We’re very pleased to be bringing you the second article from our guest business writer, <a href="http://www.carissadoshi.com" target="new">Carissa Doshi. This time she focuses on what most of us have been at some point in our working lives - late. She presents some great common sense tips to help you get out the door early, and into the office on time. Hey, if you arrive early because of this advice, grab a muffin and enjoy a coffee.<br />Read the full article after the jump.
How to Always Be On Time
If you’re usually running late, you’re not alone. Many people find it almost impossible to be on time, and habitual lateness is one of the top complaints businesses have about their employees. Always being late can lead others to believe you are less competent than someone who arrives on time, or that you simply don’t care enough to be on time, and this can create problems beyond the workplace. Fortunately there are some tricks that make being on time a little easier.<br />
- Set your clock 5 minutes ahead. Having your alarm clock and at least one other clock set a few minutes ahead will give you a couple of minutes’ grace period when you start running late. This trick does NOT work if you try to outsmart it by reasoning that you have plenty of time because your clock is fast, and it won’t solve the problem if you’re normally late by more than 5 minutes. But it can mean the difference between catching the 7:43 a.m. train and barely missing it.
- Set up the night before. Lay out your clothes before you go to bed, and iron anything that needs to be ironed. Have a place near the door where you keep your keys, bag, and any other items you normally need when you leave the house. No more time wasted searching for a car keys or a clean shirt at the last minute.
- Get up on time. The snooze button is not your friend. If you find yourself hitting the snooze button on a regular basis, it’s time to re-evaluate when you’re going to sleep at night and when your alarm is set to go off in the morning. If necessary, move your alarm clock to the other side of the room so that you have to get up to turn it off.
- Calculate how long your daily tasks really take. Time how long it takes you to shower, eat breakfast, and do anything else you normally do in the morning. Time your commute for a week to see how long it really takes to get from door to door, and not just in an ideal situation free of snags and delays. If you need to be at work at 9:00 a.m. and your whole morning routine takes two hours, you have to be out of bed by 7:00 a.m. to get there on time. If you’re getting up later than that, try getting up earlier and the entire problem might be solved.
- Plan for trouble. Assume there will be rush hour traffic or a delay at the train station. If you "always leave home on time" but delays on the G train consistently make you late, you aren’t leaving "on time." Plan for those delays and leave earlier. It also helps to pad your schedule by an additional 25%, so if your commute normally takes an hour, allow an hour and 15 minutes. If there aren’t delays and you arrive early, you have time to get a cup of coffee before the day begins.
<br />——<br/>Carissa Doshi is a business writer and the president of Gen Y Media Group. She gives career advice and blogs about her experiences on <a href="http://www.carissadoshi.com" target="new">www.carissadoshi.com.