Do you know someone who is always late for everything? Or maybe you are that person?!  Being late to everything can ruin your professional reputation, anger your friends, and just add a ton of stress to your life you don’t need.  The Readers Digest has shared some of the most common reasons people are late for everything – and three tips to get where you’re going on time:

You’re Late Because You Can’t Say No – just as you’re about to leave your house or work, someone asks you to do something and you can’t say no.  If this describes you, those last minute tasks are going to make you late every single time.  The best thing you can do for your sanity, and your ability to be on time is to learn to tell people NO.  Just say you’re on your way out the door, you’re on a deadline, you’re supposed to be someplace at a certain time, etc.

You’re Late Because You Underestimate How Long Things Take – many people make the mistake of overbooking themselves.  If you underestimate how long things will take, you will quickly fall behind on your list of things to do and always run late.  Get in the habit of assuming things will take twice as long as you expect, and schedule yourself accordingly.  This should help you stay on track and on time.

You’re Late Because You Start Every Morning Running Late – some people are late simply because they oversleep every morning.  If you’re running fifteen minutes late every day before you even leave the house, you’re just asking to be late for everything you do after that moment.  Get to bed earlier and wake up a few minutes earlier every day.  Avoid the snooze button on your alarm and just train yourself to get up when it’s time to get up.  If you can start your day on time, you are much more likely to stay on time for the rest of the day.  A bonus to getting to bed earlier is that you’ll feel more rested throughout the day, too.

For more reasons people are late and advice for being on time, read this article from the Readers Digest.

 

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