If you are like me, you may find that there are times when you arrive early to a destination or have some time to kill between appointments or kids’ activities. This is the perfect time to catch up on things or you can even use this free time to take a nap.
If you know that you will have some extra car time, be prepared and bring a few things with you that you may want to do with that extra time. Need a little inspiration? Here’s a list of things that I do and you can too with that extra car time…
Pay your Bills – Easily dash off a few of these in less than 10 minutes. Many services have online bill pay options, or you can pay through your bank account. If you write checks or there are bills that cannot be paid online, plan ahead by taking your statements, envelopes & stamps with you.
Read – I try to keep at least one magazine and a book in my car or errand bag to take advantage of unexpected reading time.
Study or Catch up on your Trade Articles – Taking a course or learning on your own? Bring your educational materials. I get a monthly trade magazine, and there are also online articles that I can access from my phone.
Reach out to Friends and Family – Use the time to make a call or send a text. This is one of the easiest ways to stay in touch. I often scan through past texts so I can connect with people on a regular basis.
Respond to Emails – An easy way to boost productivity and capture time that would otherwise be lost.
Take a Nap – Don’t forget to set your phone alarm! … enough said
Take a Walk, Exercise or Get some Fresh Air – Have sneakers and sunscreen in your car for these occassions. I’ve talked about this idea before, and keep my car stocked with these things. Go to the Gym? I keep my gym bag in the car. Fortunately, my gym membership allows me to use other locations for free!, so I can fit in some exercise when away from home. I’ve also been known to sneek off to the beach when I had an unexpected client cancellation and was already on the road. A little preparation can bring some lovely serendipity into your world!
Run Errands from your To-Do List – I will especially take advantage of this if I am traveling to a location that might have a specialty store that isn’t around my own hometown.
Update your To-Do List – This is a great time to go over and update the list of things you want and need to do. With the quiet and no interruptions while waiting in my car, I find that I can focus on my to-do’s and what is most important to get done.
What kinds of things do you do with extra car time? Are you prepared just in case or do you plan on it? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below!
