Are You Always Late? Here’s Why.

Miriam Kusa
Sep 4, 2018 · 5 min read

Are you always hustling to get somewhere on time? Or perhaps you’re just allergic to people driving you peaNUTS with their constant tardiness? Well, there’s a reason for it and there’s hope for change. So if you’re curious, read on.

“See you at 7:00!”

“You got it!”

Experience Type 1

6:59 – The eager-eagle thinks “Not yet. Let me just awkwardly wait here behind closed doors until the clock strikes 7 and zero seconds”

7:00 – walks through the door like it’s nobody’s business

On point! May be a tad overdone, but nevertheless – can I get a mic drop for our eager-eagle, please?

Experience Type 2

7:00pm …………..

(likely catching zzz’s)

7:15 – waking up

7:16 – texting “almost there”

7:40 – not even close

8:00 – walks in through the door like it’s nobody’s business

Chances are, you’ve experienced Type 2 (not diabetes). You will always have countless excuses for being late. You will explain your hypotheses in such perfectly convincing ways that even you will believe that there is no cure for you.

Indeed, it has come to a point in our society that the internet is flooded with countless hilarious memes on the topic of tardiness. And because I think laughter is the best medicine, I will link you to my personal favourites compiled here on the someecards website.

But lord behold, one day I noticed that I too started to show up late to events! I was determined to get to the bottom of this newly-occuring phenomenon in my life.

I looked at what I already knew from basic psychology principles and I arrived at a very simple solution. In other words, I have put an end to this rocket science. There are three reasons why people are *always* late.

Is the event important enough?

I found that my “showing up late” to certain occasions had a direct correlation with the importance I was placing on that event.

For example, I would never show up late to a work meeting — or god forbid — a naturopath appointment. But I would show up late to social events with friends and “small” things like that.

If someone told you that they’d give you a million dollars for showing up at 7pm, do you think you’d be late? Not a chance! You would probably alter your sleeping and eating schedule just to make sure you don’t miss it.

Is there a lack of responsibility?

“This is just who I am. I tried to change many times but it didn’t work”

We’ve all heard this. The one who speaks this way is sabotaging a chance at deep, meaningful relationships. Friendships. Job opportunities. No recruiter would call this person back knowing they can only present top notch candidates.

By using phrases like “this is just the way I am”, you are successfully taking on the role of the victim. This assumes you do not control your own life, but are controlled by outside circumstances. Why on earth would you not want to be in control of your own life? Because you can’t stand responsibility and this is the perfect way to avoid it. Look at the statements below and how different they sound.

Victim blaming circumstance: I was late due to traffic

Person taking responsibility: I left the house on time but I did not include a buffer time for traffic

If you believe that traffic is to blame, then you lack integrity with yourself because you are not owning up to your own actions. You continue to self-sabotage yourself. The good news is that there’s an easy way out of this. That is, to restore integrity with the self.

So here’s what to do

Own up. Not to the other person. First and foremost, to thyself be true. Elaborate steps for adulting are outlined below:

B

Recognize the impact that being late has had on your relationships

If you are late, you are taking valuable time away from someone else that they could use in more productive ways.

How has this affected them? And as a result, how do they now act towards you?

People in your life that value and respect themselves (those smart, successful people you want to be around) will naturally pull back to devote their time to more meaningful relationships where they feel appreciated. The good news is, your flaky friends will stick around! Ever stop and think why you are always surrounded by people that are just so “flaky”? Well, perhaps they are just a mirror of yourself. Perhaps not. But I invite you to look and see.

The secret to showing up on time

It’s all about being true to yourself, sharing with others what it’s like for you, and acknowledging the impact your behaviour has had on your relationships. This way, you will regain power and take control over your life by assuming responsibility.

Oprah speaks of authenticity as one of the key factors to living a successful and meaningful life. Once you start speaking the truth with others, you’ll notice how their behaviour towards you changes. Plus, you will actually not feel the need to be late again! You will actually WANT to be there on time.

I’ll share an additional top hidden secret for how to always show up on time. Are you ready for this? It’s going to blow your mind. People would probably pay millions and I’m giving it out for free! So here goes.

Open Google maps and calculate how long it will get you to places. You can even add multiple trips and choose whether you’re walking, taking a car, or public transit! It tells you exactly when you need to leave to get somewhere. It even tells you if there are traffic jams. No excuses now!

If you know someone who needs to spice up their life with some state of the art advice, please feel free to share this article them. And if you’re pondering at what’s presented here, that’s great! Feel free to share those thoughts with me as they may inspire me to write in response to it.

Peace and love, friends.

Miriam Kusa

Written by

Funcasm is my style. I write about self development, sales, marketing, and lifestyle. So pull up a chair and join me in learning something new.

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