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Most of us know someone who's never on time, or perhaps we ourselves are that person! A combination of time perception, time management, and personality seem to be the main reasons for frequent lateness.
Someone who is habitually late, because they think they have more time than they actually do, can be referred to as a "time optimist."
Swedes refer to the timekeeping-challenged individual as a tidsoptimist. So it sounds like the issue is pretty global!
Time optimists tend to be people who have natural enthusiasm and are happy to help others, regardless of the time consequences.
Time optimists assume time will pass slowly enough. As a result, they underestimate or are overly optimistic about how long things take when planning.
Our brains naturally have a bias for optimism, which is referred to as optimism bias. Future planning can be affected by this bias.
What's more, people with time optimism tend to overbook themselves. They believe there is time for everything, if they just plan properly.
By underestimating the cost and risk associated with doing a task, despite previous experience, time optimists can fall into the planning fallacy trap.
Combined with our other cognitive biases, such as making inaccurate 'educated' guesses about time, time optimism can lead to missed deadlines and showing up late for events or obligations.
Constant lateness can be seen as bad mannered and self-centered. This can cause friction in relationships with those closest to the time optimist.
Unfortunately, being perpetually late can cause problems for the time optimistic person, both at work and in their personal life.
Sometimes a time optimist might almost make lateness a part of their personality. They might not feel like they have to try and be on time anymore, as it’s what people have come to expect of them.
Once lateness has been established as a part of the person's package, it can be hard to break the habit or for them to see it as something that needs to be managed.
In one study, researchers found familiarity with a place caused students to underestimate how long their travel time would take.
Memories and perceptions aren't always accurate, which is why people tend to underestimate how much time the tasks they do—day in, day out—will take to complete.
Time optimists might also suffer from a fear of missing out on opportunities. Or they might struggle with saying "no" to someone, afraid that they'll offend them.
If this is the case, their time optimism is driven by anxiety, rather than an enthusiasm for the day's potential.
In fact, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy whenever the time optimist needs to do something or be somewhere at a given time.
Someone with time blindness has an inability to sense the passing of time. Sometimes, time blindness comes into play due to ADHD or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Time blindness is more severe than time optimism.
Beginning tasks at the last minute, for example the night before an assignment is due or several hours before a deadline, is another example of the planning fallacy time optimists tend to fall into.
Time optimists tend to imagine best-case scenarios when planning their route to a certain place. Examples of this would be estimating the travel time to a location based on the length of time it takes to get to a place without traffic, or without accounting for the time stopped at red lights.
Time optimists might be people who love to chat, without factoring the time it's taking. They might lose track of time when engrossed in conversation, keeping their other (planned) responsibilities waiting.
By becoming aware of one's time optimism, the time optimist can implement strategies to manage it. This way, one can ensure that it doesn't negatively affect relationships.
If you know you struggle with time, a good place to start is to wear a watch. Get into the habit of checking it frequently throughout the day and especially during meetings.
Keep a physical clock in your space, in a highly visible position. This is particularly useful if you work from home. That way it will catch your eye when you look up. You can also keep one on your desk.
After setting a realistic time period to complete your tasks, use a timer to wrap them up. This will help you stay focused, and alert you when you are going over time.
Budget buffer time between tasks. This means rounding up the time you estimate a job will take to complete, and leaving more time than you think you'll need between larger tasks.
When planning your travel time, account for a 10-20 minute delay in case of traffic or anything unforeseen.
You can remain optimistic, while preparing for potential inconveniences. By researching ahead of time how long each thing will take given the worst-case scenario, you offer yourself a better chance to fulfill your obligations.
Sources: (The Guardian) (New York Post) (Forbes) (Psychology Today) (BBC) (Live Science) (Psych Central)
See also: The importance of quality time
Intrigued? Click on to find out if you're a time optimist, and what you can do about it.
Are you a time optimist?
Some people have no concept of time
LIFESTYLE Punctuality
People tend to fall into two different categories when it comes to timekeeping: always early, or perpetually late. But did you know there's a term for those who unintentionally, and consistently, leave too little time to reach a destination or complete a task? You can thank the Swedish for tidsoptimist. Indeed, "time optimists" think they have more time at their disposal than they actually do. As a result, they end up running late for everything!
Intrigued? Click on to find out if you're a time optimist, and what you can do about it.