Rush Hour
At those times of the day, everybody seems to be getting on the road simultaneously. Traffic congests and leaves everybody feeling as if they are getting nowhere. All this traffic requires you to be much more focused, adds time to your commute, and increases fuel consumption. Any deviation from the expected norm, in the shape of road works or an accident, has consequences that are way bigger than during other hours of the day.
Even when you travel by public transport, your train or metro will be crowded. And don’t even think about multi-tasking because making that phone call or listening to a podcast or audiobook will never have the full attention it deserves. There is simply too much happening around you, hijacking your attention. This is taken to the next level here, in Ho Chi Minh City.
It takes a little getting used to switching between driving on the left or right side of the road. But here in Ho Chi Minh, forget about left or right. People fill in any blank space they can find.
Rush hour, then, is nonsense.
Traffic is the least effective in getting from point A to B, the least efficient, requiring more focus, time, and fuel, and the least safe during these times. And multi-tasking in rush hour can only lead to work that would have been done better with your full attention.
I don’t have a solution for rush hour, but there is something to learn from it.
You can make a choice if, at what time of the day, and by what mode of transportation you travel. That choice might not be easy. That choice will probably involve and affect other people. But it is a choice. It is something you control. Separate that from things that are not in your control, like at what time of the day all the other people travel to work.
Accept any sacrifices or trade-offs the choices you make have. Instead of getting worked up about sacrifices and trade-offs every single day, weigh your decision periodically. If this is important to you, are you willing to sacrifice your time, attention, or money for it? If not, don’t do it.
During what other times of the day are you in a similar situation? When and where might you choose to do things in a way that is not particularly effective, inefficient, or unsafe? If you decide to do those things day in and day out, squander your attention on it; while it only leaves you feeling busy but accomplishing very little, it’s time to evaluate your choices.
