How To Stop Being Late
"I’m only 20 minutes late" -- This is one of the most frequent excuses people make to explain their lateness. Here is the truth, It’s not nearly as effective as we think and it does more to show that we fundamentally misunderstand time than anything else.
It’s one of the many excuses I have used over the past year to explain why I am, once again, late. I’ve barged into the middle of meetings, showed up sopping wet and breathless to church, and left out-of-town visitors drinking alone at bars. Reasons why people are perpetually late range from not sleeping enough to (paging Dr. Freud) showing our need to feel loved. But solutions are simple: Plan for delays! Learn to say no! So whether it’s you who’s always missing the opening scene in movies or a punctually challenged friend who’s driving you crazy, don’t wait any longer. We all need to change.
People who are often late have the best of intentions — they’re just optimistic enough to believe they’ll fly down the motorway and make the hour-long drive to work in half the time. Some time management experts divide late arrivers into different personality types, like the “producer,” who thinks he can go to the post office, shower, and assemble an IKEA dining table in 15 minutes, and the “deadliner,” who secretly loves the adrenaline rush from racing to make an appointment halfway across town. On the other hand, punctual people (and early arrivers) tend to share some common personality traits like being conscientious, agreeable, and even a little neurotic.
We should start by considering the different types of people I’ve found when considering lateness. Which everyone you are, there is progress to be made. however, it’s important to have a sense of our starting point before we get straight into changes that need to made.
The 4 Types of Late-Comers (and How to Be on Time If You’re One of Them)
Diana DeLonzor, author of Never Be Late Again, conducted research on the chronically late. The majority of those she interviewed hated being late, so it’s puzzling as to why they are still late. Diana says that telling an always-late person to be on time is like telling a chronic overeater, “Don’t eat so much.”
Her research showed that late people view time differently than punctual people.
Which one(s) are you? (You can be in more than one group.)
1.) The Rationalizer
You arrive late every day, but you don’t think you have a problem. You blame other situations. Traffic was slow, or you simply had a lot going on that day. But when someone calls you out about being late, you dismiss them as inconsiderate.
Here’s how you can start being on time. Admit you have a problem. Everyone encounters delaying situations, but not everyone is late all the time. If you’re always delayed, maybe you’re miscalculating how much time you need to get to where you need to be. Leave earlier than you usually do. If you usually leave the house at 7:45 a.m., make a point of leaving at 7:15 a.m.. You’ll likely be early, but that’s better than the opposite.
2.) The Producer
Your schedule is jammed with massive to-do lists. In an hour, you plan to take the dog for a walk, take a shower, prepare breakfast, and take the kids to school. But you’re still surprised and stressed when you arrive late.
Here’s how you can start being on time, Schedule fewer activities. Plan out your to-do lists for two weeks in advance and track your time. You’ll be surprised the 20 minutes you allotted for your shower are more like 30 minutes.
3.) The Deadliner
You procrastinate on everything. Nothing gets you going unless you’re under pressure. You wait until the last minute to head out the door. It takes you 25 minutes to get to work at 8:00 a.m., so you always leave the house at 7:35 a.m., leaving you vulnerable to heavy traffic and other obstacles.
Here’s how you can start being on time. Procrastination is working against you. Just like the rationalizer, the best medicine for your tardiness is simply to leave earlier. Stop putting off your departure time to the last minute. Set regular alarms 30 minutes in advance of when you usually leave for work, and other upcoming appointments.
4.) The Indulger
You lack self-control. You hit the snooze button on purpose and drift back to sleep. You would rather feel gratified by staying in bed an extra few minutes and then having a second cup of coffee.
Here’s how you can start being on time, Why not reverse the process of getting your gratification? Plan on arriving earlier than the early arrivers. Make it fun, track your progress, and reward yourself when you “win.” This will also give you a chance to be in the early arriver’s shoes and experience the feeling of having to wait for those who are late.
The honest truth. Punctuality is key to professionalism. We cannot keep on celebrating lateness as though it were a quality. It puts a strain on our relationships and lateness says something very important. You don't respect your projects or the people you keep arriving late to meet.
Getting places on time may seem like a snap — but there’s more to it than just a functional watch. If you suspect chronic lateness is a sign of an emotional issue like anxiety or feeling powerless, it might be a good idea to consult a therapist. But if lateness is just a bad habit,
1. Remind yourself why you want to be more punctual.
When you're launching your own business, you need to determine the reason behind your actions. Doing so will keep you motivated and ensure that you stick with it. This may also help you identify potential roadblocks and solutions to overcome them.
The same is true of why you want to be more punctual. For example, is your tardiness adding stress to your life? Is it putting a strain on your relationships? Is it harming your reputation because you’re seen as someone who is unreliable or constantly missing deadlines?
Reflect on why you want to stop being late. Think about how this is going to make your life better, and after you’ve done this, make being on time a priority.
2. Know yourself.
Let’s say that you’re always late to work. Is it because you aren’t waking up early enough? Does your commute take longer than you think? Are you underestimating how long it takes for you to get around?
You can’t fix your tardiness problem if you don’t get to the root of the problem. You may notice that it could be a simple solution, like setting your alarm 15-minutes earlier in the morning.
Also, get to know your personal clock so that you can plan your day around that. For instance, let’s say you’re the type of person who needs an hour or two to get moving after waking up. Then it would be counterproductive to wake up at 8 A.M. and expect to be at work by 9 A.M. Instead, you either set your alarm earlier or arrive at work later in the day.
3. Become a scheduling pro.
Perhaps the main reason why being on time is an issue is because you aren’t managing your time effectively. The best way to correct this is by becoming a master at scheduling. I’ve written about this in the past so do take a look at previous entries of this digital diary if you want to know more.
Start by tracking your time. This includes everything from the length of your commute, the time spent responding to emails, and how long it takes you to complete your work. You can do this manually or use a time-tracking app. Regardless of how you go about this, you need to know how you’re spending your time so you can be realistic with your plans.
Ideally, you should do this for a couple of weeks to give you a more accurate picture. After that, you can schedule everything into your calendar to prevent conflicts like being late. For example, if you found out that it takes you two hours to finish a specific task, and you start it at 9 A.M., then you wouldn’t schedule a meeting across town at 11 A.M. There’s just no way you would get there on time.
4. It’s always better to overestimate.
Speaking of scheduling, it’s usually for the best to overestimate. That’s because no matter how organized you are, you can’t predict the unexpected. This could be sitting in traffic because of an accident or not being able to get in the zone when working. Heck, sometimes we spend more time getting dressed and ready to leave the house than we thought. There have been several times when I underestimated how long it took for my clothes to dry, which led to me leaving later than planned.
The worst thing that could happen is that you arrive early, and you could use that time to catch up on some reading, emails, or prepping for your next to-do list item.