Friday Question #116
Are you typically early, right on time, or late to events you have to attend (including work)? Or is your punctuality not something that is typical for you? Is it more random?
This guy must really be running late for work if he is on the beach!
I try to be early or right on time to everything I attend – work, work meetings, meet-up with friends… and I always try to arrive early at races I am running! Being late to a scheduled event causes me extreme anxiety, even living in an area like Chicago, where you have no control over whether your train is on time, or traffic (and how late it will make you).
I often think I try to be so punctual because I remember waiting to be picked up from school and school activities when I was a kid (sorry, mom) – and I didn’t like it. But I think it is respectful to show up on time to most things, unless it’s a party… and even then, I have a hard time showing up too “late”!
Themocracy
I’m with you — early, early, early. You don’t want to be too early because that is also annoying but generally I arrive everywhere 5 minutes ahead of time. My best friend is always late and while I love her, that’s my biggest pet peeve. It’s really rude and inconsiderate to be constantly late. It makes the person who is waiting feel unimportant.
I am always early! I would rather be an hour early than 10 minutes late. I hate to be kept waiting, so I never want to keep others waiting either.
Always early. In my mind, 20 minutes early is on time, on time is late. I am a freak like that.
I always try to be early. But I’ve learned with Chicago traffic that sometimes being late is not that big of a deal.
I’m like you in getting anxiety because of it- I blame my dad who told us to be ready to go by a certain time and then would be in the car honking 15 minutes before said time… grrr!
I am always early to a race! But I struggle sometimes to get out the door to everything else and am usually a few minutes behind. But I would say that I am never TOO late. It’s a work in progress. 🙂
I am always early! What is that old saying we had in band: To be early, is to be on time but to be on time, is to be late!
Almost always early or on time but sometimes late-ish on purpose if it’s a party where I want to make sure other people get to first. For example, I don’t ‘have’ to be at work until 9:30 but I’m usually there by 6:45. That is mostly because I like to leave work by 3:45 everyday, but still…
I’m always early or on time… I hate it when people constantly show up late. I get it that sometimes it’s unavoidable, but when it happens ALL the time?? It’s just such a blatant show of disrespect.
<3 <3
I like to be early for races, and am mostly right on time otherwise. I guess sometimes I overestimate how long it will take me (and the 4 kids) to get out the door so I end up early but that seems better than being late.
Well, I aim to be early but that usually just means that I’m on time! California traffic is highly unpredictable.
I’m not very good at being on time. I usually bat about 50% on-timeness, though maybe slightly more. I really need to work on it because I hate when other people are late, and I *consider* myself a punctual person. Yeah, what a stinkin’ hypocrite!
Also, I totally don’t get the European concept of on timeness. 30 minutes late? That don’t make no sense!
i love being early and really, do not do well with being on time and DEFINITELY not well at being late. i don’t mind it when other people are late…i think it must be a control thing on my part, but since being early has never been a problem…i continue on!
I like being early. I strive for it. However Scott is always late and where ever I go, Scott is also going. No seriously. Therefore we are always late and it drives me apeshit insane.
Try to be early but it’s been pretty bad lately – I seem to know which things I HAVE to be on time for and then everything else slips 🙁
I am always, always, always EARLY! Even when I try to be late, I am early. To me, on time is late.
That’s me and my Type A for ya!
I’m with you about preferring to be early and getting anxious when I’m going to be late. Like, upset tummy anxious. Interestingly, the only thing I’m not anxious about being late to is work. Even when I worked a job that docked my pay if I was more than 7 minutes late!
I’m usually early or on time. I have anxiety if I’m not for most things. Usually it is out of my control when dealing with Chicago traffic though!
I try to be punctual, and always am if I am running the meeting for sure. I tend to be fashionably late to parties- maybe 30 mins to an hour after supposed party began but that’s just because my ego likes to make a grand entrance. 😉
Early!!!! I am a pretty laid-back person, but punctuality is something that I’m super anal about, for some reason!
I am ALWAYS early and my husband is ALWAYS late so together we are right on time! haha!
I’m either early or right on time but I mostly aim for being early. Right on time is good but it usually has me stressing whereas being early leaves me feeling more calm and collected. I cannot stand being late and it drives me crazy when the people that I’m with don’t care.
I’m always early. I hate being rushed and I’d prefer to just get somewhere early and have a chance to relax and collect myself, especially if it’s an important meeting. I spend a lot of time waiting in my car before appointments, but I don’t mind. I prefer that to speeding on the road and running into the building, sweating.
I’m almost always on time no matter where I’m going to. It’s been ingrained me for years, taught to me by my mom who always was on time to everything she did.
I’m always early. My parents always made sure we were a little early so that we didn’t have to run around at the last minute. In high school I was in marching band. Our band director’s favorite saying was, ‘If you’re on time, you’re 10 minutes late’
I am usually early to everything. It bothers me sometimes. Sometimes I just want to be right on time!
I tend to be right on time for events, meetings, dinners. If I’m going to a party, I show up about 30 minutes to an hour after it starts, just so that there are already people there and I can kind of make a quiet entrance in without much attention. I kind of roll into work anywhere between 8:30 and 9. Anything after 9 AM I consider late; anything before 8:30, I consider early. 🙂
I always try and be early for anything. Being late is never an option, but I know sometimes it doesnt always work out. Unseen forces are always at work around us. The trick is accepting this without the stress/worry that might soon follow on the heels and carrying on with your day the best your able.
I’m always early, usually fifteen minutes or so early. Can’t be late or I’ll start to get anxious.
I am always on time or early (and to me on time is 5 minutes before hand). I hate being late for anything. Its actually a BIG issue between my boyfriend and I. He is never on time, ever. He will tell me he’s going to come to my house at a certain time, then text me 5 minutes after he’s supposed to be there saying he’ll be an HOUR OR SO late. He’s gotten better because last time he did it I refused to see him for a week. My time is JUST as important as his, and I feel like being late for things (unless it cant be helped) is disrespectful and rude.
OMG, am I the only one? I am frequently late for stuff. Like meetings I am often 5 minutes late. Doctor’s appointments I am often 10-15 minutes late.
It is not intentional at all or because I think other people are less important than I am. I always, always, always understimate how long it will take. Or if I am running ahead or on time I overestimate how much extra time that buys me and then I am late anyway. 🙁
Mostly early…my mom used to always be late to pick me up and I would get anxious and angry…so I decided back then that I would not do the same to others 🙂 …I still love my mom!
Early, early, early. Though I’d love it if I could let myself be at least a *little* late once in awhile.
i’m almost always early or right on time. people tell me all the time this is very un-actor-ish of me.
I feel the same exact way as you do. I like to early or on time. I start getting anxiety if I run even just five mins late. I don’t mind when someone is late occassionally, but when it becomes a habit that’s when it starts to grate on my nerves.
I’d LIKE to think I’ve gotten better at this. 😉
I used to be 5-10 minutes late to EVERYthing. And you know what? Some people straight up told me it was annoying. Did it hurt to hear that? Absolutely? Do I talk to them anymore? Absolutely not! Okay, I kid….but really, I needed to hear that.
I would say I’m on time to 75% of my “social” things now. However, I’m NEVER on time to work – only because I’m the first one in my department to get here, so….why the rush? 😉