What To Do On Your Commute

Posted on December 29, 2011 by J. L. Eisenberg

Commuting In Traffic Jam If you think about it, we spend a staggering amount of our lives commuting back and forth to the office. While a half hour every day may not seem like much at the time, if you add all those hours up it’s enough time to write the next great American novel, design a collection for Paris Fashion Week, or answer an entire month’s worth of emails. So how can you make your commuting time more productive?

If you drive yourself to work, the most important thing of course is to keep your eyes and your attention on the road. Still, there are little things you can get done while driving. For example, check out an audio book of that novel you’ve been wanting to read. Even if it looks intimidatingly thick in print, a half hour every day and you’ll be done with that baby in two weeks.

If you take the bus or the train to work, your options are a little broader. You don’t want to dig out all your work stuff if you’re only going to be able to work for 15 minutes, but once again it’s surprising how much you can get done in 15 minutes. Try answering emails on your smart phone or writing down your to-do list for the day ahead of you. If you’d prefer to stay away from work-related pursuits until you actually set foot in the office, bring a small journal with you and do some creative writing or sketching. Or, focus all that planning on the little things you have to do for your family – write thank-you cards, schedule vacations, or go over your daughter’s soccer practice schedule.

Even if you spend the occasional commute zoning out and listening to music (we do it too!), adding more productive pursuits to your morning commute will add up to a surprising amount of things to check off your to-do list.

Photo © TheSupe87 – Fotolia.com

Carpooling To Work

Posted on December 26, 2011 by J. L. Eisenberg

As easy as Dash Bumstead and his coworkers make it seem, organizing an office carpool is no mean feat. Between unexpected sick days and varying schedules, it can often seem impossible to get everyone in the same car at the same time on any sort of regular basis. Carpooling, however, is much better for the environment and your bottom line than driving your own car to work every day, so here are a few tips for getting (and keeping) your office carpool running smoothly.

First, it’s important to establish a schedule of who will be driving on what day. Rather than alternating daily, which can quickly get confusing, it’s easiest to switch off on a weekly or monthly basis.

Even if you’re planning for everyone in your carpool to spend an equivalent amount of time driving, come up with a system for reimbursement in case your regular driver gets sick or goes on vacation, and somebody ends up driving more than the others. Come up with a per-extra-day rate, and remember to pay the driver promptly. This will keep people from becoming disillusioned with the carpool if they end up having to do some extra driving.

Finally, assign each driver an alternate in case they get sick or go on vacation. Usually, this should be the person who’s going to be driving the next week or the next month anyway. Make sure that each person has a way to promptly reach the others in the carpool – business email addresses aren’t going to cut it if the driver wakes up with a fever ten minutes before work starts.

Carpooling to work is a great way to get to know your coworkers, save some cash, and do your part for the environment. With some advance planning, it doesn’t have to be a struggle to get you and your coworkers to work on time every day.

Photo © treenabeena – Fotolia.com

Biking To Work

Posted on December 22, 2011 by J. L. Eisenberg

happy worker with bicycle Whether you’re worried about the environment or just the state of your thighs after the holiday season, there’s no lack of good reasons to start biking to work. Being out in the fresh air is invigorating in the morning, you don’t have to pay for gas, insurance, or parking, and of course biking can burn up to 500 calories per hour. If the last bike you rode had four wheels and streamers on the handlebars, here’s what you need to make bicycle commuting safe and enjoyable.

1. A good bike! If you’re prepared to commit to riding it often, buying a good commuter bike will make a huge difference in the ease of your commute. Look for one with a lightweight frame, tires with traction to combat slippery roads, and a basket or rack to hold your stuff.

2. Bright clothes. Lets face it – you’re not going to able to swing your leg over your bike in a pencil skirt anyways, so why bother trying to ride in your office clothes? Wear a pair of lightweight pants, flat shoes, a brightly colored jacket to increase visibility, and of course a helmet. Bring your office clothes with you and change in the bathroom. If you’re worried about getting sweaty, a couple of wet-wipes should do the trick.

3. Brush up on your bike etiquette. If the last bike you rode was a stationary one, make sure you know right-of-way laws and hand signals to keep you safe on the road. If you can, try to plan out your route in advance to avoid busy areas.

Biking to work is a fun way to get some exercise and do your part for the environment while you’re at it. With the right gear, biking will soon be as second nature as getting on the freeway.

