UNITED STATES—I always ask myself time and time again, why is there only 24 hours in a day. It’s not enough time to get all the things done that need to be completed. For most of us, we spend between 8 to 12 hours at work, for some, its between 12 to 16 hours, factor in the drive to get home and sleep and the day is gone before you know it. Parents, teachers, elders and those wise beyond their years harp on the importance of being punctual. “It’s always better to be early than it is to be late.” How many times have I heard that saying? As much as we’d like to dismiss it, it’s quite important.
Being punctual sends a clear message to those that you associate with. For starters, being punctual to work, lets your employers know that you are reliable. If they need a go to person to complete a task, you’ll be on top of the priority list. It’s not just sending a message that you care about your job; it’s informing those around you that they should also care about their job as well.
Being punctual could perhaps rub some of your co-workers the wrong way, but I would not worry too much. When it comes to your personal life, there are more pros than cons. For starters, when it comes to family, it shows dependability. There is nothing like waiting for that one family member who shows up to all functions a tad late. Saying I’ll be 15 minutes late, turns more into about an hour or two.
Being punctual is not all about business, it’s a personality trait. I’d like to consider myself quite punctual in almost everything I do. If there is one thing I fear most, its being late to work. I consider myself a top-notch professional and being late in my opinion, leaves an uneasy feeling. I hate for people to question my character because of my inability to arrive at a certain destination at a distinct time period. Of course, things happen in life that is impossible to predict.
Traffic jams, bad weather, personal emergencies, we’ve all encountered them all; the key is take the precautionary steps. In other words, if you’re late for work on a continuous basis, it’s expected of you. When you’re late once every blue moon, people panic, because they know it’s not common. Punctuality is more important than we give credit for.
We like to think we have abundant amounts of time in a day, but with all due respect we don’t. Managing your time wisely puts into perspective the things that you are able to complete. A schedule is in place that allows you to manage your time in a way that you don’t feel overwhelmed or stressed. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Yeah, I’ve heard that a trillion times, but I’ve also discovered time flies when you’re immersed in work as well.
By Trevor Roberts
