Do you want to figure out why you’re always late to appointments and meetings?

Are you looking for some pointers to help you better manage your time?

You’ve resolved to arrive on time to your appointments.

But for some odd reason, you end up being late by a couple of minutes…or more.

You haven’t the faintest idea as to why you keep arriving late!

Lateness has to do with two main factors: those factors that are within your direct control, such as leaving on time, and those factors outside of your direct control, such as traffic delays, illnesses, and accidents.

Lurking beneath these two main factors are smaller factors.

It may seem hard to believe, but these smaller factors can have a big impact on your ability to arrive on time.

It’s worth taking a closer look at these factors if you want to pinpoint exactly where things take a turn for the worst.

In this post, you’ll find five five factors to consider when it comes to uncovering the source of your lateness.

Attentiveness

Being attentive means working on whatever it is you’re working on at the moment…while keeping an eye on the clock.

You not only have to focus on your work, but you also have to be aware of the passage of time while you work.

Attentiveness can be difficult to master because of the very nature of the skill involved.

You literally have to train yourself to focus on what you are doing at the present, while anticipating the future.

One way to hone your attentiveness skills is to make a conscious decision to track time while you work.

An easy way to do this is to set a timer before doing your work.

This way, you can complete your work without having to constantly worry about the time.

Set your timer to go off at least fifteen minutes before you have to leave for an appointment.

When the timer goes off, you should stop your work and start getting ready for your appointment.

Preparedness

It takes time to prepare for any outing, be it a trip to the neighborhood mailbox, a three-week vacation, or a walk down the street to your favorite café.

How well do you prepare yourself for upcoming meetings?

Are your personal and professional belongings accounted for, packed, and ready to go?

Or do you have some items that need attending to before you leave?

Do you underestimate the time it takes to pack up your belongings?

If you find yourself constantly searching for things at the last minute, time and time again, you’ll definitely want to consider your level of preparedness.

It’s important to realize that preparedness often extends beyond the personal and professional realm.

You may find yourself packing items for others, such as babies and children, or those unable to pack for themselves.

And yes, this additional packing does take more time to plan and pack!

Give yourself ample time for trip preparations. You want to pack things correctly the first time.

If you think you’ll only need ten minutes to pack items, double the time to twenty minutes to be on the safe side.

You may find it helpful to create a list of items you need to pack in advance to make the process go a little smoother.

Distractions

Distractions can take many shapes and forms.

Even the simplest of tasks, such as checking your email, washing a mug, or tidying up a room, can be a big distraction if you’re trying to get out the door.

Theoretically speaking, you could have everything packed and planned in advance.

But if you happen to be distracted by something in your home or office…well, you’d better watch out!  

Do your best to minimize all types of distractions as you prepare your appointments.

Now is not the time to watch a TV show, listen to a podcast, or check a social media account.

Put aside that last-minute chore, that good book, or considerations as to whether or not you have time for “one last thing.”

Remember, your attention should be 100% focused on getting out the door.

As soon as you notice it’s time to leave, treat it as such, and put your energies towards leaving for your appointment.

Departure

Leaving for your next meeting might not seem like a big deal. You just grab your belongings and go, right? 

Not necessarily. The departure process is not a cut-and-dry affair. In fact, it is more complex than you may think!

Leaving your home or office has its own set of tasks. You probably perform these tasks on a regular basis but haven’t consciously thought about them.

Think about it for a moment: what do you do before leaving for your appointments?

There’s a good chance you use the restroom, put on your shoes and coat, grab your keys.

Don’t forget locking up your home or office and making your way to your preferred mode of transportation.

Take a few minutes to consider which tasks you perform before leaving your home or office.

For more clarity, try writing down each of these steps on a piece of paper. You may be surprised at what you learn!

Travel

Be it bus, plane, train, car, or your own two feet, travel time is an important factor to consider when it comes to arriving on time.

Unfortunately, we are not always in control of external travel factors.

Bad weather, heavy traffic, merges, delays, accidents, and any other number of travel woes are quite common in today’s world.

You can do a few things to counter this unpredictability.

For starters, you can check the weather and traffic reports well in advance of leaving for an appointment.

Once you have a good read on the situation, you can make any necessary travel adjustments or revise your plans accordingly.

How about you? Are you puzzled as to why you are late to appointments and meetings? Need some help figuring it out? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!