Punctuality: is it possible to learn to always be on time?

First, remember how often you find yourself in the position of being late? If this does not happen to you and you are always on time, then accept my congratulations and stop reading this article - it is not for you. But something tells me that there are very few people who are always on time.

Of course, everyone has circumstances and reasons, no one is late for no reason, but here’s the mystery: some almost always arrive on time to a meeting, while others are almost always late. But the circumstances are the same for everyone!

This means that the reason is not the person’s employment, nor his workload. Rather, on the contrary, busier people try to arrive at exactly the appointed time. And the reason for this is simple - they value their time and the time of the people with whom they work.

Now remember another situation: you come to a meeting, and there is no one there. You spend half an hour carefully examining people leaving the subway, but the person with whom you have an appointment is still not there. How are you feeling? I don't think so. If you want your meeting to start in a positive way, be on time.

There is another extreme that I myself suffered from at one time. When I had an appointment, I was almost never late, but in order to appear punctual, I arrived at the place about 20 minutes before the start.

So, punctuality is the art of arriving on time. Not later and not earlier, but exactly at the appointed time.

Can this be learned? Certainly. And the first stage should be the realization that there is a problem with punctuality. The very understanding that being late is not good is already a big step towards punctuality.

To more clearly imagine the negative consequences of being late, put yourself in the shoes of the person waiting. Not only is waiting very unpleasant, but also think about what kind of attitude is formed in the person who is waiting for you. Confidence instantly drops - if you cannot guarantee your appearance at the meeting on time, let alone the rest! The waiter begins to transfer the circumstances onto himself: if a person is late, it means he does not respect my time. My mood drops. All this does not add points to you, but only spoils the first impression.

Conversely, if you arrive at exactly the appointed time, you instantly receive a significant bonus. Now you are treated as a person who values ​​his own and other people’s time, keeps his promises, and whom you can rely on.

Once you have realized the need to develop the skill of punctuality in yourself, you can begin this very development.

I will give a number of useful habits that helped me develop the skill of always being on time, I think these methods will work for you too.

Learn to estimate how long you will be traveling.

By the way, this is very easy to do. You just need to break down all the time you spend on the journey and getting ready into several parts, the duration of each of which you know exactly.

For example, in order to get dressed, you need 13 minutes, 2 minutes to lock the apartment and go down the elevator, 15 minutes to walk to the metro. In total, it will take you 30 minutes to get to the metro. On the metro, you most likely often visit only a few stations: where you study, work, where relatives live, whom you often visit. You know exactly how long it takes to get to these stations. These will be your guidelines. If I always get to Sennaya Square in 10 minutes, then it takes three minutes longer to get to the Technological Institute. It’s more difficult when you have to travel by minibuses and buses. It is not known exactly how long they will have to wait and how long they will travel. In this case, the next point.

Scientists: People who are constantly late are more successful and live longer

If you were late again and even got criticized for it, don't worry too much. It turns out that being late isn't such a bad thing. Experts have found that people who are often late have many positive traits. One of them is constant lateness.

They tend to be optimistic and suffer less from stress

You, of course, know such a person. Perhaps it is your best friend who is simply unable to get anywhere on time, or perhaps you yourself. Anyway, we have good news for everyone who has problems with time management.

People who are late are less stressed, which is undoubtedly good for their health, but they are also able to see the big picture and think outside the box. All these factors help latecomers achieve great success in their careers and prolong their lives.

Being late turns you into an optimist

According to Diane De Lonzor, author of The Easy Way to Stop Being Late: “Many late people tend to be both optimistic and unrealistic. This also applies to their perception of time: they truly believe that they can go for a run, pick up clothes from the dry cleaner, buy groceries and take the kids to school in an hour.

They remember that one bright day 10 years ago when they actually got all those things done in 60 minutes, and they forget about all the other times when those same things took much, much longer.”

