When you are often late it’s a sign you can work on your self-management skills with our free Young Professional training. It’s never too late to start being on time!
Ask yourself how late you are
Are you always late by the same length of time, e.g. 10 minutes late? It could be something mechanical – like catching the same train every day, even though it gets you into work or your place of study a bit late. You could look into catching an earlier train.
However, if you’re usually late to all kinds of things by the same amount of time, it could be that you have a psychological hurdle to overcome. Do either of these sound like you?
In trying to do everything that’s humanly possible, from emptying the bins to answering emails and getting the washing on, you end up being typically late. Sometimes you have to say to yourself that there’s only one priority – the thing you want to be on time for. Other stuff can wait till you get home, or sometimes you can do it the evening before.
This could be anything from turning up to the gym, starting lessons or a day’s work in the office, or going to a birthday party where you don’t know many people! Of course, there is a big bit of you that does want to do these things. Feed that part of you that DOES want to do things, or try something new.
Which lateness personality type are you?
Diana DeLonzor, author of the book Never Be Late Again, identified seven types of people who are late. Which one are you? You might be one main personality, or you might be a mix:
Deadliner
For you, leaving things to the last minute is an adrenaline rush! You tell yourself you work best under pressure, and may find it hard to motivate yourself unless there’s a crisis. For you, having things under control and being ready in advance is a turn-off. It doesn’t sound fun.
Producer
You want to get EVERYTHING done and always underplay how much time things will take. You’re often first to help out and say “I can do that” when in fact there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the things you promised yourself (or someone else) you’d do. Give yourself space to set priorities.
Absent-Minded Professor
“I’ve really got to… ooh, look, a squirrel.” Do you get easily distracted and lose track of time? You’ll need to get some self-management into your life so you can find lost house keys and make it to appointments. A calendar planner on your phone will help you out. Keep all appointments and things to do in one place on your phone that’s easy to update and check every day. You can also set alarms on your phone for really important things.
The Rationaliser
Can you admit it when you’re late? Or do you always tell yourself there’s a reason why it couldn’t have happened any other way? A lot of us are rationalisers and in denial about how often we’re late. If you see this in yourself, be honest. You can only take steps to stop being late if you recognise it’s something that happens to you.
The Indulger
Is your lateness a problem mainly because you lack self-control? Maybe you’re late because you find it hard to not check your phone for messages one more time, or you’re enjoying the present too much to think about the future. It’s good to enjoy yourself, but balance it out. Think about rewarding yourself when you achieve being on time.
The Evader
Sometimes you’re late partially because you’re trying to work with feelings of anxiety and low self-esteem. Maybe you’ve got so used to the horrible feeling of apologising for being late that it feels like ‘who you are’. It’s not who you are. You deserve to be on time and take part. You’ll enjoy it more when you get there and don’t have that feeling of lateness hanging over you.
The Rebel
Do you like to make a grand entrance? Are you often the last to arrive? You might be the Rebel who wants to be late to show how powerful they are. It’s okay to take a moment to see if this sounds like you, and recognise your actions. There are other, healthier ways to show you’ve got clout. A good President or film star is always polite and always shows up on time. They gain respect by never keeping people waiting.
Quick tips to stop being late
Stop, Drop and Roll
Are you trying to do the washing up before heading to a job interview? Think about your priorities! If you’re doing one more ‘useful’ thing before you head out the door, say to yourself “this can wait”. Now go do the REALLY important thing.
Diana DeLonzor asks us to rework the old motto:
STOP (yourself)
DROP (what you’re doing)
AND ROLL (outta there)
Plan to be early
Aim to be early, not on time! (You might not be early, but you won’t be late). You’re still learning to get the time balance right. If you aim to be on time, something messes with your plans – a late bus, or not finding your wallet/phone/keys. Plan to be early, and then – when that one annoying setback happens – you’ll actually be on time.
Welcome the wait
Being early isn’t wasted time and it isn’t boring either. It’s time to yourself! If you’re a Deadliner who craves excitement or a Producer who hates wasted minutes, you can get all kinds of benefits to turning up early. Use the time to catch up on Netflix, or think about what you’d like to say in your job interview, or go over what you want to do that day. Turn up early and grab a little me-time. Go on, treat yourself.
It’s never too late to start being on time.
Being on time is such a huge part of building your self-management skills. Can you picture yourself being the kind of person who’s on time, not feeling rushed or stressed, 100% ready to go and in control of the situation? It’s not a dream. That could be you.
