If you’re like me you need to drive a little bit every week. And by a little bit I mean: at least 5 hours a week I’m sitting in my car. This isn’t a bad thing, though. I’ve put together a list of my 5 favorite things to do while commuting:

  1. Listen to an audiobook: I always complain about not having time to read but that’s obviously not true. If you have the ability to focus on the traffic and the story then you’re on easy street. Even better: listen to an executive book summary every day and get just the bite-sized details out of non-fiction books.
  2. Learn a new language: I’ve used Pimsleur audio lessons to learn some pretty basic Mandarin Chinese. The lessons are thirty minutes long and I’m sure I entertain people driving around me as I sit there talking to myself.
  3. Catch up with people: At the end of the day you’re probably not the only one stuck in traffic. Your friends are probably home by now so why not give them a call and catch up? Use a hands-free set though; I hate it when you’re obviously on the phone not paying attention.
  4. Collect your thoughts: Instead of trying to fill all your time with productivity why not enjoy the seclusion and silence? Just sit and focus on what you’re going to or have accomplished that day. What decisions do you need some time to sit and think about?
  5. Understand the world’s events: Listen to the news on NPR or a local AM radio station. Gather opinions on both sides of issues on local talk radio. It gives you something interesting to talk about with people.

Those are just some of the things I do in the car. What about you?