What would you do with 100 minutes a day?
I waste 100 minutes a day and I need your help to be more productive.
Everyone has this problem to some degree. My daily commute is roughly 45-50 minutes one way each day. Granted I am driving so I really can’t do much in my car. I just feel like I’m wasting time every day.
For the record, the reason I have such a long commute is because my husband attends the University of Washington and is studying graduate-level physics. I drive in the opposite direction to get to work. Moving closer to my work is not an option because it makes his commute longer (and he already spends roughly 60 hours a week on his studies and research). If anything we are considering moving closer to Seattle because he would have a better bus ride to school.
So let the suggestions flow. No idea is too silly or difficult for me to consider. Currently I listen to two NPR stations on the way to and from work (my commute straddles two station boundaries). Sometimes I call relatives or friends during my commute. It should be obvious that I should be able to retain my driving ability while doing whatever it is you suggest.
Cross posting to Wired Journalists, so you can comment either here or there. I’ll post a follow up with suggestions sometime next week.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Kate,
I, too, have a long commute, much out it out of cell-phone service areas. I do the NPR thing as well. I’ve learned that some days, though, I need to think. Quietly, sometimes, like a daydream. Other times, I need to think aloud, and that’s where the recorder comes in handy. I’ve written great ledes and horrible ledes, outlined stories and made shopping lists.
I tried books on CD, but my car player is so old that the new CDs won’t play.
Humming is another alternative, as is belting out Christmas tunes from November 15 to December 26.
Wish we could carpool!
Lisa