The Art of Timeliness

Do you find it near impossible to get where you need to go - on time? Do people often complain about how late you are?

I think we can all agree that punctuality is a great skill to have. If you want to keep your appointments, show up where you intend to be, and respect people’s time while you’re at it, being on time is kind of a big deal.

General tardiness doesn’t imply much respect for anyone’s time, and it’s just an unnecessary stress. So, if getting better at this time thing is important to you, I’ve got what you need:

A simple 3-step guide to the art of timeliness.

Step 1: Plan backwards

This should be relatively easy. Think about how long it will (truly) take for you to get ready and get to where you’re going (including driving, parking, all of it). Once you know how long each stage will be, start planning backwards.

So, if you need to be somewhere by 11am, and it will take you 10 minutes to park and 20 minutes to drive there, you gotta be out of the house by no later than 10:30am (see next point about buffer times). Then if it takes 45 minutes to get ready and 15 minutes to eat breakfast, that means you need to be up at least an hour before leaving – which brings you to 9:30am.

Step 2: Give yourself extra time

Now, take everything from step 1 and add a buffer time to it; maybe add 10 minutes for driving and parking (depending on where you’re going) and 10 minutes for getting ready. So now you're wake up time is 9:10am.

I suggest giving yourself that extra 20 minutes because ain’t nothing pretty about being rushed! And, if you end up with extra time, consider it a bonus - enjoy a second cup of coffee and a good book.

Step 3: Prepare what you can ahead of time

If there ‘s anything you can do to make the move from point a to point b swift and smooth – do it! Prepare your lunch, your outfit or notes for that meeting.

Now I’m not going to lie I happen to be more of a morning person, so sometimes I’ll leave some of these things until the am, when I feel most energized. But if you’re not a morning person, this is a great tip for you.

I know there are times where being on time isn’t all that serious, and going with the flow is the much better option But, you gotta know how to show up when you say you will – whether that be to others, or yourself. Finding that balance between living in the moment and preparing for where you want to go, is really what this jam's all about.

Peace, love and the art of timeliness,

Diana