Sitting in a restrictive seat for mile after mile, you may wonder if you'll ever arrive at your destination. You worry about the work left at the office or the housework that never got done. You think about all the phone calls you should make or the unfinished letter to your sister. Perhaps the grocery shopping weighs on your mind, or the untended yard work presses on your conscience.
Instead of frittering away your time over minute details like these, why not put your time to good use and reap a harvest of benefits by the time you arrive?
1. Bring along your bills and sort them. Arrange by due-date or alphabetize them by the creditor's name. If you have a lap desk or something to write on, you can even make out checks to pay your bills, then mail them at your next stop if you brought postage or can buy it. Clip and file coupons in your organizer. Write invitations or thank-you notes.
2. Use your cell phone to catch up on contacts with friends and family or work-related calls. Keep a notepad beside you to jot down ideas, suggestions, or tasks that come up in each conversation. Then you won't have to rely on your memory later to figure you what you agreed to do or which color you're going to use for the party.
3. Send emails on your laptop. Confirm reservations, send clients a status report, or forward babysitting instructions. You can pre-check a holiday gift list with another family member or check with your supervisor about various matters that await your return. Collaborate with a coworker on a project idea. Send someone a celebratory e-card.
4. Browse the Internet on your laptop. Conduct research for your next grant proposal, check out competitors' products, or click on weather reports for your estimated arrival time. With Internet access you can pretty much do whatever is needed, depending on your time and interest. Create a spreadsheet for a new family budget, or sketch an outline for a departmental reorganization. Order movie tickets or check out possible sits for next year’s vacation.
5. Bring along a craft or hobby. Work on your afghan. Stitch a few quilting squares. Start knitting a scarf. Whatever your interests in life, there is probably some way you can explore it through your down time on a long-distance motor trip. Write a love poem. Develop a skit. Draft a proposal.
6. Don't forget to exercise. While seated for several hours, be sure to stretch your legs and work the calf muscles to get rid of stiffness and help prevent blood clots. Get up or out and stretch when possible, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Move your feet back and forth to improve blood circulation. Gently stretch each muscle group.
Spending hours restricted to one location can be taxing. Use your ingenuity to explore ways of making this time fruitful so that you arrive with a sense of accomplishment rather than loss.
