[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he importance of being on time is not defined by what's lost, but by how one feels while waiting for you.
This crazy concept dates all the way back to George Washington. A leader, a visionary and an extremely busy man, he was never late. He believed by being on time you were showing others respect. He also demanded this form of respect in return.
Are you always late?
If the answer is yes, then you're clueless on the true importance of being on time.
Punctuality, a sign of respect
I had a young college student working for me at an entry-level position. There was room to grow if he had the initiative and drive to succeed.
However, it turned out this young student had a punctuality issue. Day after day, week after week he made it very clear he didn't care about us. After being told to get into work on time, he would continue to drag his feet into the office.
This "I don't care attitude" ended him in the unemployment line…unfortunately.
What if you were waiting on a vendor to sell you something? Would his tardiness work against his credibility? Absolutely!
You would be annoyed, upset and felt taken advantage of.
7 Warning Signs You May Be Clueless On The Importance Of Being On Time
1) You Have No Humility - If you think being late is a "grand entrance" you live on another planet. No one is waiting to see you walk through the door.
2) You Believe It's Not A Sign Of Respect - If you show up late you're saying that the needs of others is less important. A selfish act is not a sign of respect.
3) You Say It's Not A Form Of Stealing - You take precious time from someone else. You may not lose a hand over it but you're stealing the valuable time of others.
4) You Think It's Not A Disturbance - When you're late others have to change their schedule, of course it disturbs them.
5) You Feel It Doesn't undervalue your relationships - Who cares about them as long as you get what you want, right? Everyone is on your schedule.
6) You have an excuse every time you're late - Having an excuse for everything is a sure sign you don't understand accountability. An excuse is the gasoline to a fire and once your excuses burn, they mean nothing [TWEET THIS].
7) You always wonder what the big deal is - It's a big deal because the people whose time you've wasted could have been allocated to something more productive. It's a big deal to them, especially if they charge $4,000 an hour.
Take extra time
Make an effort to get where you need to by planning 20 minutes ahead. If your 20 minutes early, that's great, but if something comes up or gets in your way you've just bought yourself 20 extra minutes.
Lets call it an insurance policy for your tardiness problem.
Take extra time to get where you need to go ahead of schedule. It's really that easy.
Lets face it, constantly being late is a selfish act. Give me one good reason otherwise.
The more you put your own self interests over others, the more you'll see issues taking over your life. Nobody gets very far by only caring about themselves. We need others to succeed. Deep relationships are built upon mutual respect.
P.S. Being late is a part of the culture in Latin America and the Pacific Rim countries. They get a pass on this topic, unless they're working outside of their primary country.
