How are you at being on time?

Let’s talk about being “on-time.” This is probably one of the most desired yet ill met goals in modern society. Almost everyone would agree that being on time is a good thing. It respects other peoples time. Not to mention that it helps us in many ways. From getting to work on time, getting to the theater on time or getting to our plane on time, we all have many schedules that must be met. However, we all know people who never seem to be able to arrive anyplace on time. They frustrate the rest of us as we wait for them to arrive.

When we are committed to being someplace at a certain time and we arrive within acceptable limits, we probably feel that we are “on-time.” The acceptable limits for some of us include both before and after the agreed upon time. Perhaps this is the key factor to being on time or being late. The acceptable limits for some of us are not the acceptable limits for others. Indeed, people may even complain that you arrived too early. Have you ever noticed that some people seem to always be on time and others are always “out of the acceptable limits?”

Does it bother you when someone else waits for a late person before they will start the meeting? How much do you value being on time? Are you someone who is always on time or are you always late? Can you notice patterns in your ability to arrive within acceptable limits? How do you determine the “acceptable” limits for arrival? What motivates your “on-time” or lateness? Are you satisfied with yourself in this area? What could you do different?