Punctuality as an important self-management skill can hardly be overestimated: punctual people are better organized and find it easier to keep their jobs. Tardy people project incompetence, find it harder to meet deadlines, and therefore seem to be less reliable to others. The good news is, punctuality and time management can be learned and it is possible to get rid of the habit of being chronically late. To adopt the habit of being punctual it is essential to understand the reason for being unpunctual.
In her book, “How to beat procrastination in the digital age” clinical psychologist Linda Sapadin has analyzed different personality types who tend to procrastinate and often come too late. Some people who suffer from chronic lateness like procrastinating because of the adrenaline rush: they always wait to cut it close and start doing something at the last moment. The defier people come too late because this behavior is their form of avoidance. The “distracted” people or dreamers get easily distracted by many things and therefore it is very difficult for them to be organized.
For example, the dreamer can be going to leave home and go to work, but he gets distracted by the TV program, song on the radio, or smartphone: he starts gambling at Vave login and puts off the very important task of being on time. Some people don’t have any psychological problems with being on time but are simply unable to estimate how much time they need for certain tasks. The overachievers want to achieve more but often don’t put tasks at the end, and the anxiety-prone people are similar to the defiers but aren’t rebels. Getting to the root of why you are unpunctual is essential to start being productive.
If unpunctuality has any motivational or psychological reasons, it is important to ask yourself, why you continue doing that. Which factors can be at play behind your unpunctuality? Time blindness can also have medical causes, for example, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or depression. Seek professional help and talk to a mental health expert before improving your time management skills. If your unpunctuality has nothing to do with mental health, start by changing your morning routine.
Make a habit of getting up 30-40 minutes earlier. This will help you calmly get ready and get out of the house on time. Forget about the snooze feature of your alarm clock. Get up immediately at the sound of the bell. You can put the alarm clock further away than arm’s length. Start planning all your everyday tasks, download the app, put it on your to-do list, and set the duration. At the sound, you should leave the house, take a shower, eat breakfast, or get on with another task.
In addition, accustom yourself to prepare in advance for any important meetings. If an important meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, prepare everything in the evening that can distract you before leaving for it. Working out a new everyday routine to be more punctual takes time, and requires careful thought, but being on time has many benefits. If you recognize yourself in people who are chronically late, don’t hesitate to start improving your life: time management will improve its quality!