“Punctuality is a sign of being responsible and being considerate of others, but being late means lack of respect.”
According to the American psychologist Julie Jarrett Marcuse.
"Delays are costing American companies more than $ 3 billion annually," says expert and entrepreneur John Rampton. "Yet nearly 20% of people are still falling behind."
So he believes the problem is caused by a lack of planning. "If you don't plan to be on time, you plan to be late."
And if being late is a difficulty in your life, try Marcuse’s prescription, "by setting a day when you attend all your appointments 5 minutes early, and you will feel very comfortable in removing the embarrassment of being late."
But, according to Rampton, "you cannot fix the delay problem if you do not know its roots, and the motivation behind your desire to be more punctual, and then think of a method that helps you to be on time."
Here are 7 of the most important secrets kept by people who are never late.
Use reminders to organize tasks (Pixabay)
Preparing from the night before
They establish an evening routine to prepare for tomorrow, starting with packing snacks, making sure of the location of keys and wallets, reviewing and training tasks by filling out all documents and equipment and organizing them to be ready for implementation, says Rampton.
Then arrange the clothes, so instead of wasting time standing in front of the wardrobe every morning, and wondering what one can wear, Elizabeth Hill, on Goodhousekeeping, advises choosing 5 complete sets - outdoor and indoor - the first of each week, And put each set of them on a single valet stand in the locker, to easily pick up when you wake up, without wasting time and getting stuck in being late.
They have 3 reminders
Marketing expert Kathy Ratcliffe wrote on her blog that she relied on 3 tools to remind her of assignments.
The first is a daily diary that she carries with her to take notes on what should be done next, then the "Google" calendar that alerts her before appointments or monthly tasks, and finally a monthly poster on the door of the home refrigerator, so that all family members can write down their appointments, considering that "in this way No one will be surprised or forget where to go. "
Rampton also recommends making use of automatic reminders and notifications that can be received using the email address to book tickets, an appointment, or participate in an event.
They have ways to organize supplies
While the average American wastes about 55 minutes a day looking for things he cannot find and causes him to be behind schedule, blogger Sharon Rowley is proud that her children are not late for their activities, so no one finds it difficult to find football or basketball. Or a book on music, or even a fresh carrot that he feeds to his horse during a horse-riding lesson.
All I did was simply to have dedicated baskets containing everything every child needs for their activity, backed by a detailed checklist next to the door, so that nothing is left behind that disrupts it.
Prepare for any emergency according to Murphy's Law.
Organizing expert Laura Whitman believes that "it is best to assume Murphy's Law, which believes that any mistake is likely to happen, is likely to happen," so she gives herself at least an extra 15 minutes for each appointment.
"You may forget something and have to go home to take it, or pour coffee on your shirt and need to change it."
As for Rampton, "no matter how organized you are, you cannot predict the unexpected."
Like changes in the weather, traffic problems, or being unable to get up early.
So it is recommended to sleep early, and to delay all hours (wristwatch, phone, computer, wall) from 5 to 10 minutes.
The main reason behind being late is that you do not manage your time in an effective way (social media)
Scheduling experts
From Rampton's point of view, perhaps the main reason for being late is that you are not managing your time efficiently, and the best way to correct this is to become an expert in scheduling.
You should start by tracking the time you spend on your commute, the time you spend replying to emails, as well as the time it takes to complete your work, to know how you spend your time and to be realistic in your plans.
Then you can schedule everything on your calendar, to prevent conflicts causing delays.
They make others bees workers
We often feel that we have to do everything, but expert Susan Hyde believes that "this idea is wrong and will tire us. We do not have to be superheroes, rather we must provide free time and energy", so she is keen to involve her children in undertaking tasks such as preparing meals In the morning, saying that "everyone around us can make him intervene with help, this means more hands that cooperate to get out of the door on time, not only in the morning, but at any time of the day."
This also applies to making use of co-workers, or friends, for help.
They say "no" at least once a day
Often we are afraid to say "no," but writer Crystal Payne says she does this daily, "because if you add more to your to-do list, it will be impossible to get anywhere on time."
So Rampton does not hesitate to recommend, "Be tough with your time."
When you have something to do, this is the one thing you should focus on, so don't be distracted by smartphone notifications, or leave what you do for a coffee with a friend.
You have to say no more often.