A positive approach increases your chances of success

Metropolitan Life Insurance conducted a study in which salespeople participated. It found that “the most optimistic 10 percent of consultants sold 88 percent more products than their most pessimistic 10 percent.” They did better because their approach was better.

People who are consistently late are more enthusiastic

People who are disorganized or often late tend to be enthusiastic. According to the Enneagram Institute, enthusiasts' weaknesses include being "overindulgent, unfocused, and undisciplined," but their strengths include being "extroverted, spontaneous, energetic, and playful."

They actually experience the passage of time differently.

Jeff Conte, an associate professor of psychology at the University of San Diego, came up with interesting results in his research. His team conducted an experiment with Type A (competitive, impatient) and Type B (relaxed, creative) personalities. Late arrivals fell into category B.

The researchers asked participants in both groups to guess, after exactly one minute, how much time had passed. Members of Group A, on average, said that 58 seconds had passed, while people in Group B thought that 77 seconds had passed. Obviously, these people literally feel that there is more time than there actually is.

“So if you have an 18-second gap ... over time, that difference will make itself felt,” Conte explained in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Multitasking people also perceive time slower

Jeff Conte also conducted an experiment involving 181 New York City subway operators. His research showed that those operators who frequently multitasked were more likely to be late than their colleagues.

They often become completely immersed in what they are doing and forget about time.

Think about that friend of yours who is always late. Does he or she have a wide social circle and too many hobbies? According to Lifehack.org, people often become late because they are “absorbed in another exciting or extremely interesting activity” that puts them in “another zone.”

They don't make a fuss about other people being late because they see the big picture

Being a minute late doesn't bother Type B people (those who are relaxed and creative, from Jeff Conte's experiment). In such cases, they think that if they are not bothered by others being late, there is nothing wrong with them being a few minutes late (which is probably not the case).

They are more spontaneous

Because of the laid-back nature of Type B, latecomers don't worry too much about flights, trains, or hotel bookings. They “simply throw things into a suitcase and go out, deciding along the way where to eat and spend the night, because it’s much more interesting,” writes Lifehack.org.

And they have more problems with money

“People who are late but genuinely want to call it quits tend to want to be more mindful, but they live in the moment and find it difficult to save money for the future,” says Alfie Kohn, author of books on education, parenting and human behavior, in Interview with the American magazine Psychology Today.

Some people "can't bring themselves to be on time," which means they may "have trouble getting themselves to behave in other areas, such as saving money or avoiding junk food."

They enjoy breaking rules and achieving goals.

Latecomers never follow instructions, behave like everyone else, and don't fully trust Google Map's calculations. This means they think outside the box, which makes them capable of solving problems using unusual—and often better—ways.

According to De Lonzor, there are two types of people: deadliners and producers. Deadliners “unconsciously crave the adrenaline rush of racing to the finish line,” while “producers gain self-esteem from being able to get as much done as possible in as little time as possible.”

They are less likely to become patients of cardiologists

A study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology in 2003 found that Type A people have a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. The reason for this is the higher level of stress they face. People who worry less about getting everything done on time are more likely to avoid stress-related illnesses.

Telegram channel of the author about time planning and delays

(This is a translation. Original)

Control time when you can control it.

Can you speed up the train in the subway? I doubt. So don’t worry. If you are traveling on the subway, in a car, on an airplane - no matter how late you are, there is nothing you can do. So relax, your nerves will come in handy. But you can speed up your pace when walking down the street, jog a little if you see a green traffic light or a vehicle approaching a stop, or, as a last resort, you can run along the escalator. Whenever you find yourself in a situation where your speed of movement depends on you, look at your watch and decide whether you need to rush.

The benefits of punctuality


Punctual man looks calm and happy

To decide to eradicate the habit of being late, you need to understand how much better your life will be if you can become punctual:

  • the number of stressful situations will decrease - the boss will stop reprimanding, your loved one will not be offended, work negotiations will take place in a timely manner and in a positive mood;
  • They will stop saying unpleasant words behind your back, they will not judge you or demonstrate their indignation;
  • colleagues will begin to respect you, and this also applies to family members - they will understand that you had to make a lot of efforts in order to improve;
  • You will be able to climb the career ladder. This situation is typical for cases when a person has merit at work, but regular tardiness does not allow him to grow. When management sees that an employee has become responsible, they decide that he can be rewarded.

