Why am I always late to everything however hard I try?

Question

I hate being late and I hate rushing but I always do in the end....

Answer 1

set your watch to 10-15 mins early, it works for me.

Answer 2

I too have a wife like this. Her mother was too so perhaps it's either genetic or a behavour that is learned early. My wife 'faffs' and prevaricates. 'I'll just do this thing. I must do that thing." It seems to stem from a lack of thinking things through. If I've to be somewhere at a certain time I mentally plan in advance. "I'll feed the cat, allow X minutes for the journey, x minutes for finding a parking space etc" In other words I try to predict how much time I'm going to need in advance.

Answer 3

Sure you hate being late..but the truth of the matter is...deep down you still don't care. If you truly did not want to be late..you wouldn't and you would take any necessary steps such as preparing early to ensure that your not late. This is not a problem and the solution is simple. You are just lazy.

Answer 4

Either you're not trying hard enough or else you're not organized enough or else you keep on underestimating how much time things take.

If you need to be someone at 2:00 you need to really get it in your head that "it really means 1:30", and that's what you need to aim for. That isn't "aim for 1:30 but you really have until 2:00 to get there". I mean "aim for 1:30 as if 1:30 is absolutely the time you must be there". I is, really, because in order to be someone at, say, 2:00, you probably do need to allow a half hour's margin of error. If you get there at 1:30 you'll have time to wash your hands in the rest room, maybe comb your hair, maybe get some water, or organize papers, etc. between 1:30 and 1:45. Set your phone for it's alarm to go off at, say, 1:42. Then head to where you need to be. It will take a couple/few minutes to get there, and you'll be there 15 or at least 5 minutes early.

If you hate rushing, rush a little more on the early end of the getting ready process in order to leave the later part of the getting ready and getting there a more leisurely and organized thing.

You need to look at your day as a whole - what you have to get done, where you have to be - and do as much preparation and streamlining as possible. Putting out clothes the night before is that much less to do that "day of". Making sure you have what you'll need out and in one place and ready to go the night before helps. Getting gasoline the night before rather than on the way helps. Anything you can do the night before helps.

Try to be as efficient as possible, organize your stuff and your day as much as possible and whenever time isn't necessarily a factor, and see getting as much prepared as possible as laying a foundation for a smoother day later.

Re-think your ideas about time. Be a little more "robotic" when it comes to setting times you have to have things done by. If you're too "human" or relaxed its too likely you'll let a bunch of ten-minutes pieces of time go to waste. If you can be a little more "up tight" about time before you start doing things it gives you time to relax more and be there on time; so that little bit of "robot-like" clock-watching and planning you need to do pays off with an overall, more relaxed day and lifestyle.

Getting better organized and setting earlier time limits on whatever you do will eventually become your way of life, and you don't spend a lot of time worrying about something like remembering to lay out the keys, the phone, and the papers you have to bring the night before. It will become a quick part of your routine.

Some people seeing very organized with time and tasks as being too "up tight", but people for whom it works well find that it is one of the best ways to have a more relaxed day no matter how many places they have to be.

You need to remind yourself of how awful and stressful it is to be late all the time for everything and decide that it is stressful enough that you are not willing to have it in your life any longer. Doing whatever you can do early is a big thing. Setting the earlier times is another big thing. Realizing how easy and how much nicer life is when you organize your time and tasks well is the other big thing.

Answer 5

You want to do so much! But you can only do what it is time to do. You feel less and less excited about going to what you have to go to, even if you like it, if you're busy thinking what else you want to do.

Also, you get a rush out of it, hate it or not. It may also make you feel more important somehow.

Answer 6

It's like anything else, you have to make things happen in your life. Wake up and smell the coffee. It's a total personal discipline thing.

Once you loose enough jobs, women, and other things because of your slackness, you'll get off your butt and make some changes.

If you really look into yourself you can answer your own question.

Answer 7

Manners maketh man ! Being late shows such bad manners, you really need to get your act together, if others can be early or on time why can't you. You need to have a little more self respect and remember you are responsible for your own actions.

Answer 8

Try setting your clocks to a later time so you can trick yourself into being on time. Don't laugh! It works for me, especially in the mornings when I'm too sleepy to be alert enough to realize what time it really is. I suppose in a sense it's another side of self-hypnosis.

Answer 9

I agree with the above, but there is also an issue of respect here.

By being late, you are showing very little respect for other people who are waiting for you, or making them feel embarrassed by you not turning up on time.

The odd time is acceptable, but constant lateness shows how little you think of your family and friends.

Answer 10

Learn to plan your days,make a point of always being 10 mins early,works for me.

Answer 11

Does it matter?
Work your bollocks off and be committed and enjoy what you do.
It matters not what time you arrive providing you are 3 times as productive as anyone else.

I find it funny how many people judge their performance by the number of hours they spend at there desk and how many sick days they had. They cant understand why they never progress. Very sad.