Regardless of the reason why you have a tendency to be late, there are things you can do

to adopt the habit of being on time. Below you’ll find 12 tips for being punctual.

1. Make Being Prompt a Priority. The first step in becoming punctual is accepting

that you have a punctuality problem. Then, realize that it’s not a cute or quirky character
trait. Instead, it’s a habit that’s having a negative impact on your career, on your
business, and/or on your relationships.
Make a commitment to drop the tardiness habit and become punctual.

2. Know Why You Want to Be Punctual. Whenever you want to create a new habit,
you need to be very clear on the reasons why you want to build that habit. The more
reasons you have for wanting to adopt a new habit, and the stronger those reasons are,
the more likely it is that you’ll be able to make the new habit stick.
Sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and ask yourself what you’ll gain by
overcoming your tardiness habit and adopting a habit of punctuality, instead. You can
write down things like the following:

 Being on time will help you to cut down on stress (after all, few things are as
stressful as always running late).
 Being on time will reduce friction with your co-workers; nobody likes to be kept
waiting.
 Being on time will let your boss know that you can be counted on, which could
lead to a promotion.
Be very clear on the benefits that you’ll gain by being punctual, and then keep reminding
yourself of those benefits in order to motivate yourself to become someone who’s
prompt.

3. Track How Long Tasks Take. A lot of people who are constantly late have trouble
determining how long it takes them to perform different tasks; even those tasks that
they perform on a regular basis. For example, they might think that it takes them 25
minutes to get ready in the mornings, when the reality is that it takes them a lot longer
than that.
If you fall into this group of people, do the following:

 Make a list of all the tasks that you have to get done in the morning in order to get
ready to leave for school or work (or wherever it is that you go in the mornings).
 Then, spend a week tracking how long it takes you to complete each of these
tasks. For example, how long does it take you to wash your face and brush your
teeth? How long does it take you to take a shower? How long does it take you to get
dressed? How long does it take you to fix your hair?
Once you’ve tracked how long it takes you to get ready in the morning, you may realize
that it takes you 45 minutes to be ready to walk out the door, not the 25 minutes that
you previously thought. If this is the case, accept that you need to start getting out of bed
20 minutes earlier in order to make it to your morning destination on time.
4. Use a Timer. Once you know how long it actually takes you to complete different
tasks, use a timer to make sure that you adhere to those times. For example, if you know
that it takes you three minutes to take a shower, set a timer for three minutes right
before you step into the shower. Then, when you hear the timer ring, turn the water off
and step out of the shower right away.

5. Be Ruthless With Your To Do List. One reason why you may have a tendency to
be late is because you simply have too much to do. If your schedule is unrealistic, how
can you possibly be on time for anything? It’s better to say “no” to something you don’t
have time for than it is to say “yes” and then be an hour late.
Take out your to do list and ruthlessly cross out anything that’s not a priority. Make sure
that you only commit to do the number of things which you can realistically get done,
and which you can realistically be on time for. Punctual people accept that they can’t do
it all.

6. Be Prepared to Be On Time. Preparation is one of the keys to punctuality. As an

illustration, if you’re constantly late leaving your house in the morning, set up the night
before. The night before, do the following:
 Choose the clothes that you’re going to wear and lay them out.
 Pack your briefcase and leave it by the door.
 Make sure that your house keys and your car keys are by the door.
 Make your breakfast —one idea is to cut up some fruits, put them in a container,
and store the container in the fridge.
As a second example, if you’re constantly late to meetings because you can’t find what
you need, start preparing for meetings long beforehand. At least an hour before the
meeting, gather all of the materials that you’ll need and place them on a corner of your
desk or on a chair.

Always be prepared to be on time.

7. Give Yourself a Time Cushion. Even if you know how long it takes you to perform
different tasks—such as driving to work or driving to a meeting across town—give
yourself some extra time  in case of unexpected events. It’s a given that things are not
going to run smoothly 100% of the time.
Here are some of the myriad of things that could go wrong as you try to get to your
meeting across town:

 Just as you’re leaving your office you spill coffee on your shirt, so now you have to
change into the spare shirt you keep in the closet.
 There’s construction along the route that you usually take, so now you have to
take a different, longer route.
 It starts to rain, which slows down traffic.
One of the habits of people who are punctual is that they don’t just give themselves the
amount of time that they need to get to where they’re going on time. Instead, they also
give themselves a time cushion in case something goes wrong.
8. Be Prepared to Wait. People usually don’t like to be early because they feel that the
time that they spend waiting for others is wasted time. That is, they prefer to be late
rather than having some downtime. The key to overcoming this hurdle is to be prepared
to have to wait. Waiting time doesn’t have to be wasted time.
Do the following:

