Turning your commute into a mobile university is the most productive way to invest in yourself. Being stuck in traffic doesn’t have to be boring. You just haven’t found the right way to make the most of the situation.

Ever since I heard the term “mobile university” a few years back, I questioned why I never thought about it that way. A method of expanding my knowledge whether it be self-help, health related, or (my personal favorite) personal finance during an activity I spend doing the majority of my work week, driving to work.

For most of us, that means actually driving a vehicle. But the concept holds true for commutes via train, bike, carpool, or just plain old walking. It really doesn’t matter, the logic behind the idea holds no boundaries. However you prefer to travel, it applies the same way.

The point is, make the most use of your commute – or as I like to call it “downtime” – to further grow your knowledge in various areas of life.

Here is a list of 5 great tips to keep you productive during your commute.

Table of Contents

Listen to Podcasts
Listen to Audiobooks
Use Voice Capture for Easy and Safe Note Taking
Declutter Your Email Inbox
Check Your Budget
Reflect on Life

1. Listen to Podcasts

Commuting is the ideal time to tune into the various entertainment your phone has to offer you. One of which I prefer most are podcasts. These episodic series of audio allow me to just be a “fly on the wall” and soak up all the knowledge I possibly can.

If you’re interested in a specific topic, most likely you can find a podcast for it. It’s easy to search for and the best part is, your phone will feed you recommended podcasts based on your previous selections. All of this is for free!

You won’t have to worry about running out of podcasts to listen to because they are a plenty. With categories ranging from self-help to marriage to finance, you can bet on learning a lot. Did I mention that they’re free?

2. Listen to Audiobooks

Another favorite pastime of mine. Audiobooks can make those long rides feel shorter that by the end of your drive, you’ll be excited to get back on the road again and pick up your book where you left off.

Similar to podcasts, there is a wide variety of audiobooks to choose from. Basically, just think of a public library on steroids.

A big difference from podcasts are, these usually aren’t free. You can either purchase the books individually or pay for a subscription based service that’ll give you credits. Those credits can then be used to add audiobooks to your personal library.

Apps like Audible and Overdrive offer their readers access to any book they can get their ears on. Just sign up and you’re on your way!

If you’re looking to take notes from what you’ve listened to, don’t write them down or type them up on your phone. No, it’s unsafe for you so don’t do it. There are other ways of getting those notes into your phone.

3. Use Voice Capture for Easy and Safe Note Taking

Ahh the luxuries of modern day technology! It’s a beautiful ability to see those words typing across the screen of my phone without me having to lift a finger. It feels like some sort of superpower. The great part is you can use it too.

For those long notes that you don’t feel like manually typing, use the voice activated mode to scribble your notes down with. It’s way quicker – and safer – than the traditional way.

Personally, I use Google Keep for keeping my notes. It’s an electronic post-it note that links to all my Google devices. Side note: you could add other users to your Google Keep so they are up to speed with your notes. Works well with my spouse.

The only downfall is jumping out of your podcast or audiobook to take the note. But a work-around is to take your notes at the end of chapter or episode. If you’re like me with poor short term memory, you’ll be bouncing back and forth between apps. That just means far less information is being missed in my notes.

4. Declutter Your Email Inbox

Save yourself the headache of seeing all those irrelevant email in your inbox later in the day when you are in your most productive state. Take this time to delete ads, gimmick offers, flyers, and unsolicited letters. Any and all spam should be deleted.

You may receive messages about winning a huge sum of money or phishing scams attempting to steal your identity. Those types of fraudulent activity are popular amongst email messages.

Every now and then I’ll scrub my inbox to unsubscribe from many them. It serves no purpose in the simple life I try to live.

If time allows, reply to any important emails. But even if you don’t get to them now, at least you’ll have less to go through later.

5. Check Your Budget

There are many apps out there to help you with tracking your budget. The final choice comes down to personal preference in what you’re looking for.

Basically, how does this app align with your personal finances?

You have choices like Mint, YNAB (You Need a Budget), Personal Capital, and many more. Many people find different pros and cons for each so test them out before you jump in 100%.

Personally I use Mint simply because it was the first one I signed up for back in 2013. There are few tweaks that I’d like it to have but it does the job for me and what I’m looking for.

If you have a bunch of accounts, it’ll take some time linking them to a finance app so choose your app wisely. It will be investment of your time to link them properly.

Once you’re done with that, you have the ease of seeing your progress in the palm of your hand.

Viewing my budget has helped with identifying discrepancies earlier rather than later. This has helped my wife and I stay on the same page with our budget.

Plus, it’s a great reminder to see whether you are financially heading in the right direction or not.

7 Reasons Why Budgeting Is Important

6. Reflect on Life

Take time to assess your personal situation and prep your mind for what’s to come. The Law of Attraction defines your mind as a magnet, so think of what you want out of life to strengthen that law.

It’ll be difficult to attract that which you are not prepared for. A good practice is to recall where you’ve been, criticize where you are, and forecast where you are heading.

Use this method for all areas of your life. One of the best ways to implement this is to take your personal goals and compare them against your actions.

Are your actions speaking louder than your words? Or do you need to step up your game?

It helps to have a long commute where I can just sit with my thoughts alone, in peace. In fact, I purposely look for ways where I can park further from my office so that I can just walk and think before getting into the hustle and bustle.

If you have kids in the family, you’ll know how important that alone time is.

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Conclusion

If you are stuck in traffic or during a normal commute, take advantage of every opportunity to be productive. Give yourself the best chance to learn something new or expand on what you already know. Make this time work effectively so you can feel more refreshed upon arriving at work or home.

What are ways you stay productive during your down time? Has this advanced you closer to or further away from your goals?

6 Awesome Tips For Staying Productive During Your Commute