Why You're Always Late and How to Help

Key points

Addressing the reasons you run late can help you arrive on time and feel more regulated.

You need a plan, with times, for your get-ready routine.

Leaving time for mistakes and traffic helps increase your on-time success.

Making time concrete and visual means you'll know where you are throughout your routine.

I was late to my own party, literally. My 30th birthday. My friends and family had already ordered drinks, were several baskets into chips and salsa, and tried to hide their annoyance with the very frazzled birthday girl when she hustled in.

Tardiness is a common issue and one that is often confused with ethics or character. “You’d be on time if you cared,” or, “You’re so unprofessional showing up late,” may be phrases we tardy folks hear, reflecting the assumption tha