 Keep a manila folder filled with industry related articles and take it with you so
that you can catch up on your reading while you wait.
 Plan to answer emails on your iPhone.
 Use the downtime to close your eyes for a while and meditate.
 See the waiting time as “extra time” and use it to work on a personal project, such
as working on your novel or on your business plan for the small business you want to
start on the side.
The best way to avoid being late is to plan to be early. In addition, you can stop dreading
being early by having a plan for how you’re going to use the waiting time.

9. Change Your Thoughts About Being Early. A lot of people think that those who
are important keep others waiting. Therefore, being early is a sign that they’re not that
important. And no one wants to feel unimportant.
However, being early is really a sign of being organized, having respect for others, and
having good time management skills. And these are all character traits of important
people. Keep telling yourself, “Important people are punctual”.

10. Always Leave on Time. The moment which ultimately determines whether you
arrive where you’re going late or on time is the moment in which you walk out your
door. Once you’ve reversed engineered the time at which you need to leave in order to
arrive at your intended destination on time, force yourself to leave at that time.
Think of the following scenario: you’ve calculated that you need to leave by ten a.m. in
order to get to your meeting with the board of directors ten minutes early. Therefore, at
ten a.m. on the dot get up and go. Look at the following:

 If an email comes in at 9:59 a.m., ignore it.

 If a colleague walks into your office two minutes before you have to leave, tell
them you can give them two minutes. When the two minutes are up, excuse yourself
and leave.
 If it’s 9:58 a.m. and you feel like trying to squeeze in one more task before you
leave, have the discipline to stop yourself, get your things, and walk out.
 If you get up to leave and you notice that your diploma–which is hanging on the
wall– is dusty, make a mental note to clean it when you get back. Under no
circumstances should you start looking for a dusting cloth to clean it before you
leave.
If you leave for your appointments on time–and you give yourself a time cushion in case
something goes wrong–, you’re practically guaranteed to be on time.
11. Set Up Reminders. Set up a reminder for meetings and appointments an hour
before you have to leave. Also, set up another reminder for fifteen minutes before you
have to go. That way, you can time yourself so that you’re ready to leave on time.
12. Practice the Day Before. For important events, such as a job interview or if you
have to give a presentation, practice how to get to where you need to be the day before.
That way, you won’t lose time on the day of the important event trying to find the right
address.
Make a good first impression when it comes to important events by practicing the day
before so that you can be on time.

Conclusion
When you’re on time you’re prepared to do your best. Being punctual signals to others,
as well as to yourself, that you can be depended on. Use the 12 tips above to become
more punctual.

When it comes to time management, there are two main types of people: those
who are habitually early and those who are ― despite their best intentions ―
chronically late.
Most punctually challenged people chalk up their tardiness to personality, a
notion that Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist and behavioral scientist, said
is partly true.
“Tardiness is a function of both disposition and habits,” he told HuffPost.
While some people are naturally less attuned to the passage of time, he said,
others are acutely aware of it. The environment you were raised in can also
play a role in how you think about time.
“If we were raised in a home where there was an expectation of promptness,
where parents were prompt, where time was structured and tracked, we are
more likely to be on time and early,” he said. On the other hand, if scheduling
and promptness weren’t priorities in your household, you may be less likely to
strive for punctuality.
The final determining factor has to do with the consequences and
reinforcements you received growing up.
“Were we praised for being on time? Did we have a lifestyle that rewarded a
non-scheduled, non-deadline approach?” Klapow asked. He explained that it’s
a combination of hard-wired disposition, childhood learning and
reinforcement contingencies that dictate the degree to which you tend to be
chronically late or perpetually punctual.
That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a life of constant lateness, though. Even if
you’re working against your natural disposition, there are practical steps you
can take to become more punctual.
Take a page out of a punctual person’s playbook and look at some of the tips
below:

1. Consider The Consequences Of Being Late

Punctual people are keenly aware of the consequences of being late, Klapow
said. So, before you can transform into a punctual person, it helps to examine
the effect of your tardiness, he explained.
To start, grab a notebook and jot down all the consequences you’ve dealt with
in the past for being late, whether practical or social. Think of things such as
missing an important meeting, getting a speeding ticket, being reprimanded
by your boss, disappointing your friends, or even just feeling frazzled.
Kevin Kruse, author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time
Management and founder of online learning company Leadx, underscored the
exercise’s importance.
“If there is no consequence for being late, then there’s no incentive to change
your ways,” Kruse told HuffPost.
Another approach is to ask your family and friends how they feel about your
constant lateness, Klapow suggested. Getting this real social feedback, he
explained, can help shift your understanding of how your tardiness affects the
people around you, and hopefully motivate you to make changes.

