How to Quit Being Late

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Rushing to work causes you to begin the day unproductively.

No matter how hard you try, you may find that you are always late to your destination. You have gotten used to arriving a few minutes late and missing the first part of a class or a meeting. Your friends have learned to start enjoying the evening without you because they know you won't be on time. Being chronically late is a negative trait that can adversely affect your life. Fortunately there are steps you can take to stop being late.

Instructions

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     Wake up 30 minutes to an hour earlier to ensure you have enough time to get ready and arrive at your destination on time. Many people try to get up as late as possible and often end up oversleeping.
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     Leave sooner than you feel you need to. Many people give themselves only the amount of time needed to get to work. They fail to consider traffic delays or the time it takes to park and get to their desk. If you have to be at work at 8 a.m. and it takes you 30 minutes to get there, leave at 7 a.m. or 7:15 rather than 7:30.
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     Prepare the night before. Choose what you're going to wear and iron it if necessary. Locate your keys and put them near your purse or wallet so you don't have to hunt for them in the morning. Prepare your lunch if you take lunch to work. Doing these things in the morning often causes delays, so you will save time if you take care of them the night before.
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     Consider the impact to others. Being late doesn't just affect you. When you are late for work, you are not at work when your boss or your coworkers need you. When you are late for a movie with a family member or friend, you keep those people waiting or they may miss the beginning of the movie. Decide that lateness is a selfish habit so you will be motivated to change.
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     Plan to arrive early and bring something to keep yourself occupied. Some people are late because they don't want to wait for other people to arrive or to wait for the class or meeting to start. Bring a book, magazine, laptop or other electronic device to keep your attention while you're waiting.
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     Set consequences for being late. If you are late, don't allow yourself to stop at Starbucks for your daily cup of coffee. Force yourself to go without makeup for the day or even skip your shower if you're running late. Negative consequences may help you begin to be on time.
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     Determine why you are consistently late. Are you late everywhere or just to a particular destination? Your lateness may indicate a deeper problem. Perhaps you dread going to a certain place or meeting a particular person. Address the problem so you're not subconsciously acting out by being late.