To be honest, I was like that before I made an amazing discovery. Always late to events, procrastinating and never on time. That was till a certain event occurred that enlightened me. But before I share with you what that enlightenment is, let me share with you more about what I believed before that fateful event.
Is everyone lazy, therefore bound to be late?
Like all teenagers, I was someone that constantly held onto the belief that ‘Everyone would always be late!’ It was a concept that is being used by the entire world. The concept of “Never earlier, only later”. Everyone arrives later than the expected time, submits their projects past the deadline, shops closes earlier but never opens earlier. There is only one reason that fuels this concept, laziness. Understanding this concept at a fairly young age, I had the misconception that this is what we humans should be doing. Well, I was definitely wrong at that point of time for this concept has definitely caused me to be stuck in countless sticky situations. Believing that everyone would never reach on time, I started a social experiment. It was a minor one with my friends as the test subject.
Do you have a reason to arrive early?
So I am a christian and I go to church every Sunday. There was this thing in my church and we like to call it a ‘Cell Group’. It is a group of people from the same age group that comes together before service every Sunday and we would start mini discussions. Everyone was supposed to gather at 8.30am in the morning! However, many of us never arrive there on time. I am sadly one of them as well. It wasn’t a matter of principle or promise, it was a matter of our own determination and effort that we invested in this morning process! The reason why I seldom reach on time is simple. It is because I felt that there isn’t a reason to arrive earlier. One time, our cell group leaders decided to replace the cell group meeting with a breakfast session. I really love food and that was my reason to arrive on time. That day, I woke up earlier and had a driven goal to reach the destination earlier and on time. That is because I wanted to enjoy the full duration of the breakfast session! This event concluded my experiment, for I had made an amazing discovery. I have understood why i was always late. It was because I didn’t have a reason to arrive earlier or on time! Here is an advice that I have believed in for my entire life!
Do you want to arrive on time?
One of the biggest reasons why people are late is because they do not have a reason to be there on time! They do not have a reason to go earlier. There isn’t a strong reason that motivates them to go earlier. Motivation and determination are both lacking in them. Before I share with you the explanation, here is a scenario for you to ponder on It is 8.30 in the morning and you slept extremely late last night. You were supposed to meet your friends at 9 to do community work, but you just woke up! It is 8.30 in the morning and you slept extremely late last night. You were supposed to meet your friends at 9 to play but you just woke up! Considering that the destination is at the same place, which one do you think you will have more determination in doing? I would reckon that many would choose option 2! I would too, obviously since there is a reason that is pushing us! The fact that ‘I am going to meet my friends to play’ is a strong enough reason for you to start rushing. We humans need a pushing force, someone that knocks us on the head and push us forward.
A promise is a reason, too
To stop being late, you need to have a reason. A reason that you believed in. My belief used to be a physical belief where the situations and the people involved becomes the reason. But now, I believe that I have to either be early or on time for all meetings and events. This is because I have developed the mindset that the time we set is a promise. A promise between you and the other party and you shall not break it. A promise is a commitment you share between you and the other party and you should always have the mindset of meeting that commitment. Have the mindset that the time set is a promise. A promise that you should try your best to keep! This is a reason which you can use today to stop being late. All you got to do is to believe and maintain this mindset. Do not break the promise. Do not just think about yourself, but about others as well. Put others and their feelings before you! This is how I am punctual for many of my Meetups and events! It is because I consider how others will feel, if I am late and they have to wait.
Find your own reason to be on time!
You do not have to follow my reason. I am just sharing with you the importance of having a reason! You need to find a reason that resonates strongly in your heart. It isn’t an easy process, but once you got the hang of it, you will realize that this concept can be applied to many different areas in your life. You have a choice of being early or late. It is entirely up to you and the amount of effort you put into the process. It is all reliant on your mindset. Your mindset determines the importance of the different choices and you decide which choice you want to take. It is all up to you. You can choose to be early or late. This mindset advice I shared with you isn’t going to change your life overnight. You have to invest time and determination in order for it to work. You need to find a reason that is stronger than your love for yourself! This is because you will procrastinate if the reason is weaker than your love for yourself! The reason will not be enough to push you out of your laziness zone! My reason is to not break a promise, what is your reason?
