Nearly 40 years ago I was viewing a session on time management and I saw a demonstration I’ll never forget: The speaker asked the audience of 80 people, “How many of you have been on time for every appointment you have had in the last year?” Only three raised their hand. Since that day all those years ago, I can count the number of times I have been late on one hand. Being on time is my non-negotiable standard.
Unfortunately, one of those “non-punctual” times happened this past weekend. My wife and I were scheduled to visit our son and grandchildren. We said we would be there between 9:30 – 10:00am. We didn’t arrive until 10:15. As a result our son had to reschedule some activities to compensate.
My son is 38, and this was my first time being late. I knew he must be thinking it was my wife’s fault. It wasn’t. It was mine! The reason was poor planning. I made it very clear that it was my fault and I apologized for not respecting his time. No excuses. No blame. I suppose I could have brushed it off and said in a dispassionate tone, “Sorry I’m late”. I couldn’t do that. This was a big deal. When we say we will be somewhere at a certain time, that is a commitment. It is a promise. It is our reputation. It shows we respect the most valuable thing we have…our time.
I conclude with the speaker’s follow up question: He asked the 3 “on-timers” who raised their hands how they did it. They all had the same answer, and I’ll bet you know what it is: LEAVE EARLY! Be punctual. Be a person who can be counted on.
