The Importance of Punctuality

Ever found yourself in one of these situations?

Situation 1

I hate being late, especially for the movies. I’m the kind of person who would pay more just to secure good seats, ensure that I have more than enough time to use the loo and catch a few trailers before the movie starts. I CANNOT BE IN A RUSH - and if I am, well. I get REALLY cranky, and I end up not enjoying at least the first half of the movie.

I despise the feeling of rushing to my destination - it makes me super anxious, and honestly it can be really dangerous especially if I’m driving and rushing for time. I’ve tripped over the escalator once trying to rush to the ticket counter as well. Ow. Never again.

Situation 2

Lately, I’ve constantly been running late for my work meetings while WFH. It’s definitely harder than it looks, but it’s no excuse. With the WFH situation, people have the expectation that you’re always in front of your computer, and most of us are, when we’re working - but what happens when 1) your previous meeting runs over? 2) YOU GOTTA PEE?!

It’s a never ending cycle of overrunning meetings till the day ends.

Situation 3

Whenever I’m meeting a certain bunch of friends, I’m never able to plan my time properly. Why? I know these bunch of folks will ALWAYS be late. So do I make the decision to show up late as well so I’m not ‘wasting’ time waiting?

Decisions…

Why I believe we should always strive be early, or on time

1) Respecting the other person’s time

Showing up at the agreed time is a clear sign of respect for the other person. We are all busy people, and if this person has specifically put aside time to meet you, be appreciative of the fact that they have done so! Don’t take this person’s time for granted, because they jolly well could be doing other things with their time. Most of us take our friend’s time for granted, just because we think they’d be cool with it. Don’t assume, be the better person and treasure your friendship by giving your friends the proper time they deserve!

2) Plans run smoothly without any delays

When plans start on time, they can end on time, without having to compromise and cut short meetings just because someone has to go.

If you’re early or on time, you won’t miss your flight or train. You also won’t end up spending extra money getting replacement tickets for a holiday (yikes), or on a grab / uber to reach your destination in time.

3) It shows what kind of person you are, and relates directly to your personal brand

Not many people care particularly about being punctual these days, so it’s really refreshing to see someone constantly being punctual. Set yourself apart - be the person who always arrives on time. Create a strong brand for yourself, and show others that you are dependable, and can be trusted. People will know that you respect them, and are being considerate of their time.

Being on time is a choice. Take pride in being a person who is always on time and prepared for your appointments. Remember, there is no downside in showing up early, but there is significant downside to showing up late.

4) Being early creates buffer time so that you don’t have to rush everywhere like a headless chicken

Being late and rushing for things creates extra, unnecessary bouts of anxiety. Situations like these also cause people to be a little more unaware and careless.

Just imagine rushing for an important interview - weaving through crazy slow traffic to get to your interview on time just because you didn’t put in the extra effort to find the best route there. You get there, bursting through the door looking all sweaty - but wait. It’s the wrong building. ULTIMATE PANIC MODE.

Don’t be that person. Always be prepared and organized for any meeting, or anywhere new you are heading to (even if you have the help of Google maps) - I find it really good exercise to recce the area, if not - place a buffer time of 15 - 20 minutes so that you’re able to arrive there on time no matter what! (I always make sure I have time to use the loo too :P )

PS. I was actually REALLY early for my first Google Interview (1/2 hour early actually), I peed twice. LOL.

Of course, there are gonna be times that you are late…

There are times where stuff inevitably happens and gets in the way - and it won’t be possible to be on time. Once you know you’re going to be late, inform whoever you are meeting as soon as possible so that they are able to plan and tweak their schedules accordingly. Be the considerate fellow - and people will really appreciate this. If you were in their shoes, I’m sure you would like them to have done the same for you too.

With your record of being punctual, people can trust that you have a legit reason for being late, and that you’re not bluffing your way through. If you constantly turn up late though, it’s a different story. One of my old acquaintances was labelled as a chronic latecomer. Don’t let it come to that, it really kills your personal brand as people lose respect for you. If you can’t even manage being on time, how can people trust you with other things?

Time wasted? Or Time gained?

Remember my conundrum on whether I should continue be on time or show up late for my appointments? I decided that I’m going to continue to show up on time. In doing so, I know that I’m most probably going to spend a whole lot of time waiting for a whole lot of people, and that’s okay.

Once again, it’s all about perspective. By arriving early to a meeting, I’ve just created some free time for myself! What better thing to do than to whip my kindle out and take the opportunity to catch up on some reading!

Don’t take small delays for granted, aim to always be punctual by being prepared

Particularly with the working from home situation, I’ve often found myself slipping into the ‘oh.. I’ll be 2 minutes late, and it’s okay’ - but as demonstrated above - these small delays eventually snowball into much bigger wait times. To combat this, I’m going to try to make sure my meetings end at least 2 minutes before time, so that I can prepare myself for the next meeting (or have the chance to run to the loo).

I’m made a personal commitment to try to be on time for everything I do, whether it’s meeting friends or dialing into work meetings. It’s a simple change that can make a difference! I’m going to try it from today and hope to inspire more folks to do so!