I’m not a people person. Crowds, small talk, the chaos of society—it’s not my thing. If I could vanish into the woods without worrying about wild animals or my own questionable decisions, I would. But even as someone who prefers solitude, I know that showing up on time is a fundamental part of being a functional adult.
If there’s one rule I live by, it’s this: show up. Commitment isn’t just agreeing to something—it’s following through and being there, on time. Pulling into the parking lot five minutes before? That’s late. Someone’s already watching the clock, wondering where you are.
Legitimate excuses for being late are rare—perhaps a road accident or a serious family emergency. Beyond that, being late usually just means you didn’t plan well. Traffic? Oversleeping? Your kids did something? That’s all on you. Life happens, sure. But most of the time, lateness comes down to poor preparation or a disregard for other people’s time.
The solution is simple: do less, but do it well. If you’re stretched thin, cut back. Prioritize what truly matters. And when you commit to something, commit fully—that means leaving early so you can actually be on time.
Being on time shows accountability and respect. It tells others, Your time matters, and I respect that. If someone consistently shows up late, they’re effectively saying, My time is more important than yours. That’s not just annoying; it’s insulting.
Look, I get it. Life’s hectic. Things don’t always go as planned. But if you make it a rule to buffer in time for the unexpected, you’ll be on time more often than not. And when you show up with time to spare, you’ll feel more prepared, less rushed, and ready to tackle whatever’s in front of you.
Here’s a quick example: I once arrived for a job interview at a large company. Fifteen minutes before my interview, I walked up to the entrance—locked. Turns out, I was on the wrong side of the building. I had to take an elevator down, sprint across a city block, take another elevator up, and finally find the right door. I made it with five minutes to spare, just enough time to catch my breath. If I hadn’t been early, I’d have been late and flustered—not the impression you want to make.
The irony? In my personal life, I’m great at this. When it comes to social events, doctor’s appointments, or travel, I build in extra time and feel good about it. But at work? In person and remotely? I’m not the best. I’m often a few minutes late for every meeting.
Like most people, my workdays are packed with back-to-back meetings. And no matter how hard I try, that schedule makes it nearly impossible to be on time for everything. Ever tried 25-minute meetings? They don’t work. One of my teams set up “speedy meetings” in Google Calendar, but nobody stuck to them. Unless I start declining half my meetings or blocking 30-minute buffers (which isn’t realistic), being perfectly on time is nearly impossible.
Still, I believe teams can achieve punctuality through collaboration and discipline. Instead of relying on “speedy meetings,” collectively monitor time and hold each other accountable to finish as scheduled. If you need more time, tough—schedule another meeting. I know that sounds counterintuitive—another meeting? Really?—but unless it’s a real emergency, running over just makes everyone late for their next commitment.
Working in an office? Get more clocks. Remember when every classroom had one? At some point, offices just stopped caring about clocks. How dumb is that? Having a visible reminder of time helps us respect it. Also, consider using the clock app on your phone to set a timer a few minutes before the meeting ends. If you’re remote, set a timer for yourself. In person, it’s a great signal for everyone to wrap up.
So let’s agree on this: there’s almost never a good excuse for being late. Respect the people you’ve committed to. Respect their time. And most importantly, respect yourself enough to honour your commitments.
Showing up on time isn’t just polite—it makes you dependable. And dependability is everything.