this will be using mass transit. Having somebody else drive frees you up to read a real book, do work before you get to work, or spend time on your own efforts and projects. If mass transit does not work, even sharing the ride with a carpool can give you at least some of the benefit while costing you less money.

Summary

As most of us will agree, having to commute is not a fun fact of life. Those of us who live in major cities will probably agree with the most enthusiasm. Finding ways to make that commute more productive and creative will be beneficial for us all.

What all of these alternatives have in common is that they are seeking to give you as much of that commute time as possible to do something positive with your life. This is by giving you new information to absorb, offering a way to be productive, or just by limiting the amount of time spent commuting to give you more time to use as you see fit.

Good luck, be productive and avoid those traffic jams.

Learn more about this author, Jack Thornton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Transforming tedium to creative growth while commuting to work?
We want to hear your view. Write now!