Is your morning commute helping or hurting the start to your day?

Two years ago my wife and I made the decision to relocate from Manhattan to the suburbs of New Jersey. You have heard the story a million times from new or expecting professional parents living in metro areas across the globe: baby number two on the way; need more space; never thought I would leave the conveniences of the big city; and then in a flash here I am smack dab in the middle of suburbia. The commute is always a key factor in this trade off debate and I found myself with a 15-minute walk to the train station in town – on the express line direct to Penn Station – and a two-block walk to the office. Leave on the 7 a.m. train and be in the office by 7:45 – no problem, right? Enter the reality of having two kids under the age of three in daycare, both of us in new, high pressure jobs that we are fully invested in, and no family nearby to help – a scenario millions of professionals with kids are dealing with every day. I found not having the right approach to my morning routine and commute was really hurting my energy and productivity at the office and it’s taken me about two years to finally assimilate to a routine that works. Here are five tips that work for me:

1. Trade in the late night television for a couple more hours of sleep.

It sounds basic, yet for someone with a history of being a night owl, it was not easy to do – especially with young children. When you get the opportunity, take it. You can start with simple trade-offs: Do you really need to watch one more re-run of Law and Order SVU or Scarface, which you stumbled upon while surfing at 9:59 p.m.? Use your DVR, let go of the last show, get to bed an hour earlier, and you will reap major rewards in the morning.

2. The early bird gets the worm.

I made a brilliant discovery about 8 months ago: from 5 to 7 a.m., before the rest of the house wakes up, I am free to do whatever I want. Lately my worm has been the gym and an increased focus on my health – but it varies, and just having the time to do a few things around the house without my two-year-old clutching my left leg is a nice break and very rewarding.

3. Be fully committed as Dad.

Once the rest of my family is up and the kids start the routine, it’s essential to be fully engaged and present. When we first moved to the suburbs and I was getting ready for work with the kids I would constantly look for opportunities to check email on my phone. There is nothing worse than sneaking a peak at your email (99.9% of which are not urgent) while feeding your kid a bowl of Cheerios. You’re not doing either well and candidly it just doesn’t feel good. I'm fortunate to work for a company that values finding harmony in work and life. I have a few mentors that have shown me the importance of compartmentalizing family time and work time – as opposed to a more blended approach of trying to do it all at once. This has been a lifesaver and brought more happiness and productivity to both my work and my home life.

(Note – In this part of my morning routine I have still not yet looked at email on my phone or i-Pad.)

4. Be aware of your surroundings.

Okay, kids are off to school – start checking email on the way to the train, right? Well, I have found that this can also negatively impact my productivity. When I first started this new commute two years ago I would look at my phone from the moment I locked my front door – on my walk to the train station, at the station, on the train, up the stairs at Penn Station, in the elevator all the way to my desk. I have found much more productivity and pleasure on my commute by applying more discipline to my phone usage. Today, I try really hard not to look at email while I am walking. It allows me to appreciate my neighborhood, observe various details of my surroundings that I would have missed otherwise and build stronger relationships with those who I may interact with along the commute, such as the local coffee shop staff and other acquaintances from town. I am also maybe just a little paranoid and like to always know what’s going on around me on the train and in the city, which is sometimes hard if you are fully plugged in to the matrix. Plus I hate the idea that I could be that guy on his phone zigzagging along in the middle of Penn Station completely unaware that he and his phone are in everyone’s way.

5. Reading a valuable insight.

I’m an information junky, and will be the first to admit disciplining myself with my phone is an everyday struggle. Obviously the morning commute is a great time to consume a valuable insight or article on your device. However, skimming 30 different headlines on my commute just fries my brain and rarely do I gain, or more importantly retain, substantial knowledge with that approach. We live in a media landscape where content is delivered in snacks, but eating cookies and chips all day really isn’t sustainable, and the same applies to me on my commute. Choose one or two good pieces of journalism and commit to the content. You will learn more, retain it more effectively, and have a more thoughtful point of view to apply with colleagues and customers. Once I accomplish steps 1 through 4, I’m ready for a great read.

When applying this morning routine to my commute I find I operate at peak productivity and am much more effective once at the office. What works for you?

Joey Zumaya

Fighting the “good” fight. Leader at LinkedIn for Nonprofits | Board Member | Founder

5y

Great read. Felt good to know I was already doing most of this and can validate the benefit. Making time to enjoy the reasons why you even work hard in the first place? What a noble idea.

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