FIVE SIMPLE STEPS TO BE ON TIME ALL THE TIME

I was raised to believe it was beyond rude to be late.  It was disrespectful of other people’s time, and therefore disrespectful of them. Respect was big in my family.  Consequently, I saw to it I was always on time, usually JUST on time, but on time.

One day I slid into an “Introductory To Meditation” class and, horror of horrors, I was a few minutes late.  The instructor asked me if that was habitual for me.  I was so rattled, I thought she meant just making it on time and nodded my head, yes, but she meant being late, and she went into a tirade about how rude it was.  I was mortified.  Especially since it was one of the few times I was ever actually late.  Needless to say, I didn’t sign up for her class, but I had the aha that if I could always just make it on time, I could also always be early enough to arrive relaxed and comfortable instead of harried and stressed.  Here is how I did it and so can you.

Step one:  TIMING IS EVERYTHING

For a week, I took notice of how much time it took me to do the individual tasks of getting, up, dressed, and out of the house.  I was amazed that it took longer than 2 to 3 minutes to make the bed, (bed making was also big in my family), more than 10 minutes to shower and throw on some clothes, and longer than 5 minutes to put on some makeup.  I’d been doing it so long it just seemed to take less time than it actually did.  No wonder the 20 to 30 minutes I was giving myself to get up and out didn’t work.

 Step two:  ROUND UP TO THE QUARTER HOUR

After the first week, I took the average amount of time it took me to do each of my tasks and rounded each one up to the quarter hour.  For example, it took me 8 minutes to make my bed, so I gave myself 15.  It took me 20 minutes to shower and dress, so I gave myself 30.  It took me 10 minutes to put on makeup, so I gave myself 15.  As a result, I started giving myself 60 minutes to get ready … (that included an extra 17 minutes because of the rounding up).  Now, instead of underestimating how long it takes to get up and out, I am overestimating, but stick with me here.

Step three:  ARE WE THERE YET?

I did the same with the time it took to get wherever I had to go.  It also always took much longer than I thought.  For example, what I thought was a 25-minute drive to a town where I often made presentations at the Women’s Center there, actually took 33 minutes.  I could have sworn it was only about 20.  Again, I rounded it up to the quarter hour (giving myself 45 minutes).

I did this wherever I had to go, personally and professionally.  If I’d never been somewhere, I’d ask whoever I was meeting, or was giving me directions (including Google maps), how long it would take, then I rounded it up to the quarter hour.

In the case of the Woman’s Center, I added 7 minutes by rounding a 33-minute trip up to 45 minutes.  I then added that time to the 60 minutes I needed to get dressed and out of the house (per step one).  This meant I needed an hour and 45 minutes from the time I started getting ready to the time I arrived at The Woman’s Center.  By rounding up, I had an extra 24 minutes in that situation. (An extra 17 minutes for getting dressed, and 7 minutes extra for traveling time.)  I know, an extra 24 minutes seems like a lot, but stay with me.

Step four: TIME TO HIT THE FLOOR

The night before I have to go anywhere, I take a few seconds to round up the traveling time in my head (usually just before I fall asleep) and add the 60 minutes I now know it takes to get showered, made-up, and dressed.  That tells me what time I have to start getting ready to get out of the house the next day.*

Step five: REAPING THE BENEFITS

Because I do this, I always arrive on time and relaxed wherever I go, personally and professionally.  Wardrobe malfunctions, getting lost, unexpected traffic, misplaced keys, roadwork detours, difficulty parking, unexpected phone calls, and any of life’s little time-consuming surprises don’t make me late or frazzled.

When no surprises arise, I often have a chance to take relaxing back roads through beautiful countryside, and/or arrive early enough to take a walk, read my book, practice my presentation, or go over any notes for my appointment.  And, I usually get the best parking spot for group activities like meetings, classes, speaking engagements, or parties, etc.  More importantly, I am calm, relaxed, and happy.  There is so much less stress in all aspects of my life because of this simple act of adding 60 minutes to the rounded up travel time it takes to get to where I am going, that I feel like a completely different person.

Another benefit is that I have developed a reputation for being on time, which adds to my professional credibility.  I actually overheard someone once say, “If she isn’t there on time get out your black dress because she’s dead.”  I took it as a compliment.

*Of course, you can make adjustments.  If you have to be somewhere later in the day and have already showered, don’t wear make-up, etc. That’s why I estimated the time for each individual task in step one.  You may have others of your own.

 For Help Making The Most Of Your Time

We came here to be present, not just rush through our lives as quickly and expediently as possible, then wonder where it all went at the end.  To learn more about ways to make the mosts of your time, Schedule your FREE EXPLORATORY SESSION here.  I promise, there will be no hard sell.  I have no personal attachment to the outcome of our conversation beyond your feeling better for our having had it. For more information about living authentically, click here and get your FREE copy of my “GUIDE TO AUTHENTIC LIVING: Ten Things People Who Live Authentically Know And Do…And So Can You.”