Comments on: Punctuality Breeds Credibility – Stop Being Late!

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:03:49 +0000

I’m writing this because you said you need ideas, which indicates you want to change. Congratulations, you just took the first step toward being on time.

The next thing you have to do is stop blaming you mom. You are not her. You are an adult who can make her own decisions and fashion the contours of her own life. Taking responsibility for being on time is the first step, and until you do this, nothing else will work.

Second, analyze why you are late. Are you chronically late because racoons get into your garbage every day? Of course not. But from this we can read that you don’t set aside time to allow for life’s little emergencies. By the time you discover the garbage, you are probably already late. The next time you are late, stop. Think back through the series of events that made you late. Identify how much time a little emergency cost you. Next time, build that time into the time you need to get somewhere. Was there something you did that you could have left until later? What can you learn from that? (Yes, if I was late, I would leave the garbage. It will still be there when you get home.)

Third, make a point for the next week of timing how long it takes to do things you normally do. How long does it take you to get to work? How long does it take you to get the kid ready for school? How long does it take you to make breakfast? I’m betting you don’t know the answer to those questions. Once you do, you can then estimate better when you need to leave the house, what time to wake the kid up, when you need to get breakfast started. By focussing on when you need to START tasks as much as when you need to FINISH them, you will already be halfway to being on time.

Fourth, do you dawdle? Do you start out doing one thing and then halfway through that, start doing something else, then let your attention get taken away again? Focus on a task to completion. Unless you are a master multi-tasker, doing ten things at once (“too much on my plate”), or allowing yourself to get continually distracted from the main task at hand (being on time) will doom you to lateness.

Fifth, get it through your head that being late is an insult to others. And inconsiderate. And that despite your pleas to the contrary, you will be judged for your lateness every time, by everyone. Not just every time, but also in the aggregate. They will judge you to be incompentent, thoughtless, disorganized, unsuccessful and not someone they want to make plans with.

The advice from Financial Samurai above is good advice and I hope you think this is too. Best of luck.

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:01:02 +0000

Bingo. Nobody is late for something that’s important, that they really care about. Being late is DISRESPECTFUL to the other party and selfish!

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:46:53 +0000

You hear a lot that lateness is a cultural thing. I think that’s nonsense. Anybody can be on time when it is important to them to do so. If Mexicans, North American Indians, Pakistanis, Italians, etc etc etc etc were really culturally adapted to be late, they would miss planes all the time.

This is a question I ask people who tell me they were late, or to tolerate lateness because “it’s a cultural thing”. I say well when was the last time you were late for a plane taking you to a beach holiday. When they say never, I say, oh so you CAN be on time when it’s important to YOU. I guess meeting me today was just not that important. Thanks for letting me know.

By: Staying Calm Under Pressure | Financial Samurai

Staying Calm Under Pressure | Financial Samurai — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:01:53 +0000

[...] of his Zen-like responses, I’d be less balanced. My face would probably contort more when people are late, and I’d probably panic more at things outside of my control. For this, I’m [...]

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:18:22 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts. Believe it or not, it’s 55-60% women reading this site.

I found once I started getting up a 4:30am, I could get a lot more done. Have you tried getting up earlier?

You may think it’s OK to be late due to your business, but it is still disrespectful to the person waiting for you. It becomes a negative cycle that only you can course-correct.

By: CJ

CJ — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:24:02 +0000

How appropriate that I am responding *late* on this blog!
I, too, am a single mother, and home owner, and pet owner, and the only family I have is a 90 year old aunt for whom I care. I am very, very busy, and often find myself running late. Again, not because I am selfish, but because I have too many responsibilities. (ps, I have earned BS & MSc in engineering, and never have been late for comps or exams). Time may sometimes be a value issue, but for many others it is a resource issue. Many people on this blog, mostly men, cannot distinguish the two. Perhaps if more of them assisted those with fewer resources, say, by mowing a single mother’s lawn, watching her child for an afternoon, or helping with the overturned trash, the single mother would be able to delegate more resources to timeliness. Is the REAL trade-off for being on time having to put your kid up for adoption or selling your home? REALLY? It’s a societal problem. And not only one of time, but for expectations in general. I bet most of the people here working in financial business. What about doctors? Veterinarians? Emergency personnel? I have worked in these settings. I may be often 10 minutes late, but I don’t leave until 10 minutes after the job is done and cleaned up. I am discouraged to see that Rob Bennet chastised himself for being a ‘P’ personality. Thank God! I don’t want to be a ‘J’ that has to control every 10 minutes of his life! It is the ‘P’ people that bring art, culture and character to life! And the ‘P’ people that are flexible enough to work those offset, unknown crazy emergency hours on which everyone else depends when it’s THEIR emergency! Thank God for ‘P’ people! If you want control over all your and everyone else’s 10 minutes to be determined credible because Wall Street demands it, so be it. I find I value and am valued for the services I provide my community, regardless of the time that I do it. If you took a minute to get to know your lateness perpetrator, you will know whether they are valuable or not.

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:41:25 +0000

Set your watch and clocks 20 minutes faster, schedule things out, and think about other people.

By: Teri

Teri — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:01:09 +0000

I run 10 minutes late for everything; I’ve tried setting alarms. I don’t think my time is more valuable than yours. I’m a single mom with too much on my plate. Have you ever gotten totally ready with time to spare got out to the car and saw that raccoons got into your garbage? Would you leave it there until later?

My mom was always 10 minutes late, even for church…

I know I need help with this, hence Googling the topic and reading your blog. I feel horrible every time I’m late. I need ideas, not judgement.