I’ll admit, I hate trying to be on time. It’s hard to do, and most times it’s downright impossible. Now, before you get all up in arms, let me explain with I mean.
Getting there on time is overrated.
Let’s say you have a 3pm appointment. So, you know it takes 30 minutes to get there. You are prudent and build in a little time cushion, and you get in your car 45 minutes before the meeting, AKA 2:15. Then, you hit a traffic backup, you get a flat tire or you get a hang nail… whatever. Something gets in your way, and alas, you are late and definitely not on time.
Don’t be on time, be super-early.
Let’s take that 3:00 meeting again. Instead of trying to stroll into that meeting at the stroke of 3:00, trying being there really, really early. I do this whenever possible. Here’s that I do:
- Be prepared. Take a bag, throw in a notebook, something to write with, a project or two, a book and the laptop. You have work to do anyway, and if you work from home, I’ll bet it doesn’t matter much where you are when you do it.
- Are you going to work online or offline? That will determine where to go: the actual meeting location OR a nearby wifi hotspot.
- Set out 2 or 3 times earlier than when the meeting starts. For a 3:00 meeting, I’d shoot for being there about 1-2 hours early.
- Oh, look at that, I’m already here. Then, when the meeting starts, you’re already there. No stress, and you even get some things done.
How about you? Are you on time or early?
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh I SO love this one! Fabulous idea!
I’m always early. I was recently told by a jewelry salesman that’s an informal study he did showed people who don’t wear watches are always early. People who wear watches typically run late.
I’m generally early, but not as early as you are! I do tend to add a time cushion to my expected travel time, the length of which depends on (a) the importance of the appointment and possible ramifications of being late and (b) the total travel time. But now you’ve given me another way to think about it, I might just try being an hour or two early next time.