Photo © tiero – Fotolia.com

Transportation Alternatives

Posted on December 14, 2011 by R. A. M.

Business traveler with luggage Sometimes we worry so much about what’s going on at work and what we’re actually doing there that we don’t give much thought to how we’re getting there. We should.

Getting to work really sets the tone for your outlook and performance. It launches the day. No rocket gets into outer space without take off. If getting to work fills you with tension and anger, then that will be how you start your day. Studies have shown that those who arrive at work in an agitated state of mind will be much less productive than those who walk in feeling happy and eager to meet the day’s challenges.

As you contemplate this news, consider the ways in which you can get to work. There is driving, of course. The advantage is independence, but it’s not economical or especially green. There is walking, if you live close enough to work, and if you do, this mode of arrival is highly recommended. Going to work this way allows you to connect with the environment around you in a deeper way than driving allows.

Carpooling is an option. This method somewhat eliminates the transition between home and work because you are going to the job in what amounts to a movable coffee break. Cycling is a good option, though if you have to dress up for work, it may be a messy one. Taking the bus or subway or commuter train can be relaxing and fun. You can commune with fellow travelers or sit quietly reading poetry or a novel. There are many options. Try several, and see what works best for you.

Photo © Sergiy Serdyuk – Fotolia.com

How You Get To Work

Posted on October 23, 2011 by R. A. M.

Commuters How you get to work each day says a lot about you to your co-workers.

If you take the bus, you’re a seasoned urban dweller/traveler. You’ve lived in cities more than the suburbs. That is one story about you that taking the bus says. Another is that you’re sweating out a DUI until your license is reactivated. A third tale has you riding the bus because you are frugal, or cheap. All of these judgments are in the eye of the beholder.

If you ride the train to work, you may be viewed as an environmentally conscious commuter, or as a carless sad sack who has no option other than the train or subway; still, trains are more romantic modes of travel than buses, so you have that going for you.

Carpooling is perhaps the most popular way to get to work these days. Carpooling says that you are frugal and environmentally friendly. That’s a winning combo in the eyes of your peers. Carpooling also offers the added benefit of spending more quality time with your fellow workers. Of course, this may be a drawback, too, if you have a prickly relationship with someone in the car. Hopefully, you have created a carpooling team that harmonizes.

Finally, you may drive your own car. Too expensive a car will tell others that you are egotistical and lording it over others, while driving a battered, old car will suggest that you may not manage your money well, or that you just have lazy, slovenly taste.

All joking aside, any of these options are entirely valid, but carpooling is particularly advantageous. Carpooling has become not only a viable and affordable option for many these days, but is rapidly becoming a necessarily in many cities due to long traffic delays, smog reduction efforts, and the need for reduced stress levels. Call your local Chamber of Commerce or DMV for carpooling options near you. Or, you can also start one on your own by posting a flyer on the bulletin board at work, or by putting an ad in the newspaper or on Craigslist.

Carpooling

Posted on October 19, 2011 by R. A. M.

carpool vehicles only sign

Carpooling can be one of the best things about your job, or it can be a living hell.

With everyone today seeking to save money, with the price of gas and car repairs, and with global warming creating all sorts of wild and dangerous new weather, carpooling makes more sense than it ever has.

It would all be so easy of we could pick our carpooling partners, but that almost never happens. You wind up carpooling with people who live relatively near you, and some of them may not be your favorite people on then job. But that isn’t enough to refuse to carpool, and it’s not an excuse for passive-aggressive, bad behavior on your part.

Rather, think of carpooling as a kind of spiritual practice. It’s hard first thing in the morning to jump into a packed car and chat with people you’ll be seeing off and on all day at work. You need to make an effort to connect with each and every person in the car with you, and that’s not always easy. Some mornings you feel crabby; others you feel like sinking into yourself in silence. You need to focus, though, and overcome these feelings. Think of your carpool experience as a concentrated exercise in community building. It really is that, you know. You can find out things about yourself, about your capacity for tolerance and compassion, that you might not learn in any other way. Make the effort to be a good fellow traveler, even if you start out being annoyed by some others in your vehicle. Accomplish this much, and observe how the skills you learn in carpooling seep into your time on the job in positive ways.

Carpooling

Posted on October 16, 2011 by R. A. M.

carpool sign Carpooling can be one of the best things about your job, or it can be a living hell.