If you’re never on time, you could be suffering from chronic lateness. Even more so if you’ve tried everything you can think of, including setting your watch ahead, but you still manage to be late.Time is precious to highly effective people. If you can’t arrive punctually, however, this harms your relationships and career. Your friends may have forgiven you for showing up late to drinks, but remember that time when you were a bridesmaid, and you barely made it to the wedding reception?
Being late isn’t only disruptive but can also affect your mood and how you show up. Always having to explain why you’re late soon gets old. But what if you genuinely have no sense of time because no matter how hard you try, you’re always late? Could there be a deeper, underlying issue? Here, keynote speaker, corporate trainer and change consultant Bronwyn Crawford shares her valuable insights on the matter.
Underlying issues that lead to chronic lateness
Chronic lateness is a habitual behaviour pattern. You need to question which factors are creating or contributing to it. Stress, in today’s society, is a contributing factor. We’re pressured to produce more, in a shorter time frame, and external factors add further pressure. As a society, we’re not very successful at removing distractions from our ‘world’, whether it be the noise of an open-plan office, social media sites and the need to be in the know and be connected at all times, or the unhealthy way we’re treating our minds and bodies.
The effects of chronic lateness
This differs, from one person to the next; however, common consequences of this behaviour are added stress and pressure, which can have an enormous impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing. It can also result in the breakdown of relationships, both professional and personal. The emotional rollercoaster of guilt, judgement and feelings of being undervalued are just a few examples.
Punctuality, in relation to relationship and career success
Showing up on time communicates you respect yourself and others, and you can manage yourself and your resources. All of which are qualities business owners and senior staff seek in employees. They can focus on what they need to achieve, instead of micro-managing you.
Remember: you were hired to add value to the organisation. Showing up on time affirms you’re the right fit. People also value these qualities in a life partner.
Top tips to help you manage your time
1. Use your calendar or mobile phone to set reminders and/or alarms, to ensure you get to where you need to be, on time.
2. Give yourself additional time to factor in external influences like traffic delays, accidents, taking a wrong turn or system crashes.
3. Practice saying “no”. You can’t take on every task others would like you to perform. You need to know when you’re about to overcommit yourself. In doing so, your output will be of higher quality, which will leave a marked impression on your colleagues.
Learn to manage your schedule
An abundance of tools can help you manage your time more effectively. Bronwyn uses a calendar to make a note of her commitments, including important dates and reminders. “I schedule breaks to drink a glass of water, eat a snack and stretch my legs,” she says.
Identifying what you’re struggling with will help you find a system that works best for you. “Ask yourself: are you overcommitting or being unrealistic about the amount of time a particular task takes to complete? How are you organising your to-do list? Are you grouping administrative tasks, and then moving on to something else?”
Look at your workspace. Could you be more productive if you removed distractions that cause you to procrastinate. “Put your phone on silent, turn off email notifications or shut down social media sites.
Delegate certain tasks to someone who either enjoys them or is better equipped to fulfil them.” Once you’ve identified your problem areas, decide on a plan of action.
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