What's The Value of Your Commute?

Date:
Written by: Liz Calcutt

We also work hard to ensure that every piece of consultancy work we deliver gives maximum value to our clients so that they can subsequently realise the full value of their business.

But what about the value of other things related to our daily working life?  

Work/life balance is a much used phrase and one thing that can really affect that balance is our daily commute. This is something I pondered earlier this week as I squashed onto a SouthEastern rush hour train, with a shoulder bag, overnight wheelie suitcase, a shopping bag containing dinner for two and a large bunch of flowers! 

I was on route to visit a client in deepest Kent the following day but the location was conveniently close to the home of my mother-in-law, meaning I could fit in an overnight visit rather than staying in the usual soulless hotel; hence the M & S Dinner for Two and the flowers. 

On arrival at London Victoria, I found there had been a ‘police incident’, a landslide and emergency engineering works on the line. As to be expected, the concourse was jammed. Tannoy announcements rang out every few seconds with Network Rail apologies and imploring patience from travellers. I was lucky and before too long, I was able to board the aforementioned train.

For many of you, this situation will be a daily occurrence; it was for me when I lived and worked in Central London a couple of decades ago. But now I am lucky! The Myers La Roche office in Altrincham is less than 2 miles from my home. 

So, when I’m not visiting clients, I can walk within 30 minutes, each way helping towards my daily Fitbit’ Step goal and listening to my favourite podcasts. 30 blissful minutes of ‘me time’, twice a day. If it is raining or my teenager needs a lift at the end of the day, I can drive, park and walk from the parking place and still be in the office within 15 minutes of leaving home. 

The personal value of living in this close proximity to my place of work is huge. Not only do I have minimal travel costs, being able to be back at home rapidly at the end of the day offers enormous well- being benefits for me personally, and helps our family life to run much more smoothly than if I had an hour or more commute by public transport or car.

The short distance pushes the balance firmly back in the court of ‘life’ after a busy day in the office and to me that value is priceless.

It’s still January - just. Mornings are still very dark and it’s already dark at the end of the working day too. There seems to be a different storm every day. Many of you will be considering your next steps either in practice ownership or making the next move in your career. When contemplating your options, I urge you to consider more than the financial aspects. 

Maybe you're a locum who travels too long in too many directions in any one week. We've worked with numerous First Time Buyers who have bought a practice in their home town in order to remove a tiring commute & improve their quality of life - and we've witnessed the positive benefits such a move can make! 

Maybe you're a successful established owner and you want to take a day out of the Practice and reclaim your weekends. It may sound like a pipedream, but we've worked with owners to make this very change happen. Plan to make your Practice work for you - rather than the other way round! With positive planning, you can make changes which benefit both your patients, practice and home life. 

To help get you started, why not call or email us to schedule a quick discovery call. One of our friendly team will chat through your options and give you an honest overview of how we might help you achieve the balance you desire.