I hate commuting; between going into the city from long Island to taking the subway from client to client, it adds up to about 20 hours of traveling per week.
I'm not here to complain; I love what I do. It's rewarding and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Instead, I’m here to touch upon a little solution I found to make those dull, extensive trips more bearable and productive, and to explain how it relates to well-being.
For years, I would use those 20 hours of travel time to listen to mindless sports talk radio, or just watch people on the subway (disclaimer: the subway isn’t the place to people watch…some things you just can’t unsee!).
I regularly told myself “I don’t have time to read or learn more!”, which is crazy- because if you think about it, those 20 hours I spend commuting are equivalent to working a part time job. Once I made learning a priority, I made better use of my time.
I started listing to audio books and subscribing to podcasts. I used my down time efficiently. It didn’t take much effort- just a bit more organization.
I read (listen to) a lot of books on personal and business development, biographies, fitness, and nutrition. For example, some of my favorites are "4 hour work week”, “4 hour body”,”Born to Run”, “10% happier”, “The Tipping Point”, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, ”Steve Jobs”, ”Sam Walton: Made in America”, “The Power of Habit”, and “Outliers".
I try to use the app “Hoopla” to listen to them; it connects to your library card, and you can access books and audio books for free. However, it doesn’t contain many titles. Thus, I usually use Audible to buy audio books. If it's made in audio book, they always seem to have it!
This makes it super convenient to focus on while commuting. No excuses, right?
On top of the audio books, there are a bunch of podcasts I listen to regularly. Here are a few I like: "The Tim Ferris Show", "How I Build This", "Eventual Millionaire", and "This American life" (depending on the topic).
If you have any book or podcast recommendations, I'm always looking for something new. I love spending those 20 hours commuting like this; the audio books and podcasts relate to the things that I love- fitness, health, and business. Not to mention, they're very enlightening and teach me a ton, so I feel much more productive.
There are always ways to better yourself and become the person you want to be. When it becomes important enough, the time is found.
I have been working with clients for more than 10 years. In that time, I have learned that no one person (including myself) can make anyone change. Real life change must come from a genuine place, and not until they are truly ready. Success will be achieved when the decision has been made and the effort is put in. I am not saying there is a switch, and that when you flip it you’ll magically become a different person. Self-improvement of any kind is a process; there will be ups and downs. Keep moving forward and make small changes that bring you closer to your goals.
I have had struggles in the past with committing to change, and still do. Think about why you want it. The reason for doing anything must be powerful enough to outweigh the initial discomfort.
Figure out what’s important, and go get it.