Six habits of the never-late
Is anyone ever on time anymore? In most folks’ lives, the answer is: rarely. But being late is not fashionable when you’re an adult; it’s just annoying on both sides of the coin. It’s irritating to be constantly rushing, weaving through crowds to make it to a date, or running down airport terminals like you’re in “Home Alone.” And it’s frustrating to wait for people as they arrive half an hour overdue. But there are ways to get back on track. Overcoming lateness is about tackling two things: changing your attitude about what it
Overcoming lateness requires changing your attitude about what it means to be late.
means to be late and implementing easy tricks to beat the clock. Here’s how always-prompt people stay on schedule.
1 They don’t blame their circumstances.
Being late is 100 percent your fault. It’s harsh, but it’s true. In the modern world of obstacles and interruptions, something always comes up. But as much as you want to play victim to the universe, it actually doesn’t matter
what happened. All the experts in this story agreed that there is no scapegoat for tardiness.
“It’s always on you to show up on time,” says Kevin Kruse, time management expert and author of “15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management.”
He cites an interesting conversation with a former boss: “When I was really young I got to work 10 minutes late one day, and I explained to my boss that I left at my normal time but there was a horrible accident on the highway and there was nothing I could have done. He said, ‘If I told you yesterday that I’d give you a million dollars if you showed up exactly at 9 a.m., do you think that accident would have delayed you?’ I quickly realized that, given his scenario, I probably would have left much earlier or even camped out the night before to ensure timeliness.”
While no one is suggesting that you camp out near your office every night, this scenario proves the point that it’s always possible to be on time when it matters.
2 They value other people’s time.
Repeat after us: Being late is rude. Consider this the second step to admitting you have a problem.
“Making someone wait is just plain disrespectful,” explains Lizzie Post, etiquette expert and host of the Awesome Etiquette podcast. “It relays the message that whatever you’re doing is more important than them waiting.”
Kruse agrees: “It’s like giving the other person the middle finger. It’s basically saying that your time is more valuable than theirs, which is never the case. All time is created equal, no matter who you are.”
Some researchers think that chronic latecomers more often have a Type-B personality, which tends to be more relaxed and have a more flexible perception of time. In fact, one study found that Type-B people perceive a minute as 77 seconds, while Type-A individuals perceive it as 58 seconds.
While you may not be able to change your personality overnight, Post suggests doing an experiment to give yourself perspective: “Try sitting for one minute without your phone or any distractions. It goes by pretty slowly! That’s how it feels to be waiting for someone.”
3 They’re pessimistic about the clock.
We’re firm believers that optimism makes life a whole lot better — except when it comes to time. Chronic latecomers abide by what are called time unicorns: unusual situations in which they made it somewhere or did something in record speed.
“They think it takes 20 minutes to get to work because it did, once, when they left at 6 a.m. But they normally leave at 8 a.m., when there’s traffic and it takes at least 35 minutes,” says Laura Vanderkam, time management expert and author of “What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast.” “And yet they cannot change their thinking to 35 minutes because they are adopting a best-case scenario mindset.”
A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people generally dismissed similar past experiences when trying to pinpoint how long it would take them to do something, with researchers describing participants’ estimates as “too optimistic.”
Maybe you’ll experience a time unicorn now and again — It feels amazing. Cherish it. — but that shouldn’t be the standard by which you measure your time. If you’re always struggling to be punctual,
Vanderkam suggests an easy reality check.
“For various situations, set a timer from the moment you begin until the minute you finish,” she says. “Do it for a week to get an average. When the time is staring back at you, black and white, it’s harder to deny how long it actually takes you.” She also suggests automatically building in at least an extra 15 minutes to your model of how long things take every time; that way, you’re less likely to be tardy.
4 They always work backwards.
Late people tend to plan forward, meaning they roughly estimate how long it’s going to take them to do something, pick an arbitrary start time, and aim to finish by a designated time. This method is often a recipe for trouble.
“Looking into the future can be very vague, especially if you are a chronically late person and continually underestimate your time,” explains Post. “Using a window of time, even if it’s a couple hours, may not give you the accurate amount that you need.”
So instead of adding, subtract. “Identify the time you need to be ready by, then subtract the time it takes to do every task on your list, so you arrive at an accurate starting point,” she explains.
Why does this work better? “First, you keep the deadline at the forefront of the equation, giving it weight as something you have to adhere to,” Post explains. “But also, now you have both a hard start and end time. It’s a more realistic assessment of your schedule.”
5 They break down complex tasks.
A major reason people are late is that they forget that certain big projects have many smaller, time-consuming subcomponents. Instead, they just focus on the larger end goal.
Let’s say you are hosting a summer barbecue, and you’re going big. That means you’ll be decorating, cleaning, prepping, and cooking. Did you factor in the trip (s) to the grocery store, which has long lines on weekends? Did you calculate how long it will take you to get ready, shower, pick out clothes, and do hair and makeup?
“Hosts will tell me that they were running behind because they didn’t consider all the prep work, like washing and cutting the vegetables or waiting for the meat to marinate or even waiting for the floors to dry before guests can come in because they mopped too late,” Post says. “Whether it’s a party or project at work, make a list of every single small part of the job ahead of time, so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into and can be sufficiently prepared.”
Science says it pays off, too. One experiment from the University of Illinois found that when people break down big projects into smaller tasks, they are actually able to more accurately estimate how long it will take them to get things done.
And when you are working on something, stick to just one task. Research from San Diego State University found that multitasking hikes up tardiness, since it can be hard to keep track of time when you’re being pulled in many directions.
6 They watch the clock.
In some cases, delays are caused by losing track of time, whether it’s getting in the zone while cleaning the house or losing yourself in your friend’s sister’s cousin’s photos on Facebook.
Thankfully, it’s easy to get moving. “If you know you have an appointment, set an alarm ahead of time for 10 minutes before you need to leave,” says Vanderkam. “It will snap you out of the daydreaming or puttering.”