Anyone who knows me knows that I run on the theory that if I’m not five minutes early, I’m late! I totally get that this is not in fact how everyone operates, and I suppose it’s no surprise, given my role as an efficiency coach, that I hold a high value on punctuality and all the delicious ripple effects that come from every person in my life being on time, every time! If only! I don’t need to tell you that punctuality in the professional world is important. There are all sorts of statistics and research on the huge amounts of money businesses lose due to lateness. Think of the store opening late and customers going elsewhere, or the tardy bank deposit resulting in lost interest and/or late fees, or missed deadlines due to not being on time for meetings and missing key pieces of information.
Lateness rarely remains isolated. The domino effect of hitting the snooze button one last time plays itself out all over the working world every single day. Sure, sometimes lateness can’t be helped. How were you to know there was going to be a fender-bender on the 101? I’m not talking about that. I’m saying if you are the person who is known for always holding up the show, you may want to look at how that behavior is affecting your professional and personal lives.
The very influential Gretchen Rubin, best known for her bestseller The Happiness Project, offers some simple tips for overcoming lateness. I’ve embellished a bit and offer you some life hacks for being on time.
- Sleep more. Are you the type who smashes the snooze button more than once every single morning? Here’s my diagnosis: You are not getting enough sleep. The prescription is to get to bed earlier. Most of us need more sleep anyway, so even if you aren’t chronically late, get to bed earlier. A good time to start is November 5, when the time changes. Instead of thinking you have an extra hour to binge-watch Netflix or be out with friends, use the extra hour to get some more sleep! The good news is that it is fall! A Michigan study found a 24 percent increase in heart attacks on the Monday after the spring switch, compared with a 21 percent reduction in heart attacks on the Tuesday after the fall time change.
- “This’ll take just a sec.” No, taking out the recycling usually takes minutes, not seconds. As do other chores like throwing in a load of laundry or writing out a bill (and finding out you’re out of stamps). If you want to get one more thing accomplished, how about arriving early and doing the task then? Write the bill in the office parking lot, for example.
- Calculate your commute. Oftentimes, we calculate commute time as the time spent on the freeway without traffic. Time how long it takes to go from your front door to your desk. Add two or three minutes to it and that’s your commute time. Allow yourself enough time to get to work.
- “Where are my [insert item here]?” Keys, sunglasses, phone, commuter mug … These everyday essentials need a home, a place where they can be ready for action the next day. Give your essentials a home.
- “My family drives me crazy.” Okay, maybe you aren’t the reason for your chronic tardiness. But you can teach loved ones the same systems you use to get yourself out the door on time. Having clothes laid out the night before, backpack ready by the door, an easy breakfast plan, and other good organizational habits. Share your know-how.
- “No one complains about my lateness.” Well, maybe they don’t complain to you, or maybe they do and you don’t hear them. If you’re saying no one complains about your lateness, you are admitting you have a lateness problem — that is a good thing. How about giving some thought to how your tardiness affects others? What you discover may be reason enough to propel you to be on time.
With the time change ahead of us on November 5, I encourage you to take a minute and do a time-management audit. Clean up any area that is no longer serving you or the people in your life. There’s no better time to be on time.
Sara Caputo transforms how individuals, teams, and small businesses navigate workflow and increase workplace efficiency. Her work has been featured in Working Women, Success, and Forbes, as well as other national and regional publications. She can be reached at sara@saracaputoconsulting.com.