Punctuality is one of the most important traits to have when working in the professional world. Being punctual shows that you have respect for your colleagues, customers, and superiors. For a variety of reasons, though, many of us have problems being on time. If that sounds like you, consider the following tips.
Don’t Drink Caffeine After Noon
One of the number one reasons for sleep issues is overconsumption or late consumption of caffeine. While many of us rely on this miracle drug to function every day, it can wreak havoc on your sleeping schedule if not taken correctly.
Due to our fast food culture, many of us are accustomed to drinking caffeinated sodas with our lunches and dinner. Yet, that might not be the best thing to do as you should refrain from drinking caffeine after noon unless you have a very high tolerance. If this fails to fix your sleep issues, consider taking less caffeine in the morning. You might even consider quitting it entirely—especially if you’re addicted.
Alright, so what does quitting or drinking less caffeine have to do with punctuality? It will help you maintain a sleeping schedule which will help prevent you from waking up later than you should in order to get to work on time.
Make Preparations the Night Before
If you’re constantly rushing around in the morning and that’s causing you to be late, it’s time to cut back on the number of things. You probably have more time to spare in the evening than you do during the morning, and so it would be a good idea to move as much of your routine over to the evening if you can. Here are a few things that might be a part of your morning routine that could be done during the evening so save you a little bit more time:
- Pick your clothes out the night before
- Organize any paperwork or items that you might need the next day at work in your work bag
- Prepare an on-the-go breakfast that can be eaten in the car or once you get to the office
- If you prefer bringing lunch from home, prepare that as well
- Shower in the evening instead of the morning
Even though each of those things don’t take too long on their own, time adds up and can affect your ability to be punctual.
Consider Moving Closer to Work
Commuting to work can be a huge hassle, especially if it’s what causes you to keep being late. Some people’s commute takes as short as five or ten minutes. However, some people’s commute can be longer—anywhere from thirty minutes to over an hour. The hard part about commuting is that there are many things that can happen to slow you down—rush hour traffic, vehicular accidents, police who pull you over, etc.
If you take public transportation, you pretty much just have to hope and pray that your bus or tram gets you to your destination on time or that you won’t miss the right bus or tram when transferring over to a second or third one.
It might just be better to stop commuting such long distances and move closer to where you work. You can get the help of local moving services to help you with that. Not only will this give you more time in the mornings, but it will making where you work much more practical and you won’t have to keep telling your boss all of the excuses as to why you’re.
In the workplace, being late is unprofessional and can be considered rude. By making the effort to be on time, you’ll show that you’re a competent employee who can be relied on.
