I had just been hired for a new job. Yay for being able to pay the bills! And, it was going to be doing work I enjoyed more than my previous job. But there was one significant drawback.

My commute was 55 minutes to work and 65 minutes back home. Two hours a day — every workday — gone. Ouch!

Sometimes I drove in silence, but mostly I listened to my favorite music. But soon that felt very unintentional. If only there was something constructive I could do with that time!

So I gathered all of my educational materials on audio.

First I chose to go through many hours of German language audio lessons. It was a daunting goal of mine for the year. But thanks to my commute, I finished all of my lessons in several weeks!

And why not read those audiobooks I’ve always wanted to? I started chipping away at my list of books to read, one at a time.

I love using commute time for personal growth. I now have a shorter commute, but I am still able to finish my monthly reading goals while driving to and from work! You really don’t have to be a genius or even a fast reader to get through many books every year.

But I don’t always read. As needed, I will “unplug” during my commute to pray or meditate. Remember, the real point is to be intentional with this time.

Consider your other options… Call friends. Pray. Meditate. Think through difficult problems. Prepare for the day. Relax and decompress. Listen to peaceful or uplifting music. Read biographies and other non-fiction. Learn a new language. Have engaging conversations with your spouse.

Growth.

No matter what you do with that time, be intentional about it!