I wise person once said: If you are early you are on time, if you are on time you are late and if you are late you are fired! I client reminded me of this saying yesterday when I arrived 10 minutes early for a meeting.
After thinking about it really is sage advice on so many levels: respect, professionalism, stress, etc. I've personally have battled the habit of being late on and off for years. Like most habits it was most likely developed early in life when I discovered that focusing on other things was easier than holding myself accountable for being prompt. Then once formed the habit was reinforced over the years by buying into and adopting the standard creative excuses everyone uses. You know (and most likely used)...traffic was horrible, a client called as I was walking out door, my computer froze, oh god the weather sucks or basically anything that skirts personal responsibility. It's been said that adults are like children only with better excuses.
What I've figured out is that it all boils down to the 5 P's (Proper planning prevents poor performance). If I plan my day out in advance, figure out what is the most important things I need to get done, give myself ample time to take care them and have the self-discipline to adhere to my plan there is always enough time to get to where I'm going early.
The point of me writing this isn't to suggest that I've become perfect or somehow enlightened in this area of my life. It is simply to share the progress I've made on what I believe to be an unchecked character flaw in our society and to give you some ideas on how to remove some stress from your life and be more respectful to your friends, family and business partners.
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