We are going to solve this dilemma once and for all today with suggestions for how you can use your time more productively as a passenger to get work done. First off, if your driver needs navigation help or has questions they are always your first priority, especially if you are in the front passenger seat. These tips are also useful for those who are passengers in a plane, train or bus.
Be a More Productive Passenger by Getting Work Done in the Car
There are a lot of options for fun, productive activities, but we are going to focus here on getting work done. Here are a few ways to be a productive passenger as someone with an online business and little to no wifi access on the road:
Write articles either on your iPad, laptop or using a Livescribe pen (my favorite). Writing articles while a passenger is one of my favorite uses of car time. Brainstorm with Mindmeister on an iPad, or simply with a pen and paper. Topics to brainstorm about: think about where your business is going in the next few years, map out a new product idea, or come up with article ideas. Record a video for visitors to your website or social media hangouts. Use the new Instagram Video for short messages and upload them immediately or record longer messages with SocialCam or iMovie. Edit videos on your laptop and prepare them to upload when you have wifi access again. Create Infographics or other photos messages to share with your readers or on social media. Watch training videos – I bet you are like me and there are a lot of things you want to learn more about in order to grow your business, but it can be hard to find time to watch all of this material. Watch videos on your iPad or laptop, be sure to use a headset out of consideration for your driver, and consider speeding up the playback with eNounce (laptop) or Swift (iPad). Read training material – I save small eBooks and pdfs of training material to Evernote to a Notebook that I make sure is fully downloaded on my iPad for offline access. These notes are great reading while on the road. Alternately, save them to your Kindle or your computer’s hard drive. Take notes while you learn – I use a Livescribe (Sky) pen and notebook to take notes while I read or watch training material. This way I can also write ideas on how I can personally use the information and with the Sky pen it will upload those notes automatically to Evernote when I am back on my home wifi network. You can also simply use a pen and paper. Assess where you are – Look back at the goals you have for your business. Are you on track to reaching them, or have you gotten derailed by shiny objects? Use some of your time as a productive passenger to assess your position. Make a strategic plan – If your goals aren’t clear, define them now. Write them down and be sure you put them in a place where you can easily access them and see them often. Start making a plan to reach those goals. Write your to do lists – Write out your general “need to do” list for the next 6 months, 3 months, 1 month, and for the coming week. Use these lists to reference your daily to-do list against—are you doing the activities today that will help you reach those larger to-dos? Don’t forget to make sure your to-dos are in line with your business goals.
Do you have a favorite way to be a productive passenger that wasn’t covered above? Be sure to share it with us in the comments below.
