Are you always running late? Maybe you’re legitimately busy, but sometimes chronic lateness springs from other factors. The danger is that being late all the time will give you a reputation for being undependable and/or careless.
Take better control of your time by considering these psychological causes for being constantly behind schedule:
Adrenalin. For some people, rushing to every meeting and event provides excitement. If you’re enjoying the chase too much, look for other activities to fill your need for thrills. Skydiving, maybe?
Control. Making other people wait for you – instead of the other way around – is one way to feel you’re the one in control. The problem is, important people like family, friends, customers and the boss don’t like it. Remind yourself that other people’s time is important, too.
Validation. Being busy can be one measure of success: “Look at all my customers/projects/places to go/people to see!” But if you overextend yourself, you’ll burn out. Could you consider measuring “success” by standards other than how “busy” you are?
Anger. Sometimes we “punish” people by forcing them to waste time waiting for us. This rarely solves any problems and may exacerbate them. If you’ve got an issue, talk it out openly. You’ll both save a lot of time.
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