Punctuality – What this says about you
Are you the type who says, “I am on my way,” when in reality you’re on your way out of the shower? Or are you the type that doesn’t need to send the “I’m on my way” message, because you’re already there waiting for the others to arrive?
Does our attitude towards time and punctuality say anything about our personality? In short, yes it does. However, punctuality is a much more complex issue than one realises and our relationship with it has to do with various factors, both physiologically and psychologically.
Some punctual people learned their behaviour in childhood and it became a habit. Those “early birds” may have memories of their father ushering the family to the car at the exact time that was planned to leave, and they were always the family to walk through the door on the dot. Like most habits, they’re hard to kick. Always being on time is a habit ingrained in many, as is being late. People who are chronically late don’t necessarily enjoy being tardy, but it’s a difficult pattern to break.
For others, punctuality may be innate. Research suggests that punctuality is a matter of preference that’s linked to a person’s innate behaviour trait.
Regardless of how you picked up your habits of punctuality or lack thereof, what does it say about you?
If you’re usually on time you’re probably a realistic thinker where you put thought into how long things will take and you allow for the unexpected. On the opposite spectrum, those who are always late can be seen as the daydreamer or ‘magical thinker’ as lead researcher on the topic, Diana DeLonzor calls it. Repetitive late-comers may have higher levels of anxiety than very punctual people, as well as subconsciously needing that thrill or rush that is associated with being late or last minute.
Punctual people are generally organised and systematic; their days are planned from the minute of waking up to going to sleep. Tardy people are often more carefree to the point of being disorganised – they’d rather hope that the next day will simply be better.
While being punctual normally implies certain personality traits such as reliability, conscientiousness and discipline this is not to say that people who are always late are not these things. However, it’s clear that your relationship with time can tell you a thing or two about who you are.
People who are not overly concerned with being on time are often more emotionally driven, sociable, flexible and focused on what makes them happy. They place a higher value on enjoying a moment with friends or family than leaving and being on time for an appointment.
Personality aside, it’s important to be on time for work, meetings and set appointments. If you are what some call punctually challenged, try these tips to help you get out the door faster.
- Always set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than you were planning to, and try to get up without hitting the snooze button.
- If you’re going somewhere new, plan your trip the night before, even if it’s while in bed just before you turn the lights off and go to sleep.
- Make sure that you leave room for the unexpected like traffic, bad weather or car trouble.
- Pack your bags the night before and put them by the front door.