So you, who are currently reading this, could either be the one who's always late or the patient one who waits forever. No matter which side are you on, you need to understand that psychology explains everything, even the delay! Let me tell you what I mean.
Optimistic people tend to believe that the glass is half full. When it comes to time, optimistic people easily believe they can fit more tasks into a limited amount of time more than other people and thrive when they’re multitasking. As a result, they end up being late. But why is this always happening - and what can you do to prevent it from happening?
“Never Be Late Again: 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged” is a book by Diana DeLonzor, a time management expert who headed a majaor university study investigating chronic lateness, its causes, and the psychological characteristics of late people versus the timely. DeLonzor, who used to be a late person before she wrote that book, stated that "Most late people have been late all their life, and they are late for every type of activity — good or bad. Surprisingly little scientific research has been done on tardiness, but some experts subscribe to the theory that certain people are hardwired to be late and that part of the problem may be embedded deep in the lobes of the brain".
DeLonzor has identified seven different types of late people, although most late people are probably a mixture of all of them. The most common are 'The Deadliners'. These people are 'subconsciously drawn to the adrenaline rush of that last minute sprint to the finish line… They have a hard time motivating themselves without that looming deadline.'
Many people criticize the "late ones" for being rude, lazy or inconsiderable, but that's not true - at least not always. The truth for many late people is that they're a little more hopeful than most of us and, as a matter of fact, somewhat unrealistic. That's why they don't know how to handle their time; they're always under the opinion that they've got more time. But they haven't.
If you're always late, you certainly need to try to change that, but don't forget to look on the bright side too: you're not hopeless, but hopeful. It's a really important trait in life and a key to your happiness.
Researchers have proven optimism has a myriad of physical health benefits, from reducing stress and diminishing the risk of cardiovascular disease to strengthening your immune system.
It will also help if you read a study conducted at San Diego State University that has also connected lateness with Type B personalities, or people who tend to be more laid-back and easygoing.
To put it more clearly, people who don't get anxious about being always on time, don't suffer from anxiety at all. That's not only good for you psychology but for your physical health too. It means that you know how to focus on the big picture instead of sticking to the stupid details.
In addition, remember that punctuality is a relative concept. Time and lateness mean different things in different cultures and contexts.
In the United States, for instance, people often interpret lateness as an insult or a sign of a poor work ethic, since America believe that time is money and money is time.
In Europe things are different. In Germany, punctuality may be significant, but in Spain it's not; the Spanish run by their own clock and are famous for eating dinner at 10 pm. The situation is almost the same in Latin America too.
This means that people and cultures differ. Kindness can be shown by other traits too, not only by punctuality.
Just remember: even if you manage to be on time more often (which will be great), try to remain optimistic forever! It's the key to your happiness.
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