5 Secrets to Being "On Time"
On time is what every airline strives for. I’m told the Swiss run a news story if a train is a few minutes late! What difference does it makes to be “on time” and how can you hit that elusive mark? I can help you with that.
Every Wednesday morning at 7:30 for six years I met our Governor and his staff for a Bible study. One morning, I WOKE UP at 6:50! In eight minutes I was up, showered, dressed and out the door! I walked in breathing hard with five minutes to spare…and learned a valuable few lessons.
Here they are:
1. SET A BACKUP ALARM.
NEVER trust one alarm. I have accidentally set mine for “P.M.” instead of “A.M.” several times. Set your alarm clock AND your phone alarm. When traveling, I even add a wake-up call from the hotel desk.
Whatever you do, never hit “snooze”! You should set your alarm across the room if you tend to hit snooze unconsciously.
2. THE 15 MINUTE RULE.
Add 15 minutes to your alarm. You can always sit around by the door ready to go…rather than running like your hair is on fire!
Add 15 minutes to each appointment in your day. Your first appointment may go long. If it doesn’t, you can always use a short break or time to reorganize your desk.
Add 15 minutes to your departure time for every appointment. Someone told me once, “If a person is important enough to see, they are important enough for you to be there 15 minutes early.”
3. FLY ONE FLIGHT EARLY.
You will take a lot of stress off if you will go one flight earlier for critical connections. Hanging out a couple of hours in the airport is easy with Starbucks, restaurants, and shops everywhere.
I even learned to fly to an overseas commitment 24 hours early. My body needs time to adjust to time change, altitude change, and travel weariness before jumping into the saddle.
4. PACK THE NIGHT BEFORE.
On trips, I always pack the night before I leave. Waking up like a “goose in a hailstorm” makes you inevitably forget a passport, your meds, or even your toothbrush!
It also pays to hang your outfit on a hook the night before. If you are running late, those critical minutes spent deciding on an outfit or finding your socks will make the difference.
5. SET CRITICAL ALARMS DURING THE DAY.
If you are one of those kind of people who get “zoned out” in activities where you lose all track of time, set your phone alarm.
I do this ten minutes before someone is picking me up so my mind can stay focused on what I am reading or who I am talking to without constantly looking at my watch.
When you show up early, it tells people you honor them and value their time.
And that will help you with “the rest of your time.”