Tips for Showing up on Time

It’s kind of cliche at this point: We’ve all heard about the couple who gets in an argument because one of them showed up late to an anniversary date, known the friend who always shows up an hour late, or watched the kid who is tired of being the last child picked up from school by their late parent. The thing is — being late hurts and disrespects other people. Ultimately, being on time is about valuing others, as well as ourselves. When we don’t take the time to be on time, we prioritize ourselves over everyone else, and that hurts relationships and our ability to succeed both at work and at home. 

Time is often not on our side. Bad weather, crazy traffic and surprises tend to pop up when we need to be somewhere. The thing is, we can choose to be proactive, plan ahead, and stay organized to be as on time as possible, no matter what comes our way. 

Here are a few reasons why showing up on time — even though it’s hard — helps everyone win.

Being on time:

• Reduces stress for you and others
• Honors everyone’s time and commitments
• Makes sure the work we’re paid to do gets done
• Creates a great habit for yourself in life and at work
• Builds your confidence (since being on time is difficult, and doing difficult things creates self-confidence)
• Strengthens your relationships with others
• Shows the world you are dependable and worthy of trust

Questions

1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the worst and 10 being the best) — how would you rate your ability to be on time? 
2. When you are running behind, what is typically slowing you down? How can you plan ahead to prevent that issue from making you late in the future? 
3. Who is someone who always seems to be on time? What do you think their secret is? 

Resources: 

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/being-on-time-for-work ​​