Time Management Part 3: Arrive On Time

Arrive on time? You may be asking—“Is this is a part of stress control?” My answer is YES!!

Have you ever been late for an appointment? Late to pick your kids up at school? Late for work? Running late for patients? Etc? Of course you have. We all have been late for something.

Take a minute to think about the last time you were late. What were you thinking about? How was your blood pressure? Did you drive too fast? Were you upset? Is this pleasant? Is it worth the physical and emotional stress?

It’s really a matter of planning, wouldn’t you agree? And of course, the best laid plans can go wrong, but do your best to plan things so that you can arrive on time. Do not start your day off on the wrong foot. Do not start your day in a panic and already stressed to the max.

Plan your departure time. Plan for traffic. Plan how long it will take to get the kids dropped off at school—even on the days when your youngest is particularly clingy and doesn’t want to let you go.

Be able to walk into work, school, a meeting, whatever, and be ready to go. Plan. Then, prepare. BE PREPARED. Isn’t that the Boy Scout motto? A pretty good standard by which to function.

One of the ways to control stress and find balance is to plan and prepare. Get up 5 minutes early and plan your day. I know. That last 5 minutes of sleep is so hard to give up. You’re already sleep deprived, and I’m saying to get up five minutes early to plan your day!! Wow, you may be saying, “is she nuts?” Well maybe, but I do know that pre-planning leads to better time management and control of unnecessary stress.

Arrive on time. Start your day on the right foot. Avoid playing catch up all day long. Arrive on Time.