Being late is one of the pain points Malaysians suffer with and we need to become better with our time management skills. Many people fall back on the over used cliche “Malaysian timing” however let’s face it, we are late because we simply don’t respect other people’s time enough.
Whether it’s a work interview or a casual meet-up, let’s all try to exercise these few tips to ensure we are there on time and we aren’t rushing through the roads because we’re already 15 minutes late. Because at the end of the day, time is precious and any time spent waiting for someone is time you can’t get back. Use it wisely and respect other people’s time too.
And no, traffic is no longer a valid excuse.
Tip 1: Include the frills into your journey time
This means time for you to actually step out of your house and into your car, the time to find parking, and whatever else it is that you need to do before you reach your destination. Waze is a great estimate for your journey time when you’re actually on the road, but we all know there are things that hold us back before we even get into our car. Factor all those frills into your journey time and then tell someone your estimated time of arrival.
Tip 2: Don’t snooze.
You might think just five more minutes won’t hurt. But by the time you’re actually out of bed and on the road, it does make a difference. Because we all know snoozing for 5 more minutes really ends up to 15 more minutes. Don’t think you can make shortcuts in your morning routine just to get out of the door quicker, what actually happens is you enter a state of frenzy rushing to get out that you usually end up doing things in a more chaotic way. Not a good way to start your mornings.
Tip 3: Planning to arrive earlier will actually help reduce your stress levels.
It also means that if you suddenly recall you need to fill in your petrol, you can do so and still arrive on time.
Tip 4: Plan ahead.
You can get plenty done the night before to help start up your week and be on-time and ready for all your big appointments. Plan your outfits the night before, plan your routes. Do you have meetings all day? Why not plan them to be held all within a vicinity that’s in close proximity so you reduce travel time and the risk of being late. Fill in petrol the night before, do whatever you can when you have a little bit of spare time to kill.
Tip 5: Don’t get distracted.
If you are interrupted by a phone call or an email, or anything that might set you back, don’t allow that to happen. Call your friend back, respond to the email later (unless it’s critical) and tell yourself you need to stay focused on your routine so you can reach your desired destination on time.
These are just a few basic tips but if you try to implement at least one of them, we guarantee you’ll experience a better track record for punctuality.
Let’s say goodbye to “Malaysian timing”!
– Cover Image: hexjam.com
