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Are you running late?

A question we are often asked: It seems like I'm always 10-15 minutes behind my goal time to arrive places.

What tips do you have to help me be on time? This is a common challenge. While running a little late can be fashionable, it can also be irritating to others. Worse, it can quickly create a perception that you are not organized or that you don't value the time of others.

Following are several tips. Try one or more of them out to see if they make a difference for you.

1. Set your clock or watch ahead 10 or 15 minutes.

2. For the next 48 hours, live your life in 15 minute increments.
Document how much time you spend on everything you do. Many people run late because they misjudge how long activities will take. As a result, they try to cram too much into an already busy calendar. Getting this reality check can be very helpful.

3. Make a game out of arriving early. Challenge yourself to be the first one to the meeting or event. If people have come to expect that you will be late, your early arrival will be a point of humor for many.

4. Ask for help. Someone you know may be willing to alert you when it is time to leave for the meeting or event. Leave when they tell you to and thank them for their help.

5. Reprogram yourself. If you think you are always late, you probably will be. This is what is referred to as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tell yourself "I am an on-time person". If this self-talk sounds like a lie, remind yourself of the many occasions that you have been on time. Unless you've missed every airplane you've had a ticket for, you are not always late.

Deborah Rinner, VP, Chief Learning Officer for Tero International facilitates this Tero Tips video.

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