What would others say about your time keeping if asked?
Are you the family member, friend, colleague, business associate who plans to arrive before the meeting time or do you leave it until the last minute?
Good time keeping shows discipline. It shows you value your time and the other person’s time. Nobody should have to wait on you unless of course an incident has occurred which is out of your control i.e. a car has broken down on the motorway causing traffic or you suddenly feel unwell.
Many a celebrity run late to perform at their concerts, I guess this is why supporting acts exist – they help to kill time and gain some exposure. Fans are only too happy to wait hours on end to see the likes of Rihanna, Madonna and co. It is unlikely you and I would be given that level of grace.
Here are some practical pointers to good time keeping (some may be obvious but I have added them all the same):
1. Plan to arrive 15-30 minutes before the time of the meeting. If there are no delays to your journey you can grab a coffee and catch up on your emails.
2. Check your route at least an hour before you leave out. There may be train delays or traffic on the route you plan to take. You then have time to find an alternative route.
3. Prepare as much as you can the night before. Check the weather forecast then choose your clothes, shoes, other necessary items and pack your bag. It can be stressful deciding what to wear or hunting for items on the same day. I always select my clothes and my children’s clothes the night before. It really does not matter where we are going. It has become a habit and I can see the benefits.
I hope my pointers will start you off on the right track. Perhaps you have some suggestions you may like to add.
Would you say you have good time keeping or is there room for improvement?
organisedlady 
I can’t stand people who keep me waiting (or worse, people who cancel last minute). It’s one my pet peeves. I, myself always like to give myself enough time when I’m meeting someone. I always feel bad whenever I arrive late. Thanks for sharing these time keeping tips!
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You are welcome Rosary.
Being late is stressful, especially when there is no valid reason.
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I would say that I have good timekeeping skills. I always plan ahead in the possibility of traffic and other events.
However, occasionally, I do feel anxious at those times when I am rushing, which leads me to over stress and do exactly the same thing where I wondering how late I am going to be.
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Natasha – being late makes me feel slightly anxious too.
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Good suggestions. Although I am always on time or early, these are good ideas to keep in mind to make sure my record remains clean!
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How did I guess you had good time keeping Dr Rin?!
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I read at some point that being perpetually late is a form of narcissism. It is as if you are saying, “the world will wait for me.” I was brought up to always be on time. I remember one day when my mother yelled at me for being late going to school. She said, “I told you we had to leave at 8:05! Look at the time!” I was standing at the door with my coat and book bag ready to leave. I looked at the clock. It was 8:05 exactly. She said to me, “But you’re not in the car. You’re only at the door! You’re late!” Living with my mother taught me NEVER to be even a second late!
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Being perpetually late does mean you are happy for others to wait for you. It shows a lack of valuing others.
Wow – your mum was one disciplined woman. She had a point though and taught you well.
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I could definitely stand to improve a little when it comes to my timekeeping. Now that I work from home, I sometimes seem to have forgotten the rest of the world advanced without me. While I aim to arrive fifteen minutes early when I have a meeting in town, it tend to end up getting there just in the nick of time. Arriving early is the best way to feel prepared since it gives you a moment to catch your breath.
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You work in your own time when working from home. It is easy to lapse.
I try to be 20 minutes early – but this does not always happen.
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I would definitely say, I am amongst the one’s who are always before time. I do so simply because time is an important ingredient for success and time management is a necessary skill.
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You have the right mindset. We must learn to value our time and the time of others.
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As with anything preparation and planning are the key. You mention checking the weather, this is vital where I live, especially in the winter. I have woken up and seen 2 or more feet of snow in the driveway. Thanks for sharing.
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You are welcome William. I admit to bringing my umbrella unless it will be a scorching hot day.
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Excellent tips Phoenicia. I confess I am a bit obsessive about my time keeping – always plan ahead, show up early, etc. I remember this one woman who used to make me crazy. She would always show up at least 15 to 20 min late for every meeting, and the fact that she made quite a big deal about her entrance made it clear she did it on purpose.
I watched her disrupt things a few times and then took her aside after a meeting and explained as politely as I could that I welcomed her attendance, and understood she was time challenged, but in the future. she should either quietly slip into the back without talking or wait outside for a break to enter. She was stunned, but never showed up late again. 🙂
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Thank you.
Good on you for speaking to the woman. Being late is one thing, whilst causing distraction is another. Embarrassment alone should mean you slip in quietly to a meeting.
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Oh boy on this blog, Phoenicia. I am always early–at the minimum 5 minutes. It’s how I was raised. When I taught classes/chaired meetings at my last job, the employees knew the door would shut and open right on time. If it was shut, they needn’t bother coming in. If they did, I did not recap what they missed. They learned!
I have one friend who is always incredibly late–30-45 minutes. This has led to 2 behavior changes on my part. 1. I invite her to do only a few things. 2. I tell her 45 minutes ahead of time. It’s the only way to cut down on my frustration.
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I agree that you should not wait on anyone to start a meeting. It is unfair on those who turned up on time. On the occasions I am late – I do not expect people to hang around for me.
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Short answer, yes it is. If I’m late it’s because of an accident or something like that prevents me from being on time. When I lived in Knightsbridge and worked in Mayfair it happened that I was going somewhere and there was a bomb scare and traffic redirected. Not much I could do about being late when that happened.
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It is about conditioning yourself to aim to arrive early rather than bang on time. It is allowing for traffic and other hindrances along the way.
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Great tips to stay on schedule. I rather be early than late. So, if I know that I may be late for something or the traffic may be an issue, I will leave at least a half an hour earlier than I was planning on leaving. Its less stressful too. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Sabrina. With two young children I have to work against the clock. If we want to leave out at 9am. I aim for 8.30am. It is the only way.
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I’m usually pretty good at this because it is something that bothers me when other people have no respect for your time. Arriving early is standard practice for me.
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We cannot control what others do but we can control the standards we try to keep.
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Thanks. nice tips! Being on time is very crucial for important meetings because first impressions really depend on it. Nobody likes waiting
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I am usually on time or early. I hate it when something unexpected happens and I need to rush to get somewhere.
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Donna – rushing makes me feel anxious. I start to wonder what I have missed, what others will think, how late I will be………
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