The Importance of Timeliness

I’m sure most of you have heard the phrase “If you’re not 5 minutes early, you’re late.” When I was younger I often wondered what exactly that meant and why you would have to be five minutes early to be on time.

Being on time boils down to respect. Tardiness is disrespectful. It tells the other person that you value your time more than you value their time. You (consciously or subconsciously) decided that whatever you were doing or had to do was more important than being on time to your appointment. If it wasn’t, you would have stopped what you were doing in order to be on time for your commitment.

Being prompt is a trait that people appreciate and respect, because it shows that you respect them.