Punctuality is a positive character trait and can be instilled at any age.

Don't allow yourself to be late.

There are situations when you know perfectly well that you can be late and nothing will happen to you for it. So, do not allow yourself to be late even in these cases. While studying in my fourth year, I knew for sure that my lateness to the institute for classes would not be noticed by anyone, I would just quietly go into the classroom, and no one would reprimand me for it. When I began to allow myself to be late for college, I noticed that, in principle, it became much more difficult for me to arrive on time. I started being late for other meetings because I had slacked off in college. If you decide to be punctual, then it should be forever.

How to be on time: tips

Take note of these recommendations and be sure to put them into practice.

  • When you make an appointment, be sure to indicate the exact time. If you meet “around two”, you will probably be late. Therefore, you set an exact time so that there is no temptation to leave five minutes later.
  • Buy a watch. Often people are simply lost in time frames. Be sure to purchase a wristwatch to constantly monitor the time.
  • Calculate your time with reserve. Let's say you need to get to the other end of the city. Estimate how much time you will need, but be sure to add a few minutes for force majeure: traffic jams, transport delays.

  • Give yourself a clear schedule. A person arrives on time and values ​​every minute. If your schedule is vague, then you simply have nowhere to rush. Therefore, create a clear schedule for the day so that you spend every minute wisely.
  • Carrot and stick. Create a system of punishments and rewards for yourself. Arrived on time for the meeting? Treat yourself to something delicious. Were you late and again squeezing out excuses? Come up with a punishment, for example, staying longer at work.

To become a person who arrives on time, you need to pull yourself together and realize the value of time. Both yours and someone else's. Understand that being late not only harms you, but also those around you. Learn to manage your time correctly.

Think positively.

You may ask: what does this have to do with it? And I will answer you that this is perhaps the most important point. Believe me, if you leave the house with the thought “Don’t be late!”, then your subconscious will perceive this phrase without the “not” particle. And he will try in every possible way to fulfill your request, or rather what is left of it, namely: “Be late!” Moreover, when you think in a positive way (“I’ll make it!”), then transport arrives surprisingly faster, you spend less time in traffic jams... Or so it will seem to you... In any case, your mood will be much better if you Confidently tell yourself that you will succeed in everything.

What do you call a person who loves being hurt?

Masochists like to hurt themselves, sadists like to hurt others. Masochists have their justification. Physical pain dulls moral pain, suppresses depression and reluctance to live (a normal philological process; if it hurts, you immediately want to do something about it).

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You are responsible for your time.

Don't blame others for your lateness. There are situations when you objectively cannot do anything, but they do not occur too often (if you think otherwise, I advise you to read this article again). In most situations, you are the culprit for being late, so I advise you to give yourself feedback in cases of lateness so as not to repeat mistakes next time.

If you follow these 10 points, then most likely you will not have problems with being late. Learn to be on time, practice and your punctuality will be envied and respected.

Tags: discipline, personal psychology, time, psychology of communication, tardiness, punctuality

What is it called?

A person who knows how to manage his time wisely and arrives on time is called punctual. He knows how to calculate time correctly and does not keep himself waiting. A punctual person respects other people. He understands that they have a clear schedule, so he tries not to violate its boundaries.

Let's give an example. Nowadays there are many beauty salons. In most cases, to get to the master, you need to make an appointment in advance. You call the salon and agree on a time when you need to come.

A punctual client will always arrive exactly on the minute. He understands that after him there will also be people who are assigned to a certain time. He will not delay the queue and will show respect for the master by arriving on time. Now you know the name of the person who always arrives on time.

