What is a useful skill that I could learn during a daily one hour commute on a train? And how long will it take me to master it?

You can learn to type faster if you carry a laptop with you. You can learn a new language while commuting. You can have the language course downloaded to your music system and listen to that while commuting.

You can learn copy writing skills, blogging skills, computer programming skills etc. All these need some free time and effort from your side. Have books on related field, and ready to learn. Good luck.

You can learn how to knit! I didn't teach myself during a commute, but I did learn in increments of about an hour each every few days or so. Usefulness: Make your own clothing and other essentials.

You can knit your own pot holders for the kitchen, for example, or a scarf. I know people who make their own beanies (I don't because I live in Texas...we don't need beanies here very often). You can make an afghan for your bed, or a small blanket for the cat or dog.

I like knitting wash cloths, myself, because they take little time and aren't very expensive. They also tend to last a lot longer than the store-bought, terrycloth versions. Time to master: This really depends on how adept you are as well as on what goal you're trying to reach.

You won't, most likely than not, be knitting a cardigan within the first week. However, it shouldn't take long for you to master the basic stitches, and other concepts, that are necessary to create simple things like scarves, pot holders, et cetera. The more-complicated things take a little more time to master, but you can incorporate them one or two at a time as you take on new projects.

Also, knitting doesn't require much space, which makes it ideal for waiting rooms, public-transportation rides, et cetera. You can put a ball of yarn and two needles in your briefcase or messenger bag and still have plenty of room for your other essentials, and the actual knitting is contained to the area over your lap - it requires no more space than, say, playing on your laptop. Oh, and if you're wondering about being allowed to have knitting needles on public transportation?

It's not typically a problem, especially if it's obvious that you're knitting and not, you know, plotting to terrorize other passengers. Some airlines and flights are even knitting-needle-friendly at this point, in fact.

Learn a new language... It will take you places.

I used to spend 2 or more hours per day in my car commuting to and from the office and customer appointments. I listened to many audio books. I particularly liked a series of vocabulary recordings.

I found that I used my dictionary less when reading, because I was actually building my vocabulary. An hour a day is actually a good allotment for continuous learning or developing yourself into an expert at 'anything'. According to Brian Tracy in his books Psychology of Achievement and Flight Plan, You can develop your skills from novice to expert by applying yourself to learning the subject matter an hour a day.

You can go from the bottom 10% to the top 10% of any subject area in 10,000 hours(7 years). I have applied this approach several times when diving into a new area of technology or personal interest. I wasn't always trying to achieve expert level.

I found within a year, I could easily break away from the pack and be proficient enough to become the local expert. Whether you chose to pursue personal or professional enrichment, consider audio books as a component of your learning.

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