Did you know that “on-time” people think differently from late people? They do, and so can you. Here’s how:

1. Always keep car keys, purse and backpack on hooks and a shelf by the exit door.

    

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2. Keep a clock in a prominent location so you can check it quickly when you have to leave your activities to be on time.
   
   
3. Clean out your purse or briefcase each evening so it’s ready to go the next morning.
   
   
4. Know how much money is in your wallet so you won’t run out of cash at an awkward time.
   
   
5. Check and fill your gas tank on a regular schedule, such as every Friday.
   
   
6. Give up that “one last thing” before walking out the door to be on time.
   
   
7. Think about what you could do with an extra five minutes for every place where you arrive early. Consider it a bonus of an hour a week or more.
   
   
8. Put CDs you want to listen to in the car — an incentive to get your drive under way.
   
   
9. Review your plans and to-dos for the rest of the day and make note of things that have changed.
   
   
10. Arrive early and reward yourself for the stress you saved by enjoying a cup of coffee or briefly calling a friend.

Start living by enjoying the five minutes you gain from being early. You actually give yourself more stress and guilt by working up to the last possible moment than by preparing to leave with time to spare. As a bonus, people will respect you for being dependable — an admirable character trait that shows you respect yourself and others.

 

Excerpted and condensed from Marcia Ramsland's: Simplify Your Time: Stop Running & Start Living! ©2006, W. Publishing Group, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Copying or using this material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited and in direct violation of copyright law.

 

 

About Marcia Ramsland

Marcia Ramsland is well known as "The Organizing Pro" for her practical skills and tips to manage busy lives. As a national speaker, author and consultant since 1985, Marcia delights her audiences from New York to California with tips and secrets to organize their time, home, paperwork and life. Her tips have been in Woman’s Day and other national magazines, radio interviews and TV. She can be reached through her Web site www.OrganizingPro.com, and her books can be ordered there.