How can I kick the habit of being late?

Question

I'm late all the time. I was fired from a previous job because I was late so often. I now have a new job and I was late this morning. I never plan to be late, I just think of time as being more flexible than it is. Even knowing I have this flawed perception I'm still late. I want to do better. How can I do this?

Answer 1

Set ALL of your clocks ahead...

The reason you're always late is because you probably leave a minute or two later than what you can possibly afford.

The reasons a lot of people are late are the same reasons that people procrastinate : laziness, anxiety/fear of moving forward with your day, and the fact that doing what you need to do is a boring, mundane task that poses no actual challenge to you.

If you're the kind of person who wakes up and is directly off to work... why don't you start eating breakfast?

Another reason you may always be late is because you HATE BEING EARLY. Do you feel stupid when you get somewhere, and you have a few minutes to kill? Don't.

For most things, being early is being on time. If you hate your job, arriving early will actually give you the chance to summon away your anxieties before going in...

There isn't a worse possible feeling than having a fear, being anxious about it for a while, and then having that fear come through.

You can try a million different things, but the one that may save you, is behavior adjustment..... and just forcing yourself to be early to things until it's something you just do naturally.

Sounds stupid, right? But think about everything in your life that being late is tainting. Your work doesn't want to be on hiatus till you get there, and neither do your friends and family. If that isn't incentive enough... to stop being looked down on by others, or to be thought of as stupid JUST for being late..... then I don't know what is.

I mean, this is the same kind of thinking that I had to use when I went on a diet and lost 35 pounds... It sucked, but I had to force myself..... and eventually, it was no longer "FORCING" it was just "DOING"

This is also how I kicked my lateness/procrastination habit.

Most importantly, is not just BELIEVING that you can, but KNOWING that you can. You're probably not a complete fùcking moron, I can tell..... I mean, complete morons don't usually take the time and effort to say "Hey, my problems may be my own fault" they just rationalize and find excuses.

I mean, if you're smart enough to realize you have a problem and ways to fix it, then you're probably more than capable of implementing them :)

Answer 2

What I do is prepare for what could happen, that way if something goes wrong, it doesn't make you late because you had extra time to spare. Say if you have to be to school 8:30 and it takes 30 minutes to get there. Make sure your on the road 7:45. If a car accident or something happens it would change anything.

Answer 3

You might try setting your clocks ahead a bit. I'm sure it depends on your personality but if you are considerate you might think about how you feel when you are counting on someone and they let you down. You might have to tell yourself that you don't have to be late. You can even decide on purpose that you are a mature responsible person. You might consider the fact that if your employer had enough faith in you to give you a job and pay that you have less faith in yourself than a stranger did. You will not be late anymore. Because you will decide that you are in control of this. Take advantage of it - just look at how many things are outside of your control. Be strong. Be determined. I believe in you or I wouldn't have taken the time to respond. Watch out for co-employee's passing out when they see you ten minutes early. Besides if you ever want to get a promotion the first thing an employer evaluates is if you can be counted on. Food for thought: If you agreed to work 8-5 and don't do it then you make your self a liar. Are you a liar? Happy travels 10 minutes early. You can do it!

Answer 4

Set all of your clocks except for one (so if you ever need to you can check for the real time) early by about 5 to 10 minutes. And follow them. If you have an alarm clock, set it earlier. So then you can get ready and out the door earlier.

Uhm, yeah. It's mainly just make sure you dont waste too much time. Do what you need to with little 15 minute breaks in between. But you have to actually follow the time schedule you set for yourself and not lag.

Answer 5

Plan ahead, it gives you more time. If you are organized it will be easier to get things done. For example, choose what you are going to wear the day before, keep your keys and sunglasses in the same place so they don't get lost, etc. Also, you should figure out how long it will take you to get to where you need to go, then set an alarm for about 10 minutes in addition to the travel time and leave when it goes off.

Answer 6

Do you run late for activities that you "look forward to" as well?

Chances are that you don't ! The problem is not your tardiness but rather your choice of activity. Choose activities and jobs that inspire and energize you and that you look forward to. Your tardiness will become a thing of the past.

You would be stupid to show up early to a job you don't really like. You would be sending the world a wrong signal. Humans are designed basically to give honest signals. Your tardiness is a signal to yourself and the world that you don't look forward to the upcoming activity. Listen to this signal and change.

Answer 7

Then try to be early... How???
set a time-table yourself..
after that, try Even harder to discipline yourself to follow the time-table..
Never skip any chores or anything, I said anything that could be done today...
Sleep early, so that you'd get back your energy and to relax your tiresome body and brain.. remember that you still have another day to wake up and settle lots of work...
when you always follow this own time management..then automatically you will move faster and complete your work early..
then you need not to find another job..your boss would be happy to hire such a disciplined worker like you..
Bear this- in order to make a change, you gotta change your mind first.. Time management is soooooooo important to be succeed...

Good Luck

Answer 8

Since keeping your clock 5 minutes faster than actual time hasn't seemed to help, I'd recommend an hour! If you violate your hour, increase the punishment to 2 hours! It's one of the easiest habits to break! Don't stop next week, tommorrow or in an hour ~ STOP BEING LATE RIGHT NOW!

Answer 9

right here is one tip which has helped me very lots. ought to i think hungry or have a yearning to consume something, fairly than have something heavy, I even have some celery (which helps one sleep), or a salad with a lemon/honey dressing (no oil), or i could have a million/3 of a cup of a cranberry and nut blend. many cases I actually have a soy protien shake which additionally helps sleep and retains the tummy growels away. each and all the terrific!!!! would savour to hearken to how this helps! advantages, ok I even have tried ingesting water, although if ingesting a multitude of water to fill the tummy after 8pm reasons one to arise at evening to urniate. that's no longer the respond. attempt the protien shake or no extra desirable than 8oz of water.

Answer 10

Don't worry, do not get much bothered of such an petty things, as it's just impossible to improve upon, since it's been happening with me too. Let the world go their way but U B Yourself, without dettering a bit.
Do one thing if U can, Let the time run after U, instead of U running on time.
Do not forget to let me know on my IM, the outcome, my friend.
Afterall, why ? why V change ourself, 4 what ?