Cures for Chronic Lateness

Have you ever had to tip-toe into an important event just because you wanted to chat with a friend on the phone or watch your favorite program on television before you left from home? Perhaps the time has come to find cures for your chronic lateness. There are 5 simple cures that do not take much effort and that will provide a good result if you give them a try. You only need to have a desire to change in order for any of these cures to be successful.

Wake Up Early

Other than being caught in slow traffic, waking up late is probably one of the biggest excuses given for showing up late for appointments. Further, those who do wake up late usually blame their alarm clock for their tardiness. Well, if you address this problem in advance, you neither need to be inconvenienced by it or be forced to come up with a lame excuse about how the alarm clock malfunctioned. One of the most common difficulties with alarm clocks is that no matter how loud or annoyingly they beep, our ears will sometimes tune them out, especially if we haven't been getting enough sleep. A simple way to solve this is to buy a vibrating clock. These are inexpensive, but they may not be so easy to find. However, it is very simple to put together your own vibrating clock device. What you need to do is to buy a digital timer. Usually people use these to turn lamps on and off when they're going to be out of town. They can be set just like an alarm clock. Next, hook up a massaging device to the digital timer. When the time comes for the timer to turn on in the morning, the massager will be turned on, and if you have it under your pillow or close to your body, you are more likely to feel it than if you heard the beeping sound of an alarm clock.

Reevaluate Your Attitude Toward Your Obligations

If you're chronically late, especially for the same obligation repeatedly, there is a reason. And it's not related to any of the excuses you give. If you're always late to your job, for example, figure out how you feel about your job, and figure out why this is so. If you dislike your job, don't be afraid to be honest with yourself about your feelings. You can always change your feelings later, but first let yourself know what you really feel. Maybe you hold a secret resentment. If you've been chronically late, maybe you feel like you were unfairly passed over for a promotion because your lateness itself was sited as an issue. Try to see things from the perspective of others. This will help you to improve your performance instead of blaming your weaknesses on others.

Make Plans With a Colleague

Many people find it easier to their keep commitments when they are able to team up with a partner, to provide each other mutual support. Make plans together in advance of your appointment. Sharing a breakfast not only gets you alert and prepared for the day, but it also can put you both in a good mood. If part of what's making you sluggish is your poor health or undisciplined eating habits, plan to jog together in the morning. You'll find a partner who needs you just as much as you need them. Enjoy each others' company, and you'll look forward to the stability that is provided to your schedule.

Unclutter Your Life

The last thing you need to do is to lose your keys or your cell phone as you're on the way out the door. You can't get very far if you're not even able to lock and secure the door of your house as you leave, let alone open up your car to drive away. Take a day, or more if necessary, to organize your home and work space. Many people are late simply because appointments slip your mind. If a day planner is what you need, invest in one. But certainly don't let your own clutter trip you up.

Stop Running On Empty

Unless you always car pool with a colleague to your appointments, you can't get very far without gas in your car. And if you're running on empty, the worst time to schedule a fill-up is when you're already running late. Do yourself a favor and plan ahead on this point. This is an easy problem to solve. Just make a habit out of always keeping your gas tank at least halfway filled up. It may seem like you're getting a raw deal when you have to pay a few cents more on one day than if you would have just waited and bought your gas a day or two afterward, but these are savings you don't need to worry about. They are mere nickels and dimes, compared to the raise you could potentially lose due to chronic lateness. Put yourself in a winning position, and fuel up ahead of time, so that you can make your best impression and not have to speed through traffic.

Whether you only need to use one of these cures or all of them, make sure to make the changes that are necessary for your life. Being on time will give you credibility and a better perspective of your colleagues. Soon, it may be your who is pointing to your watch and raising an eyebrow as your associate walks in late for a meeting.