20 Insider Tips For Being Punctual: How To Be On Time

Last Updated on January 2, 2023 by Lori Geurin

A few weeks ago my family and I had a crazy morning. In a strange turn of events, my husband’s cell phone alarm didn’t go off, my Fitbit alarm didn’t work, one of our teenage daughters overslept and the other one was sleeping in because she had a later schedule that morning at school.

If you can relate to this situation you can likely predict what happened next. My husband, who is never ever late for work was the first to wake up and discover what time it was. Then he woke me up to break the news.

From there, things were chaotic as we all rushed around getting ready for the day. I had 10 minutes to drive Emma to school. And I’m not sure how we pulled it off – by the grace of God, for sure. And, perhaps the absence of the highway patrol (yikes).

Either way, we made it on time. I’ve never seen someone comb their hair and brush their teeth that fast before! Needless to say, that night before turning in, we set back-up alarms for our alarms so we could prevent a repeat.

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Benefits of Being Punctual

Being punctual is crucial if you want to live a successful life and be the best version of yourself. Learning tools to help manage your time and plan ahead can boost your ability to be on time.

As you might have guessed, this issue is not uncommon. Many of us have trouble getting where we need to be at a specific time.

In fact, one U.S. survey revealed 15 to 20 percent of the population is “consistently late” especially when it comes to working.

So whether you’re always falling behind or show up tardy only once in a while, this article is for you.

20 Insider Tips For Being Punctual

1. If you’re like me and need a cup of coffee to help you wake up in the morning, prep your coffee maker the night before, so all you have to do is press start. Also, some coffee makers have a timing feature so you can set it to brew your coffee while you’re snoozing away in dreamland. Then, voila…when you awaken from your deep slumber, you will have fresh coffee ready to enjoy. (Check out this healthy coffee drink recipe.)
2. Plan ahead the night before by making a to-do list for the following day. Make this part of your evening routine.
3. Lay out the clothes, shoes, and accessories you plan to wear in the morning.
4. Prep your breakfast and lunch so you can grab it and go.
5. Keep your car keys in a designated place to avoid having to search for them when you’re short on time.
6. Set many alarms (speaking from experience here). Use timers to help you stay on track with a variety of tasks throughout the day.
7. Wake up when your alarm goes off the first time and get out of bed. Just do it.
8. Set reminders for appointments and meetings ahead of time.
9. Avoid over-commitment. Learn how to say no. It’s better to do a few things well than juggling too many activities and stressing out all the time.
10. When it’s time to leave stop what you’re doing and focus on the next event. Avoid getting distracted by other commitments.
11. Avoid traveling during peak hours if possible. This can help you avoid traffic jams and other delays.
12. Use your time wisely. Seizing a few extra minutes throughout your day can help so much. Maximize your time to help you meet deadlines, complete tasks, and prevent you from rushing from one meeting to the next.
13. Keep your car full of gas so you don’t have to stop and fill up on your way to work or other deadlines.
14. Keep a calendar to record all your upcoming events in the same place. If you prefer a paper calendar, use that. But if you like using your device consider keeping your schedule on a phone app. Or consider Google Calendar. David and I both use it and it allows us to sync our calendars and share them with each other. This makes it easier for us to plan family events.
15. Remember, being on time shows respect for others. Punctuality is just plain good manners.
16. Plan to be early. Give yourself a buffer because you can’t always predict traffic jams or other situations that might slow you down.
17. Eliminate distractions such as loud noises, excessive talking, and T.V. when possible.
18. Relax your expectations for how events should go. Don’t be a perfectionist. Lighten up and things will go more smoothly.
19. If you’re traveling, plan ahead and know exactly where you’re going. A GPS or Google Maps can help with this.
20. You can be on time! But, life happens and sometimes an emergency comes up that you must deal with immediately. If extenuating circumstances prevent you from arriving on time always communicate that you’re running behind.

Summary – How To Be On Time for Everything

Most of us don’t enjoy the consequences of being late. It causes stress, loss of productivity, irritates others and can make your boss angry too; And who wants that?

Practicing the tips for being punctual above can help you create new habits for being on time. And who knows, you might even impress your friends and family with your newly discovered punctuality!

What tips do you have for being on time?

Share your thoughts below. I love hearing from you!

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