Win extra time: commute to work differently

Discover time-saving new commute strategies with a groundbreaking commuting approach, the “postponed commute” concept. A simple change in your commute timing can potentially win an extra time, now wasted and spent traveling to work. Uncover benefits, practical insights, and challenges associated with this innovative strategy. Get your chance to optimize productivity, get you a better work-life balance, and have more time to achieve more in your life.

Time wasted on the road

Most people spend 40 minutes commuting to work every day. That's 1 hour and 20 minutes each day. If you add it up, it's like spending 13 whole days traveling to work in a single year. And when you think about your whole working life, it's like spending 1 year and 7 months just going to and back from work.

The world's longest average commute on public or shared transportation is in Istanbul, Turkey — it takes 77 minutes. New York ties with Bangkok in Thailand with 58 minutes commute. And communing in London takes on average 46 minutes. Europe seems to be generally “faster” with just 25 minutes. Yet again, these are averages biased by the European more compact landscape and rural areas. In cities however, even the European travel time jumps up to half an hour per one ride.

So when we lose so much time commuting due the traffic, what if we postpone(!) the commute to work to avoid the traffic jams?

When I tested this idea, I was able to cut my 50 minutes morning commute to just 25 minutes! That cut my commute time to half! And save me 25 minutes. In a long term run, I was be able to save 13 hours every month and almost 7 precious days in a year — otherwise completely wasted in a traffic jam.

But wait a minute! I hear you shouting — “We cannot afford to arrive to work at 10 o’clock! That’s nonsense! That’s not possible!”

It’s fair to say that it really depends on your job — but when working in the office, I rarely see any rational and real reason why everybody should be there at 9 a.m. Your work should be about what you do and achieve, not about how much time you spend at a certain location. Just remember the pandemic times: almost everybody was working from home.

So with postponed commute strategy, I started to work in the morning from home. Usually around 08:30 I was already deep into my working agenda. And I was checking the navigation app, waiting for the traffic to fade away. My trigger was once the estimated commute time shrank under 25 minutes. Then I briskly packed my laptop and drove conveniently to the office, arriving just before 10 a.m. — but with more than one hour of work already under my belt!

So I was still dedicating the same amount of time to my job, just with a short 20 minutes interruption to change the locations. Some people spend that much time just to make their morning coffee. Or for a cigarette break.

I started to call this technique “a postponed commute”. And I see it as a perfect win-win tactics.

Postponed commute: does it work for you?

The very first and essential prerequisite is the nature — the type — of your commuting. Basically, if the traffic is not affecting your commute times, there’s unfortunately no time to save.

The second enabler is the type of your job. Obviously, if you must be physically present in the office, in the workshop or anywhere you do what you do — not much to be done here. But — if you have the flexibility, the postponed commute may be for you.

Why not commute earlier?

But why not try the counter-idea, why not to commute to work much earlier instead? Like to be in the office already at 8 a.m. — or even at 7 a.m.? You would still avoid the rush hour — without any need to combine remote work and onsite work. And without any interruption.

The trouble with this approach is that you will not save any time for yourself. Let’s face it. On the contrary. Because throughout the day, the meetings are running longer, urgent task need to be completed, inputs from your colleagues are delayed, an unexpected call is scheduled for 5 p.m., and so on. You can much better control your diary at the beginning of the day than at the end of the day.

The conclusion

Many of us spend an astonishing amount of time commuting to and from work each year. This time is often unproductive and feels wasted. But a simple change in the timing of your commute can significantly impact your day. By shifting the commute time to avoid rush hours, you may be able to cut your travel time, allowing for a more productive and less stressful start to your workday.

However, this "postponed commute" strategy is not without its challenges. Factors such as traffic dependency, company culture, and the nature of your job might influence its feasibility.

Remember, while the "postponed commute" can be a helpful life hack, it's crucial to prioritize work commitments and respect the schedules of others. Flexibility and effective communication are key when implementing these changes in your commute routine.

But ultimately, this technique offers a way to utilize your commute time more effectively. It's about finding balance between personal productivity and workplace responsibilities, all while creating a better work-life harmony.