They think on their feet

Just because some people are always on time doesn't mean they are never late. They just know how to make up for lost time along the way. This means they know when to splurge on a taxi, or they are looking for a shortcut.

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Causes of hallucinations

Let's figure out why hallucinations can occur. Medical experts identify the following reasons:

Excessive and systematic consumption of alcohol. Drug use. Use and overdose of psychostimulants. Schizophrenia. Brain damage. The influence of psychosis. Syphilis. Age. As a result of the aging of the body, changes occur that entail a failure of the sensory organs. Frequent stress, pessimism, anxiety. Hallucinogenic mushrooms. Neoplasms of the brain. Infection of the body. Epileptic syndrome. Heart disease. Atherosclerosis. Prolonged insomnia.

Causes of hallucinations in older people

In older people, the development of hallucinations may occur due to age. This is the result of age-related changes in the organs of perception. Such people are characterized not only by auditory hallucinations, but also by visual and gustatory ones. Elderly people with this disease begin to complain about strange odors in the room, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, etc.

Treatment of hallucinations

The method of treatment depends on what the doctor finds out at the diagnostic stage. One of the methods for eliminating the pathology itself may be chosen. If it turns out that the cause cannot be eliminated, then therapy is aimed at eliminating the symptoms, that is, the hallucinations themselves. If the disease develops as a result of the use of any drugs, then they are canceled.

In case of poisoning with alcohol or drugs, cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract is prescribed. The patient will need rest and care.

A course of psychotherapy can help cure hallucinations. Neurometabolic therapy and restorative medicine techniques are used.

They only do what they like


If you're late for something, there's a chance that your brain is secretly trying to tell you that it doesn't want to do it. However, if you are late, this does not free you from the task that you do not like, it only complicates the situation, since you add slowness to all the unpleasant feelings. Solution? You should only do what you want to do.

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They have a planner and use it every day.

If you want to be on time everywhere, you should start from the moment you wake up, even if all your tasks are later in the day. The key to success is planning your day. You should look at your planner and play out in your mind what will happen during the day and in what order. Then think through each step and decide what you need to prepare to accomplish everything you have planned for the day.

They respect routine

If you want to never be late, you'll need a reliable routine. It will help you become more efficient by freeing you from wasting time thinking and making decisions at every step. Instead of trying to figure out what to wear, looking for lunch in the refrigerator, and trying to find your car keys, create an evening routine in which you prepare your clothes, pack your lunch, and put your keys in the same place.

They use an alarm clock

Cell phones can be a distraction if you're engrossed in social media feeds or texting, but there are plenty of apps that can help you better manage your time. And you need to start with the simplest of these applications, namely the alarm clock. Don't set your alarm for when you need to be there, set it for when you need to be in the car with the keys in the ignition.

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Fair Expectations

Etiquette expert Kavita Modi talks about many of her clients who are frustrated by this behavior and want to know how to politely ask friends or family not to keep them waiting. “Imagine that someone plans to pick you up at the movies, but they don’t arrive until twenty-five minutes after the movie starts. I always tell clients to be direct and polite. But it's important to let the other person know that your time is valuable too,” she says.

Of course, friendship forgives a lot; someone is always late for dinner parties with a group of friends. However, if it's a one-on-one coffee date or a dinner for two, no one wants to sit and wait alone.

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Kavita Modi seems to have a solution. She says, “Don't leave invitations open. Don't say "6:00 pm or later"; instead state, “Dinner will be at 7:00 p.m. Please come early."

Otherwise, she adds, waiting for a friend who is habitually late will only add to your feelings of disappointment due to his carelessness towards your invitation.

First of all, you need to start with your head.

The tendency to be late is not an innate trait that is inherited, but a habit, the roots of which lie in the subcortex. Start to perceive your arrivals at the wrong time as a very bad course of life into which you have become involved. Try to make a mental note to be punctual. Imagine adding a nice meal, going to the gym, or meeting friends on your to-do list. Our “system” should count this and put it on the queue for execution.

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