2. Track Your Habits

To get a more realistic view of time, it helps to “chart your successes and
failures,” Klapow said.
Use a timer to record how long various tasks in your daily routine take to
complete, from showering in the morning to driving to work to walking the
dog.
If you’re perpetually late, you’ll probably notice that you tend to
underestimate the time you need to get things done.
Klapow said recording your habits in this way will allow you to “see just how
successful you are at being on time [or] how much of a challenge it actually is.”
This will give you a better idea of how you can adjust your schedule or make
changes to your routine.
3. Under-Schedule Yourself

Punctual people aren’t necessarily less busy than people hardwired to show up
late — they’re just more realistic about what they can accomplish. If you’re
constantly late, you may be overextending yourself or overestimating your
capabilities, which is why Klapow suggested dialing back.
“If possible, examine the degree of [your] tasks, deadlines, [and] requirements
that are time-contingent and try to reduce some of them so that you are not
overloaded,” he said.
Can you delegate better? Step away from a time-sucking responsibility? Say no
to certain projects? Under-scheduling yourself will help you “get the hang of
being on time so that it feels manageable,” Klapow explained.

4. Set Time Barriers For Tasks

Kruse said it’s crucial to set an end time as well as a start time for your
meetings, calls and tasks.
“Often people are late because their previous engagement ran too long,” he
explained. When you begin a new task, whether it’s answering emails or
attending a brainstorming session, set a clear stop time. This will help you
stick to your commitments and ensure you don’t lose track of time.

5. Get Organized And Plan Ahead

A major part of being on schedule is developing habits that help maximize

your efficiency. That means looking up directions ahead of time or making
lists of what you need to accomplish to leave on time.
If you’re always late to work because you feel rushed getting ready, for
example, find ways to minimize your morning frenzy. Before you go to sleep,
organize your work materials, lay out an outfit and pack your lunch.

6. Set Reminders And Alarms

“Gradually shape your world to make time more of a front-and-center concept

in your life,” Klapow recommended. One way of doing that? Create reminders
for yourself.
Klapow said phone alarms, sticky notes and calendar notifications can all help
you stay on track and on time. Kruse also suggested setting your clocks five
minutes early to trick yourself into being timely.
7. Anticipate Downtime

Part of training yourself to be on time is learning how to embrace periods of

waiting. If you try to show up precisely on the dot because you dislike the idea
of arriving early and having to wait, you also risk showing up late if not
everything goes according to plan.
Kruse makes a point to be super early everywhere he goes, whether it’s a flight
or lunch meeting.
“That way, whether there is an accident on the highway or bad traffic or I get
lost, I am still never late,” he said. And when he does arrive early, he simply
uses his downtime to return phone calls, process emails or read.
So long, time crunch.

Punctuality is an Excellent Human

Virtue
Being punctual speaks of a person’s respect for others. When we give respect to others,
we can earn it in turn. Being on time demonstrates meeting deadlines, timeliness and
assures clients they can count on you to get the job done. When you are on time for
meetings, conference calls, and shift changes, you demonstrate to others that you have
team-centered work goals and you respect co-workers and clients. 

Your willingness to make every effort to complete your work on time, helps you
establish your reputation as a dependable and consistent worker. As a leader, you
demonstrate that you value employees as a member of the team, and you are
committed to their success.

Being on time demonstrates integrity. Leaders must say what they mean and mean
what they say. They live up to their word and follow through on commitments. By
arriving on time and delivering your commitments demonstrates that you are dependent
and can be trusted. This leads to growth.
7 Tips to Help Increase Punctuality
If you find yourself being guilty of consistently being late, then there are things you can
shift to adopt the habit of being on time.

