If when you have an appointment with someone and you arrive on time just to be told they will be ‘down in five minutes’ – do you take that to mean 300 seconds or ‘I’ll be there when I get around to it, may be anything upto half an hour’?

Why do busy people refuse to tell the truth to people they make arrangements with? Why can’t you say – ‘I know you’re here to meet me now but I really need to finish this email first, I’ll be with you as soon as I can’ or even ‘I can’t be bothered with you, I’ll swing by after I’ve had a coffee but only if I don’t get distracted by something shiney’ also works – at least it’s the truth.

Yes, it’s been that type of week.

If you’re always late for the weekly X meeting, the one that’s in the same place at the same time each week, maybe it’s time to think about how much importance you place on that meeting, if you really don’t care about it – and believe me, you actions show the rest of the team that you really don’t – then maybe it’s time to think about why you attend? Is it just an ego trip? Do you enjoy keeping people waiting for you? Do you really want to be that person?

Do you?

And if you’re trying to imply that you’re amazingly busy by always beening late for everything that doesn’t work either, the people you keep waiting just assume you’re late because you’re hopeless at telling the time and motivting yourself to get out of bed, they never ever spend the time you have wasted for them by keeping them waiting by imaging you’re doing something more worthwhile.

So why are people late? Maybe it’s time to face the harsh reality – you are not superman. You can not do it all, something will slip – and do you really want your reputation with your fellows to be that something?

Take a look at your life, the people that you inconvenience have lives to – just because they don’t make you suffer doesn’t mean their schedule is less important, it just shows that they repect you – for the time being.

Just think about it.

And in the mean tine, if you want me, I’ll be over there getting on with my life, call me when you’re ready to have our meeting but don’t be supprised when I leave on time to make my next appointment after only getting though half of your agenda.