Punctuality In the Community

vs. tardiness

Showing respect for others by doing the right thing at the right time

To practice Punctuality, I will:

• think of the impact my tardiness has on others
• prepare for unexpected delays
• do my work ahead of time
• plan a daily schedule and stick to it
• not fall into the trap of “just one more”

“We’ll Be There at 2:00 PM”

Every summer, my parents would plan a trip from Cincinnati, OH, to Cocoa Beach, FL, to visit relatives. The trip takes about 16 hours by car, and they would divide the journey into two days, staying at the same hotel in Perry, GA, overnight. They always planned to arrive around 2:00 pm, and invariably, they would make that time within about 15 minutes each year. It never failed to amaze me how they were always on time year after year. How did they do it? Planning and flexibility. They had a schedule and stuck to it. They allowed time for reasonable delays, but they were mindful of getting back on track if something got in their way to delay the schedule. If construction slowed them down, they made up for it with shorter meals and stops. If rainy weather was expected, they left earlier. Being on time governed every decision from the time they left the driveway until they arrived. I remember one year, the Triptik showed an unusual amount of construction on the route for day two. They discussed several alternate plans but, in the end, decided to adjust their arrival time to later to account for it.

This month, how can you use planning and flexibility to be Punctual?