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6 Cures for the Chronically Late

Diana DeLonzor

Approximately 20% of American adults are chronically late, creating unnecessary friction in their relationships and careers. The vast majority of chronically late people dislike living their lives behind schedule, but they can’t seem to change. Here’s how to break the tardiness habit — and what to do if you’re the one left waiting…

BREAK THE HABIT
If you’re always late…
Learn to tell time honestly. The chronically late underestimate the amount of time things take by about 25%. They remember only the day there was no traffic and they made it to the office in 15 minutes, not the days the trip took longer. Make a list of things you do on a regular basis — shower and dress, drive to work, pick up a few things at the store, answer E-mail. For a week, time how long each task takes you. In the future, budget the amount of time it took on the slowest occasion.

Plan to be early. If your schedule is designed to get you where you need to be just on time, you’ll be late whenever the slightest thing goes wrong. Instead, aim to arrive 15 minutes early. Carry a magazine or some work with you so that you don’t waste time if you are early.
Free up your morning. Are you frequently late to work? Don’t leave everything to the morning. Shift as many tasks as possible to the night before. Pack your briefcase, locate your keys and lay out your clothes before going to bed.

Include time estimates on your to-do list. Many chronically late people expect to get everything on their to-do lists done no matter how much they pack in. Instead, block out time for each chore to get a better idea of what you can accomplish in a day. Write down the time estimates, and rank each chore in order of priority so that you know what to pursue first if anything runs longer.

Forget perfection. Perfectionists find it difficult to move on to a new task until a current project is completed perfectly, often leaving them far behind schedule. Be aware that 95% correct and on time tends to be better than 100% correct and late. If perfectionism is your problem, make “It doesn’t have to be perfect!” your mantra.

Wean yourself off the addiction to deadline pressure. Some people are drawn to the adrenaline rush created by looming deadlines and have difficulty motivating themselves without that pressure. They often develop a “just-in-time” mentality, tackling tasks only at the last moment. To change the last-minute mind-set, you have to practice every day. Each morning for one month, write down three things that you will do ahead of time that day and then do them.
Examples: Fill your gas tank before the warning light comes on… turn in a report a day early… pay a bill as soon as it arrives. Eventually, completing tasks early will become a habit, and you’ll find that life is more enjoyable without the constant deadline pressure.

LEFT WAITING?
It can be extremely frustrating to live or work with people who are always late. What to do…
Understand that it isn’t personal. Punctual people often think they’re being taken for granted, but late people don’t lack respect for you — they lack the ability to control their own time.
Explain — don’t complain. Venting pent-up anger adds to friction. Instead, explain how the tardiness makes you feel — anxious and disrespected, perhaps. Agree to preset penalties. If the late person keeps you waiting for more than 10 minutes, he/she pays for dinner… does some chore for you… or owes you $1 for every minute of your time lost.

Fib about the schedule. If all else fails, tell the late person that the time is earlier than it really is — for example, a 10 am meeting is at 9:45.