Are you chronically late? Here are few little known tips to help you

Are you one of those people who pat themselves on the back that “everything is in perfect order before I leave…” or one of those people who think “OK, the sky will not come down because I was a bit late…” and leisurely attend to their tasks with no sense of urgency at all, whether it is feeding the dog or out on a quick exercise run?

 Does the stare of the receptionist over her specs, or the slightly disapproving nods of those you pass on the stairway affect you as you rush past or is it that you did not notice them at all? Has your boss given up on hinting, stronger hints, open statements, bonus cuts, incentive cuts and so on and just shrugged you off as “one of those people” simply because once in, you work fast and furiously to fulfill your job commitments?  

Yes, there are plenty of such people around, and their only saving grace is that once in their seats, they are dedicated partly as a sign of guilt. Such people could also console themselves with the fact that the other person over there who comes in early and whose table is full of papers does not produce as much as she or he does in the same time span, that they are all “bluffing”. Unless you are an exceptionally brilliant, creative creature whom the organization cannot do without and your line of career allows it, the norms of society demand that timeliness is adhered to which is why your contract of employment states it in the first place.

Tardiness at work can be for a natural reasons such as a domestic issue or an accident on the road and is acceptable if it is not a routine. Lateness can be detrimental to a business even if you were the owner. An important call unanswered, a timely delivery that never got there or missing a part of an ongoing meeting could cause loss of productivity, loss of reputation, an erosion of another person/s time and lowering of morale. It also causes stress and anxiety within the person who is late. With all these good reasons, how can a habitually tardy person kick the habit once and for all? It is a fact that late people are late for everything, not just work. Here are a few tips:

Decide to change: A conscious decision to change is the first step.

Ask yourself:  Are you having ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)? It could well be so though you have not realized it.

Invest in an alarm clock:  Your mobile phone would do, but it must be certainly set for all six days of the week, and you should deactivate “snooze”. Wake up at the allotted time, leaving only ten minutes and no more for meditation, bearing in mind that this is a perfect way to set the mind and mood.

Have a motive:  A habitually late friend found herself well on time at the pick-up point when she was offered a free ride to a distant destination which she would otherwise have to travel daily by bus. Amazingly everything that always kept her late still got done before she left and furthermore, she was relaxed and expansive all day!  This proves that time expands or contracts to fit your purpose. Your motive could be the smoother flow of work, the approving and friendly looks from your co-workers and your own satisfaction at your success in mastering your long time habit of tardiness.

Get smart with the routines: Buy ahead, prepare ahead even in the next day’s attire and the money, material or information you would need to carry, bearing in mind that it takes only a few minutes or maybe an hour of leisurely time the previous day which would save a lot of frantic running around at the last moment.

Be resolute with the time wasters:  Firmly abstain from such time wasters as telephone calls and matters that could well be done later. This includes that last minute “this just must be done, just one more thing…” syndrome. There will be no adverse impact on your life by delaying them, be assured of that.

Stop everything:  Your wall clock will inform you that it’s about time you left whatever was undone and headed to get dressed. Obey it on the principle that the sky would not come down on you if it were left undone till your return as long as the most important matters such as feeding the pet were done before you attacked the mundane matters.

This is it:  Have a final cut-off time by which you should leave and by no means should that time be dishonoured even by a minute. The cut off time should incorporate a few minutes either way for unexpected delays. Train yourself to be very particular about the departing time.

If all else fails:  Go for help.  Accept your shortcoming.  Acceptance is the biggest favor you could be doing to yourself.  Confess to your shortcoming to your superior, or if you are the superior, to your husband, wife or counselor.

Most people fail to understand that the most difficult part of any venture is the first step whether it is learning a language, a skill or just plain education.  Once the first step is conquered, the rest falls into place beautifully.  It’s a matter of pulling out your inner strength at that crucial moment when your brain starts to falter, and chronic lateness is probably the easiest malady anyone could conquer.

Created : October 28th, 2015