On Time: 3 Quick Tips to Make Appointments & Manage Your Schedule

I missed an appointment this morning. *sigh*

I immediately called to apologize and asked to reschedule, and yet I still feel awful! No matter what my excuse (for the record, yesterday my husband got home after two weeks, I worked 3 hours in the yard and I had ten million things to do today….) I still missed the appointment. *insert sinister gloomy music here*

A few years ago I was always late to appointments. An exasperated friend of mine said to me, “Do you think your time is any less valuable than mine?” Ouch. It hurt for him to say that, but he was soooo right and I knew I needed to shape up. I’m not perfect (who is, really) and sometimes I am still late. But, I learned a few tricks along the way to stack the odds in my favor and keep on schedule. Here’s a few tips and tricks I use:

1. Reconfirm. This is something I have started doing, and it makes all the difference! It goes with that idea that if you want someone to remember something, you have to remember to remind them to remember. Get it?

2. Leave a little breathing room. Schedule time around appointments to account for traffic and other unexpected events (like a talkative client or co-worker). A day in life or work doesn’t have to be back-to-back. A little white space will go a long way. It leaves room for inspiration, spontaneity, productivity and sanity. Leave a little room, whether it’s 15 minutes or more so you aren’t a hurried mess.

3. Be there a little early. In the movie Drumline, there is a particularly great quote about time management: “If you’re five minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.” I don’t know about you, but I have an easier time being early than exactly on time. For example, many times I’m super early to a meeting I have across town every other month. I leave early enough so I have an hour to spare before the meeting (including traffic). Sometimes I have a great amount of time to work with, so I always have my laptop and a book. Other times I just go take a walk.

It’s not always possible to be perfectly on time and not miss a single appointment. Life happens, and sometimes we mess up. Little changes and conscious decisions will reduce the likelihood of being late or not showing up altogether. Being at your best is a series of decisions about setting up and structuring your days. Take it one step at a time and you’ll be on your way to better managing time and showing up. (And if and when you do mess up, apologize and do better next time.)

It’s all a process, so embrace it!

(photo by StuSeeger on Flickr)