Showing Up Late

Does a few short minutes really make a difference?

Consistent lateness is one of the most common vices in the world. A large survey recently found that fifteen to twenty percent of the U.S. population is late on a regular basis. They show up late to work in the mornings, they're the last ones to pick their kids up from school, and no matter where they go, they're always lagging five, ten, or fifteen minutes behind.

But most people don't understand that it's not on purpose. Lateness is a bad habit, a vice that leaves you feeling guilty and flustered when it happens. Let's say you show up late for a business lunch. You were supposed to meet your client at noon, but it's already 12:10, and you're not even close.

You rush as fast as you can, but you're still 25 minutes late. Understandably, your client is furious, and you feel terrible. Now, in this situation, there's really only two things you can do. You could make an excuse, like telling your client that you got stuck in traffic or that your partner was taking too long in the shower, hoping they'll cut you some slack. Or you could apologize and promise it will never happen again.

However, like any bad habit, tardiness doesn't disappear just because you want it to. Your lateness will come back to bite you again and again unless you change your mindset from the ground up.

Attitude Toward Time

Let's start with your attitude toward time as a whole. Up until now, you may have been thinking to yourself, "Who cares? It's just a few minutes of lost time. It's no big deal." But five or ten minutes can make a substantial difference in your day. Imagine you miss your alarm in the morning, so you sleep in for an extra thirty minutes.

Suddenly, your entire day is shifted backwards. Your morning routine runs long, you show up late for work, your tardiness holds up a meeting, and you're rushing from one project to the next. But each delay causes another, and just like that, thirty wasted minutes can snowball into a day-long disaster.

Impact on Others

But you're not the only one who's affected by your tardiness. Even if you manage to make up for lost time, you may be wasting someone else's. Remember that meeting you showed up late to? Well, because of you, your co-workers couldn't start on time, which slows down the rest of their day too.

In other words, your lateness doesn't just impact your schedule, it impacts everyone around you. Lateness is a big deal, even if it doesn't seem like much in the moment. Don't be the person who slows everyone down or sabotages their own schedule.

Be Proactive

Instead, practice showing up early. Prepare for your own bad habits ahead of time. Be the person who gets there 10 minutes early for everything. Not only will you make a better impression on others, but you'll help yourself stay on top of your schedule.

No more rushing from place to place, no more staring at the clock hoping it's running a few minutes fast. Showing up early will keep you ahead of your work and save you from a whole bunch of unnecessary stress.

Unconstructive Feedback

How often do you complain? Well, for most people in the world, complaining is a way to let off steam. Let's say your co-worker messes up your presentation or your boss forces you to work on the weekends. You complain to get that anger out of your system, right?

But does complaining actually solve any problems? Complaining is an easy thing to do. Anyone can stew over all the little reasons why something went wrong. But ultimately, complaining is just unproductive. You're not helping anybody, including yourself, by stirring the pot.

Creating Positivity

Not only are you creating more negativity, you're also damaging your own motivation and enthusiasm. So, try this instead: the next time a situation doesn't go your way, find a silver lining.

Search for at least one positive outcome from every experience. Maybe you gained some perspective or discovered that something doesn't work the way you expected. Either way, failure offers you the opportunity to learn something new, but only if you maintain the right mindset.

So when something frustrating happens, don't complain or rant to your friends about all the bad things in your life. Look for a solution, discover something positive, and give yourself some feedback that's truly constructive.

Idealized Fantasies

Do you get lost in fantastical daydreams about your future? Do you wonder what your life would be like as a professional athlete or a famous celebrity?

A 2011 study from the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that these extravagant daydreams do much more harm than you realize. In this study, researchers tested whether or not fantasizing about your future created more motivation to achieve those goals.

Well, it turns out after imagining some impossible future for themselves, people were significantly less inspired to accomplish anything. Why is that? Well, because those fantasies don't translate into the real world. Instead of thinking about your future, you're getting lost in a dream life that you're never going to live.

Focus on Reality

In other words, fantasizing about your future may be a fun way to pass the time, but it's standing in the way of your long-term goals. So, pull your head out of the clouds and focus on the future you want to achieve.

Chronic Entertainment

How much media do you consume every day? Most people severely underestimate how much time they spend glued to a screen. Data from the Nielsen Company in 2018 shows that the average American household spends 10 and a half hours per day consuming media.

You're watching TV, playing games on your phone, browsing the Internet. There are so many diverse forms of media at your disposal. It may not feel like you're spending that much time on anything, but together, entertainment media consumes almost 50% of your day.

Why Do We Consume Media?

Why do we invest so much time into entertainment? Well, that answer is easy because it's fun. Entertainment is designed to be engaging and rewarding, from suspenseful Netflix dramas to addicting video games. Media outlets want to keep you watching, scrolling, and playing as long as possible.

They reward you with surprises, laugh-out-loud jokes, and a virtual sense of accomplishment. But at the end of the day, entertainment is far from productive or constructive.

Impact on Motivation

Imagine you spent the morning watching a new show on Netflix. After three hours of thrilling twists and turns, do you feel motivated to work? Are you left feeling inspired and disciplined, or is your brain craving just one more episode?

According to a study from 2018 published by the Journal of Active Learning in Higher Education, the amount of media you consume actually predicts your performance. In this study, participants who consume the most media performed the worst. They had the least motivation and the shortest attention spans.

Moderation is Key

You don't have to cut all forms of entertainment out of your life, but you do have to stop the media from consuming so much of your time. The key to healthy media consumption is moderation.

There's no harm in relaxing with a little TV in the afternoon, but entertainment should never interfere with your productivity or performance.

Neglecting Your Stress

Few things are ignored more frequently than stress. Whether you're feeling pressure at work or turmoil at home, your first instinct may be to push that stress as far down as you can.

Even if they're drowning in responsibilities, most people pretend like nothing's wrong. They keep pushing and pushing until they have nothing left to give. But is that really the best way to manage your stress?

Take Stress Seriously

The truth is, stress is something you need to take seriously. Stress of any kind can have a major impact on your body and an even larger impact on your mind. According to an academic review published in the NPJ Science of Learning, stress impairs both memory recall and concentration, especially when faced with tight deadlines or pressure to perform.

So don't let the stress in your life go unnoticed. You may tell yourself to duck your head and wait out the storm, but those waves of pressure aren't going to disappear.

Managing Stress

If you're feeling stressed day in and day out, you need to do something about it. It's time to take an active role in physical and mental health. Luckily, there are a wide array of stress-relieving activities to choose from.

You could de-stress before work by writing in a journal. You could unwind after a long day with 20 minutes of mindful meditation. You could even de-stress during your lunch break with squeezing and relaxing exercises anytime you need them.

So don't ignore your stressors. Stay ahead of your stress to live a healthier, more comfortable life.

Habit	Impact	Solution
Consistent Lateness	Delays meetings and affects others' schedules	Prepare in advance and show up early
Complaining	Creates negativity and reduces motivation	Find silver linings and focus on solutions
Fantasizing	Reduces motivation to achieve real goals	Focus on achievable future goals
Chronic Entertainment	Consumes time and reduces productivity	Moderate media consumption
Ignoring Stress	Impairs memory and concentration	Engage in stress-relieving activities

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