Comments on: A Man Is Punctual: The Reasons You’re Late and How to Always Be on Time

By: bctom

bctom — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:49:01 +0000

Well I’ll bite, seeing as no one else wants to admit to being passive aggressive. I loath tardiness in others, I like to think I am usually punctual. It makes life so much easier. While I didn’t have strict overbearing parents I can rebel silently when required. The passive aggressive paragraph hit home. When I find myself arriving late after dragging my feet for no good reason I use this a sign that something larger is at issue and examine my motives for ending up arriving late.

By: Mars

Mars — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:09:37 +0000

This is a good one, really helpful. I could relate to most of the issues mentioned in this and the suggestions or solution options were very realistic. Thanks a lot.

By: Ron Helpman

Ron Helpman — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:35:31 +0000

Great take on DeLonzor’s ideas on the causes of, and solutions for, lateness.
That said, in my work with chronically late people I haven’t found a single case supporting DeLonzor’s suggestion that magical thinking can be the result of being indulged as a child—an idea that reinforces the misconception that late people are self-centered.
Magic thinkers are more likely to have been children who felt powerless. To avoid sinking into depression they held onto the hope that when they grew up they would be able to create a perfect life where everything went just as they would like. Arriving late takes them back to feeling helpless and hopeless, so they fixate on the rare times when things have gone perfectly.
Another factor that I’ve found often contributes to magical thinking is having a creative “right brain” style of thinking. Creatives hold on to unrealistic expectations in spite of their past experience because they are better at creating things they imagine rather than they are at logically analyzing what has happened in the past.
In addition to the suggestions you offer, magical thinkers can use self-talk and tell themselves, “It’s disappointing that things won’t always go perfectly, but if I accept that fact I will feel less frustrated and have the satisfaction of being punctual.”

By: Adeleye

Adeleye — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:31:11 +0000

I do wake up early but end get things done late

By: ApocalypticCritic

ApocalypticCritic — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 03:29:51 +0000

Another important thing, possibly more important than always being on time, is to always call ahead if you suspect you’re going to be late. It’s nearly impossible in this day and age to be fully disconnected from other people, so there’s really no excuse to not call ahead if you think you’re going to be late. Sometimes, things happen that are beyond your control. Calling ahead shows to the person you’re supposed to be meeting that you are trying to be punctual, and that you value their time.

By: Vlad

Vlad — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 04:38:29 +0000

actually, setting your clock 10 minutes ahead can work, since your brain processess the time in different ways.

the cognitive, computational part can recognize what time is showing and can easily calculate what the actual time is, but another more emotional part of your brain sees 12:00 and you feel like you are late, despte actually being 10 minutes early (or something)

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:13:58 +0000

One thing I’ve found helpful is eliminating chaotic events such as buying coffee in the morning. If you make your coffee at home, not only do you save money but you reduce the unpredictability of how long it will take to buy it at the coffee shop.

As to alarm clocks, I’m convinced that the snooze button is the devil. I get so frustrated when people oversleep and miss things. I’ve found that getting regular exercise helps me sleep better, and that getting good sleep helps me to wake up on time and feel refreshed.

I’m only late for work in the middle of winter when someone has an accident on the only highway between my house and the city. :)

By: Cristian Maldonado

Cristian Maldonado — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:25:04 +0000

As always, this has been an excelent read. I know the tips you have provided will help me and my wife immensely. I’ll make sure to link this article in my Facebook page.

By: William

William — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:26:06 +0000

I live in Africa, where the concept of time is often rather vague. The time given for something to start is often only a guideline reflecting the time before which nothing will have started (this is particularly true of weddings). Unfortunately this does have the effect of desensitizing one to the need and the integrity of being on time. The problem is illustrated by a comment I heard that was made to a business partner in Latin America, the question was asked whether we in Africa have a similar word to “manana.” The answer was “yes we do, but it doesn’t convey the same sense of haste.”
As one living in this culture, I stumbled upon the following article http://www.conradmbewe.com/2011/05/poor-time-keeping-at-christian-weddings.html which I found quite amusing and very refreshing! How helpful this will be I do not know, but I submit it as an interesting tactic in difficult surroundings.

By: DC

DC — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:47:03 +0000

One thing that wasn’t addressed was sleep. Go to sleep late all the time and you wake up late or groggy all the time; not to mention bitchy. And you get to work with the bedsheet prints on your face even after a shower. Sound sleep is essential. Everyone has their own internal clock of how much sleep they need to feel ready to tackle the day ahead of them. Also, I find that having a small digital clock hanging inside the shower counting down helps me race against the clock. With it I can shower in less than 10 minutes in the morning, that includes brushing my teeth. Without it, half an hour. I also love coming out of the shower and having my clothes pressed and hanging with shoes and socks and all accessories laid out with a small
foldable chair to sit down and put my shoes on.
It feels like I have a butler; my bag by the door.
It’s like Tony Stark when he walking towards the
rooftop of his building and his armor suit is
attaching itself to him while he walks out.
Everything is setup to grab as I walk towards out to my car. My favorite song is set up to play as soon as I turn the car on. I don’t care about listening to whether or traffic or celebrity gossip. That’s what my umbrella and sunglasses are for. And if I’m not the one sleeping with Monica Belluci, then what do I care who is?