1. Make a Conscious Decision to Be on Time

The first step is recognizing that you have a punctuality problem. Acknowledging that
you have developed a bad habit, allows you to make an informed decision to shift the
negative impact on your career and your relationships.

2. Shift Your Mindset

Being early is a sign of being organized. It demonstrates that you have respect for
others. By shifting your thinking to “all important people are punctual” will change your
thinking and place you in a prime position to demonstrate how you value others and
yourself.

3. Recognize Why Being Punctual is a Priority 

When you want to create a new habit, having clarity as to the reasons why you want to
build that practice will assist you in adopting a new habit and making it stick. One way is
to identify what the costs are if you continue to keep the pattern and then on the flip side
what you will gain by breaking through tardiness. Some examples may be – ‘being on
time may reduce your stress, reduce friction with your co-workers and reinforce to your
manager that you are committed to your role and reliable’. This could place you in a
position for a promotion. Get clear on the benefits as they will support you to stay in
your lane.

4. Determine How Long It Takes to Perform Certain Tasks

Often people who arrive late to work, struggle to determine how long it takes them to
perform specific tasks. For instance, it may take them 30 minutes to get ready in the
morning when the reality is it takes them a lot longer than that. One way to break
through maybe to identify all the tasks that you need to complete in the morning to
arrive on time for work.

An alternate way is to invest a week tracking how long it takes to complete each of
these tasks, to determine accurately how much time is required for you to arrive at your
morning destination on time. Set up reminders for appointments an hour before you
must leave and incorporate a 15-minute reminder before you must go. Timers can be
gold as a prompt to keep you focused on where you need to be.

5. Morning Rituals
Preparation is the key to punctuality. One way to place you in a prime position to arrive
on time at work is to set yourself up from the night by organizing what you will wear,
organizing breakfast and preparation of meetings. Give yourself enough cushion time in
case something goes wrong. The best strategy to avoid being late is to plan to be early.
Today, there are so many technology options to remind yourself to stop doing
something else and begin your next activity on time.

6. Triggers Initiate Habits

Identify the situations that lead you to decide, rather than reacting to a request. By
hitting the pause button, you allow yourself to breathe and consider an alternate
response. A response may be “let me check my calendar and get back to you”. Slow
down your brain and do a reality check. When you hit the pause button, it allows you to
identify your current priorities, especially when your calendar is full. No one can do
everything. Saying no can be a challenge; however, when you recognize the triggers
that lead you to over-commit, you can make wiser choices.

7. Be Brutal with Your To-Do List

If your schedule is unrealistic, how could you be on time for anything? Sometimes it is
better to say ‘no’ to something rather than say ‘yes’ to appease others and be late.
Once you identify what your list looks like, ruthlessly cut out anything that is not a
priority. One strategy is using the Eisenhower matrix for organizing tasks and acting.

By using the matrix, you separate your actions based on 4 options:

 Important but not urgent tasks that you can schedule later
 Urgent, but not crucial as the tasks you can delegate to someone else
 Neither urgent nor important, therefore you will have tasks that you can eliminate. 

The beauty of this matrix is that you apply it to broad productivity plans such as ‘how
can I spend my time each week?’ right through to smaller, daily plans to ‘what must l do
today?’.

Making Punctuality a Priority in the

Workplace
Being on time takes a little planning. When you care about being somewhere, you will
make it happen. When employees are on time, it communicates to others that they can
trust and rely on you. It offers insight into how you view yourself and others. Learning
the importance of punctuality or being consistently on time, or perhaps even early, is a
simple way to distinguish yourself apart from the crowd.

Truth Be Told: 13 Ways to Demonstrate Honesty

1. Think before you speak.

2. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
3. Bend over backward to communicate in an open and honest fashion.
4. Simplify your statements so that everyone clearly understands your message.
5. Tell it like it is rather than sugarcoating it.
6. Present both sides of each issue to engender objectivity.
7. If you have a personal bias or a conflict of interest, make it known.
8. Tell people the rationale behind your decisions so that your intent is understood.
9. If something is misinterpreted, quickly correct the record.
10. Don’t shoot the messenger when someone tells you the truth. Thank them
for their honesty and treat the information provided as a gift.
11. Willingly accept responsibility by admitting a mistake or an error in judgment — in a
timely fashion.
12. Hold people accountable when their words do not match their actions.
13. Never compromise your integrity and reputation by associating yourself with people
whose standards of integrity you mistrust.