Why am I always late?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? If you struggle with being late, read on.

Ever since I was a little girl I have struggled to arrive anywhere on time. I had to run everywhere and as a result I was a very skinny child.

When I was at prep school I was always late for chapel in the morning. More often than not I was the last person to arrive. And everyone would be lined up outside ready to process inside, so they would all see me rushing to get in line.

Then at secondary school I was always late to get to class. We often had a class in one building followed by a class in the other building which was a 5 minute walk away. But somehow it took me longer than most to gather my things together and get to the next class.

As an adult I have struggled with arriving on time if I have to drive somewhere. If you are similar, you may be wondering what can we do about this problem?

Here are 5 simple things to help you arrive on time:

1. Look up on Google Maps how long it will take to get to our destination in current traffic conditions.
2. Always allow yourself time to get ready. You might need to visit the bathroom, fill up your water bottle, or feed the pets.
3. Give yourself longer than you expect to get there.
4. Allocate time for parking.
5. Don’t forget to consider how long it will take to walk from your car to the door of the building you are visiting.

These 5 things are usually enough to get me there on time. But sometimes I get distracted and don’t leave at the time I should. Maybe you do too. I think it stems from not wanting to waste time. So if I have 20 minutes before I leave, I decide to do something else in the mean time. The problem arises when the activity I’m doing to fill the time takes far longer than I want to admit to myself. Such as designing a presentation on Canva, or talking to my children in the UK.

So my new Golden Rule for getting somewhere on time is:

Avoid any tasks that can’t easily be ended before leaving for any kind of appointment. Instead, use the time before you need to leave wisely by sitting calmly and practising mindfulness. That way you can leave when you are meant to and arrive on time.

I am so grateful that my coaching is mostly online. That’s why I love Zoom because I only have to sit at my desk and I’m (almost) always effortlessly on time! As for meeting guests and visitors on time, I have not been doing well recently with this, but I recommit to working on it. I humbly ask for and appreciate your patience!