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365 Days of Coaching
Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Wednesday, July 3, 2002
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Do You Suffer from White Rabbit Syndrome?

In Alice in Wonderland, there is a White Rabbit that is late for a very important date. He rushes around constantly in a dither and seemingly not in control of what he is doing. Life can often seem like a rush, running from one place to another always being late and never seeming to get caught up.

Since I am challenged with arriving on time, I have done a lot of reading about being late and what that means and how to cure it. All interesting theories and some of what I have read actually has helped. Most articles seem to be written by people who are not challenged by lateness and want to call those who are selfish and other unflattering names. I have wondered about what my lateness might be saying about me and what I think of other people. What I have come up with is primarily about trying to do too much in a small amount of time. I try to cram that one last thing in before I have to leave and therefore don't leave enough travel time. I also see time as more of a flow and not linear like many people do.

Although I don't view time in the same way many do, I know I live in a linear time world and therefore must figure out how to manage in that world. I have created some structures that support me in being mostly on time. Here are a few of my tricks:

Stop fifteen minutes before I think I should

Don't answer the telephone on the way out the door

Schedule travel time

Write the appointment in my day timer fifteen minutes before it is actually going to happen

Get ready for my appointments first and then do my tasks. That way when the time comes to leave I am ready and all I have to do is jump up and go.

Bring something with me to read or work on while I am waiting. What I have discovered since I am no longer the last to arrive is that most people are five to ten minutes late.

Coaching

There are many reasons why people are late and it may not be that they are selfish or rude, but simply view time differently. Instead of trying to figure out why you are late, prepare a structure that will allow you to be more easily on time. Focus on what you can do and don't spend time beating yourself up. I finally realized there is nothing wrong with me. I simply operate on a different schedule than many people. However, to get things done, I need to figure out a way I can survive and thrive in a time bound world. It isn't about being rude or selfish, it is about figuring out how to honor myself and still manage by the clock.

Another tip for being on time is to be realistic. Don't over schedule or book yourself too tightly. Leave breathing room in your schedule so that if a meeting runs over or the traffic is bumper to bumper, you will still have time to make your important appointment.

Are you always late for appointments? What structure do you need to put in place to be on time and still honor who you are?

Daily Success Formula

Structure + Balance + Honoring yourself = Being on time

Quotes

"The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it." Franklin P. Jones

"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them." E. V. Lucas