Having Trouble Being Punctual?

For some people, showing up on time for a job interview, a dinner, a doctor's appointment or a wedding is nearly impossible. For those who know what I'm speaking about, you feel you're always running out the door in a frenzy and running behind.

Let's think together of the repercussions of showing up 10 to 15 minutes late to important destinations.

Know the Consequences of Showing Up Late

• Being late adds to your stress level. When you barge into a meeting behind schedule, you've infuriated the other attendees waiting for you . . . and you've put yourself in a stressed out mode. It should be no surprise to find that when you're late, you spend your first few minutes apologizing to the other participants and make them feel obligated to catch you up to date on the topic of discussion.
• Being late tears down your reputation. If you're chronically late, your co-workers or friends may feel they cannot trust or rely on you. Your relationships may suffer as people are fearful of making plans with you. Some individuals who are suffering with chronic pain and illness are in a different category as they do need extra time to be on time to an appointment. To make matters worse, rarely can you salvage your reputation by working later hours. Employees who are tardy are less likely to be promoted.

Check Out the Reasons Why You're Late. You may not like the reasons why you're usually running late, but you must face the truth.

• You're a risk-taker. Admit it . . . you like the thrill of leaving for your destinations at the last minute. You relish the rush of racing down the freeway, using shortcuts and making it to your location at the last second. According to a New York Times article, the risk-taker is also known as a deadliner since he enjoys the adrenaline rush of the sprint for the finish line. Oddly enough, people who are deadliners are also optimistic. They believe they can pick up their clothes at the laundry, make a deposit at the bank, buy groceries and drop off the kids at school in an hour. Now that's optimistic . . . but it's also a set up for being late.
• You don't want others to control you. Some people grew up in a home where lateness was never tolerated. Now as adults, they're rebelling against authority. They don't want others to try to run their lives by telling them to be on time.
• You slack off on your organizational skills. There are individuals who cannot pull it together. They have poor organizational skills. They struggle to pull together a schedule and often fail to calculate how long each of their tasks will take. They need help in organizing their lives and their time.

How Do I Stop Being Chronically Late?

• Decide you no longer want to be late. Spend time figuring out why you're late using the reasons I gave you above. But then start building time back into your life. Leave an extra fifteen minutes early for an appointment and bring a book or an article you can read while waiting for your appointment. Reward your promptness with something you enjoy reading.
• Clock how long it takes you to do certain tasks. The New York Times claims we often underestimate the amount of time our activities take by 25% to 30%. Therefore, figure out how long it takes you to do your tasks and plan accordingly.
• Never plan to just be on time, but plan to be early. Build in extra time when you know you'll be in transit because unexpected delays can take place. Plan to get to your destination early, not just on time. Be considerate when you're running late; if you know you are going to be late to a doctor's appointment or to your hairdresser, call ahead to see if they're running late as well. It may remove some stress you don't need to carry.
• Reward yourself for being on time. Spend time with a book or some to-do items while you're waiting for your appointment.

[John Tesh]