How to Stop Being Late

Do you feel like you’re always rushing around in a high state of anxiety? Are you usually at least 5 minutes late for appointments because you lose track of time?

You are not alone. In an effort to be more productive, many busy people try to squeeze in just one more thing before they leave – myself included. But I’ve discovered a simple trick that prevents this problem:

Allow yourself time to transition from one activity to the next, so you can tie up loose ends and also get prepared for the next activity.

When my daughter was little, she loved spending time at the park. When it was time to leave, she would beg for one more push on the swing or one more ride down the slide. I would have to drag her away kicking and screaming. If you are a parent, maybe you’ve experienced this too.

Then I introduced transition time using the countdown method. I would say to her, “you have 5 minutes and then it’s time to go home for lunch”. I would remind her at 4 minutes, 3, 2, then 1 minute, and finally say, “Okay, time to go now.”

How does this example apply to us as adults?

Well, there’s still a little kid in all of us. We want to play; we have a few minutes to spare, so we see what’s happening on Twitter or update our Facebook status and, before we know it, we’ve lost track of time.

Or we want to get more done, so we say “Oh, I’ll just take a minute to empty the dishwashwer before I go.” or “I’ll just respond to this one email”. I’ve been there and you probably have too – it always takes longer than we think it will.

So how does the adult in us make sure that we get to where we’re going on time without rushing and stressing? Appeal to the kid in us of course:

Use a Simple Kitchen Gadget To Keep You on Time

So here’s the trick: 20 minutes before your ‘departure time’, set a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency. Set it for 10 minutes though, and start wrapping up what you are working on. When it goes off, it’s your signal to stop the activity. Now set it for another 10 minutes and start getting ready to leave (i.e. grab your purse/briefcase, put your coat and shoes on, etc.). If you are still there when the timer goes off again, it will be your que to leave immediately.

Most phones are equipped with countdown timers as well, so that’s another option; just make sure you can hear it when it goes off.

By the way, it’s always a good idea to plan on arriving at your destination 10-15 minutes early, to build a cushion for unexpected delays. You’ll arrive feeling calm and collected.

Try it and let me know how it works for you. If you have other tricks to being on time, please share them in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.