My last post, 10 Things Your Tardiness Says About You, provided a short list of things others may think of you when you’re late. Those statements ring true for me because I have been on both sides of the tardiness coin.

Yes, for most of my life I was “that guy”. The guy who was always late – late to everything. Late to school, late to work, late to golf practice, late for dates. It was so bad that my friends, when organizing events, would always give me a time 30 minutes to an hour before everyone else, just so they wouldn’t have to wait for me. I could share some pretty embarrassing stories, but I think I’ll pass.

But that was then and this is now. Thanks in large part to my ever-punctual, beautiful wife (I love you, honey). Obviously, I had to “want” to change, but she taught me the skills and methods I needed to change my habits and essentially, change my life.

Change my life? Absolutely. If you are habitually late, you probably feel as though life is chaos, that you’re never in control or on top of the situation. You feel like everything happens to you, and try as you may, your plans always go awry. It’s not for lack of desire, it’s for lack of knowledge and understanding.

Today, I’m on the receiving end of the I’m-going-to-be-late phone calls, and I’m doing my best to offer the “benefit of the doubt”. But when it comes down to it, my job is to help people better themselves, and helping them overcome their chronic tardiness is one key to their success.

Making the change is not that complicated, but it does take time. You won’t be able to change over night, but if you stick to the plan and celebrate the small accomplishments, you’ll soon find yourself frustrated with those people who are always late.

Because this is so critical to success in all areas of life, I’m going to take time to focus on each key element separately. My next few posts will outline the specific steps you can take to overcome tardiness. I will also be glad to address any questions you may have – simply leave a comment, or email me via the contact form.

Coming Up: Part 1 – Learn to Estimate Time Accurately