I'm Always Late

Why am I late?

• I really didn't want to go, but obligation kept nagging at me until I finally pulled it together and went.
• I schedule my activities too close together (I can mow the lawn, put on an extra coat of paint, shower, get ready and drive through uncertain traffic to the event;  all in one hour because each activity only takes about 15 minutes).  I didn't account for time to transition between events (setup, cleanup, etc).
• I always like what I am doing more than anything else.  That's because to do something else, I need to clean up what I am doing and then prepare for the other activity.  This can involve a change of clothes, set of tools, etc.  Another aspect is that we always have a simulation running in our brain.  Sometimes it can take a while to boot-up that simulation, so powering it down and firing up a new one can seem like too much work.    

I once talked with a wise elderly lady who told me that she would rather be an hour early than five minutes late.  There is great wisdom in this.  Some examples:

• Flying on an airplane (missing a flight by even 10 seconds has painful consequences)
• The birth of a child (I had a childhood friend that was born in the back seat).
• A movie (I missed the rolling opening story for the first Star Wars movie and was confused for years on what the story was).
• A job interview
• A court hearing (I was a week late once.  The judge wasn't very merciful)

What have I done about this?

• Don't cram activities together.  Enjoy a little peaceful time between events.  In our sometimes hectic life, this down time can be quite pleasant.
• Follow the principle "on time instead of in time".  With "on time" you have a chance to fully transition to the activity with a buffer to account for unexpected obstacles.  With "in time", your heart is still racing as you take your seat, distracted by the trauma of trying to make it "in time".
• Imagine the good things about an activity you don't want to go to.  I didn't want to go to a funeral once, thought about the people I hadn't seen for a while, and then had a life changing experience as a result.