Image details: Thinkstock Single Image Set served by picapp.com
Being late has consequences. That was an obvious statement, right? People who struggle with being on time realize that it is a problem. Not only is being late stressful for the person who is late, but it upsets other people and effects how they that person.
If you struggle with being on time, here are my suggestions for some small changes you can make.
- If you tend to use the same about of gas each day, pick a regular day to refill your tank. OR try filling up your tank on your way home from work - that way when you jump in the car in the morning, you won’t be late to work because your tank was empty and you had to stop for gas. If your local station is like the two closest to my house – you can expect a long wait between 7 and 9AM.
- Keep the things that have to go with you when you leave the house near the door – keys, purses, backpacks, briefcases.
- Pick out your clothes and pack your lunch before you go to bed.
- When scheduling appointments and meetings, schedule in the commute time.
- Set your clocks a few minutes ahead – or have someone else do it for you. My mom used to set her clocks ahead, but then she’s just subtract the amount of time and say “well, I really have five more minutes – that clock is fast.” So, without her knowledge, I set the clock a little faster. That way, she didn’t know if the clock was one minute or 10 minutes fast. Choose responsibly. If your teenage brother or eight year old daughter sets your clock an hour fast – or sets the clock back – you won’t be too happy about that.
- Set multiple alarms if you have to. When I was back in college, I had two alarms. I think my roommate did too. I kept my cell phone next to my pillow and kept my alarm clock across the room. My cell phone at the time let me set multiple alarms, so for example, I’d set it for 7AM and then 7:05AM and have the alarm clock set for 7:10. Try putting your alarm in a place that makes you get out of bed to turn it off. And make it loud enough that you can still hear it!
It takes time to create a habit, don’t just try these tips once and give up. Keep trying!
Being on time can help increase the amount of respect people have for you. I lead a few different groups (mainly business networking) and I definitely notice who is always on time and who is always an hour late. When you are on time, people see you as professional, dependable, and responsible. Being on time is also a sign of respect, on your part, to the people around you.
Further Reading:
