10 Time Management Tips | How To Be On Time

Well, you've come to the right place!

There are a few fundamental steps that I use to be punctual on a regular basis, and they absolutely work! I've outlined these tips for better time management below, and there's a fun survey at the bottom of the page as well as some great time management tools. Enjoy!

10 Time Management Tips For Being On Time

1. Care.

This is the most important of my top 10 time management tips for being on time every time. Being punctual should really matter to you...

What does punctual mean? According to Dictionary.com, the definition of punctual is to be "strictly observant of an appointed or regular time" aka "not late."

There are 2 main reasons that you should care about being on time to everything:

First, when you're late to every commitment then it only reflects poorly on you. This kind of behavior emits incompetence, selfishness, disrespect and all kinds of other bad traits. Why do that to yourself?

Second, being late angers the person or people you are going to meet up with. Whether it's a work colleague, a client, a family member or a friend, why would you want to continually upset someone that matters to you?

It's crucial to get into the mindset that everything you schedule is important, because it is. If it's not important then don't schedule it.

Once you've adopted this attitude, you've laid the foundation for the following free time management tips to work.

2. Keep a calendar.

How can you possibly be on time for things if you don't keep an updated calendar?

Whether you jot events down on paper or utilize a digital calendar on your smartphone or both, it is imperative to have something. Trying to remember this information in your head is unacceptable, impossible and irresponsible.

3. Work backwards.

If you need to be somewhere at 7pm, then you really want to be there at 6:45pm to find parking. To be there at 6:45pm, you will need to allot 30 minutes for driving there which means you need to be out of your house and in the car at 6:15pm. To do that, you need to be ready at 6:10pm so get in the shower at 5:10pm (if it takes you an hour to get ready).

This is one of my top 10 time management tips that I use daily to be on time, and I almost always am.

4. Be realistic.

Get practical. Don't give yourself 30 minutes to get ready if it takes you an hour. That's all there is to it.

5. Set a timer.

6. Set your clocks a few minutes ahead.

If you're constantly 5 minutes late, then you need to start 5 minutes earlier. Rather than waking up 5 minutes earlier, for example, it might be easier if you just set your clocks a few minutes ahead of the actual time.

7. Schedule your appointments a few minutes ahead.

This is the same concept as setting your clocks ahead. If you schedule your appointments 10 minutes ahead of the actual time you need to be there, then you're more likely to be there on time.

8. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

If you commit yourself to too many appointments in a single day, then you'll be late to everything. By appointments I mean anything - a meeting, a phone call, a task on your to do list, any activity that requires your attention. Avoid spreading yourself too thin by leaving "free" time in your day to catch up on something, allow an appointment or activity to run over the allotted time or to take a mental break (i.e. power nap).

9. Expect the unexpected.

This idea is very important if you're stumped about how to be on time, and it's one of my most effective time management tips. Always give yourself some extra time. There could be traffic or you could misplace your keys or whatever! The point is that unexpected things almost always happen, so expect them and give yourself some extra time to deal with them.

10. Get organized.

Speaking of the unexpected, if you're organized and know where your things are then it is less likely that you'll be scrambling at the last minute looking for your car keys or wallet. Eliminate this behavior altogether by getting and staying organized.