This week we are exhibiting at the first ever ‘Working From Home Show’ all without a single minute of commute time.
Every week now we are receiving calls from companies that are talking to us about changing the status quo and adapting to more home working following the global experiment of the past 5 months.
The upshot of all this, is that you and I and most people around the globe are looking for an opportunity to do less commuting, spend less time travelling, improve our general quality of life and increase our wellbeing too. Property guru’s tell us city house prices are set to decline as people move to the suburbs to capitalise on a better lifestyle, all facilitated via the increase in home working.
This change is huge, it’s truly life changing, at least it can be if you switch on and realise the potential. Here’s how to do it…
The current average commute time in the UK is a very accurate 84 minutes! That equates to 14 full 24 hour days a year. If you nudge that up to say 2 hours commute per day, you are spending 20 days of your life moving backwards and forwards to work. So here’s what the smart home workers are doing. They are investing that time.
It would be very easy to lose it, or in other words not take advantage of it. Just to let it morph into the new way of life. The alternative is to make some choices with that time and make those choices count. Here are three things (and there could be hundreds of other suggestions) you could do to make those additional days count.
Replace the commute with something of value
Firstly – Improve your wellbeing
Probably the first consideration should be how to improve your personal wellbeing. Our health is finite, sooner than you imagine the years will catch up with you and it will (I promise you) become a greater priority. You can take the topic of wellbeing in a thousand different directions, but work out what you need and substitute your commute time for it.
Secondly – Work at your relationships
Unattended, strained or broken relationships create heartache sorrow and long lasting pain. We are humans, we thrive on love care and attention. Our relationships are utterly precious and they can give and give again if tended, cared for and nurtured. Don’t make the mistake that you need to receive before you give. It’s the opposite, give generously to others, expect nothing in return, and the benefits will be invaluable. Choose your people carefully, an ancient proverbs suggests ‘One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ Invest your time in those you are closest too.
Thirdly – Enrich your own capability.
Investing in your own knowledge, skills and capabilities will never be a waste. Identify an area that you would like to develop and get down to it. Enrol on a course, join a programme, read, explore, be inquisitive. Enrich your ability by learning, developing, so that you are better than before. Effective people spend quality time on things that matter. Your own growth and improvement should matter so work out what you need and use the time effectively.
Bob Bannister
Ships Captain
