Punctuality

Are you punctual? If I'm not 15 minutes early, I'm late. I have been like that my whole life. My mom jokes and says I was born early and have been that way ever since. Why is that?

My upbringing maybe? My dad was always early, sometimes ridiculously to the point we would walk an hour before an event happened. Not necessarily bad, we were ahead of the lines, the traffic and had time to relax before we were needed.

Now, I am a parent, if I don't get somewhere early then I have no hope of being on time. Putting on leg braces and him dressed alone consumes a half hour or so of my time. Mr. Independent is too much like me and refuses help. Then getting me dressed and an animal (if going to a park or vet) leashed up and ready to go. It gets tiring. I have found a system to help me.

1. Figure out how long it takes to get the the place you're going and add 10 minutes in case of traffic.

2. If you know it takes you 30 mins to get dressed plus 30 mins for a child add an hour plus 10 extra minutes to the drive time.

3. The biggest thing SET AN ALARM. If your drive time is 20 mins, that's 30 mins. If your dressing time is 30 mins, that's 40 mins. You have to be there at 3pm. 30 + 40 = 70 minutes. Set your alarm 1 hour and 10 minutes before the event starts.

4. Stick to the schedule. Just because you have 10 extra dressing minutes and 10 extra drive minutes doesn't mean slack off.

Now, let's define punctuality

Mr. Webster says punctuality is

1. Being on time; prompt.

Is it important to be punctual? YES! Being punctual is part of integrity. Doing what you say when you say you're going to do it.

Example: You have an assignment due tomorrow and promise to do the assignment, and have it ready to turn in on the dead-line. It's a day late. The person giving the assignment now thinks you're a flake. They lost faith in you because you didn't do what was asked when you promised to do it.

Example: You are scheduled at your job to be in at 4pm. You continuously show up at 4:15, 4:30 sometimes 5pm. How long do you think you're going to keep that job?

If I've only learned one thing from my father, it would be to be on time. So, rest assured that if I say I will be somewhere at 3pm. I will be there at 2:30.

Be punctual. It will help you with your career and it will help you become a person of integrity.