Better an hour early than a minute late
My dad has a military background. This meant that my sisters and I grew up with some of that lifestyle incorporated into ours.
Punctuality is one of them. Perhaps the most important.
Few times in my life have I arrived late to an event. I'm almost always one of the first to arrive (not to brag, it’s my culture).
My father taught us that time is the most precious asset we have in this life. Time is the only thing we can’t get back. So we must respect everyone’s time.
If we agree on a time with someone, that must be respected. There is no justification for missing the meeting time, and even less for wasting someone else's time because of us.
I grew up watching my father wake up early to catch a bus and arrive on time for work.
The sun hadn’t risen, and my father would leave through the door to make sure he arrived on time, to bring money home, to set an example for us.
Just as my dad demanded from himself, he demanded the same from us.
In fact, the first gift my father ever gave me (that I can remember) was a watch. (To this day, he has given me more than three watches)
When he sees me without a watch, he always asks where I left it. It’s something very important to him and, by extension, to us (it’s the same with my sister).
If necessary, we should wake up early, but never, ever arrive late.
This would be normal in day-to-day life if we lived in Europe or Asia, but in Cuba, it’s the opposite.
In Cuba, a lot of people don't respect schedules; punctuality is a very rare trait in today’s Cuban society. For example, in my university, tests are scheduled for one hour and start two hours later. Activities and meetings never begin at the planned time; there’s always some justification that “comes up” to delay the start.
People have gotten used to this, and I can say they enjoy arriving late.
I have a classmate who NEVER arrives early. In fact, we joke with her that on the day she gives birth, the baby will arrive before the mother.
I remember one day I asked her, thinking something might be wrong, and she simply replied: I just can’t arrive early; I feel strange if I do. In the end, nothing happens.
WTF!
Therein lies the problem of unpunctuality.
Many people take it for granted that the other person should wait, just like that.
No, if you really want to be someone respected, start by respecting other people’s time.
It doesn’t matter what age you are or what situation you’re in. If you agreed on a time, arrive at least 10 minutes early; that will give you a significant advantage over the other person, no matter the situation.
When I decided to form a team to start a business, I asked my father for some advice... The first thing he said was, you already know: Punctuality above all.
If someone can’t commit to arriving on time, do you think they can commit to anything else?
Since then, that question always comes to mind whenever I do anything.
I’m very grateful to my father for this lesson. I hope you take it with you after finishing reading.
It’s true that it has also brought me some misunderstandings.
I remember this photo with great affection. A photographer friend gifted it to me because she valued the punctuality I always had. She now lives in another country, and it’s one of the lovely memories I keep of her.
While ago I arranged to meet someone to make a large purchase of crafts to gift during our travels.
I waited for an hour for the person and then left. I had other tasks to do that day, and everything had its time.
In the afternoon, the craftsman contacted me, claiming he had waited for two hours and I hadn’t arrived. The irony speaks for itself.
As I was busy, I returned the call and told him in detail how long I had waited for him. His justification was that he had fallen asleep and the public transport was bad.
And I live in another country? I had woken up early to meet the schedule.
The craftsman lost a significant sale and a customer. From that moment on, I made it clear the importance of punctuality before every meeting.
Don't by like the craftsman!
Although the story has repeated itself, no one gets offended anymore because I make it clear that better an hour early than a minute late.
Of course, there are stories from the opposite side. I’ve met people who, when I arrive early, are already waiting for me; many have even been there an hour early.
These are the people I admire most, and when this happens, I sit down with them to chat a bit about life, nothing about business.
When the agreed time comes, then we talk business, but I already know a lot about that person, and most likely, everything will go well. Do you understand why punctuality is one of the things that should be most valued in someone?
Before I say goodbye, tell me, have you suffered from other people’s unpunctuality? How do you handle it? Why do you think some people enjoy arriving late?
Comment whatever comes to your mind; feel free to share your thoughts down below. It will be a pleasure to read you.
Images in this post are my own
