Constantly arriving late at work is a great way to get yourself fired. Even if you are a wonderful employee in every other way, being persistently tardy is an inexcusable offense that can irritate even the most understanding of bosses. When you are consistently late, people often interpret that as a lack of respect for them and the job that you are doing. If you’re having trouble getting to the office on time, here are some tips that may help you eliminate your perpetual lateness.
1. Simply Wake Up Earlier
For some people, merely waking up earlier will solve the problem. Their lateness can be simply explained away due to the fact that they don’t give themselves enough time in the morning to get ready and drive to work. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, you may not be able to drag yourself out of bed on time, so try going to bed earlier – early to bed, early to rise!
If you accidentally fall asleep after you’ve turned your alarm clock off, consider having two alarm clocks. Put one next to your bed and the other one across the room. The alarm clock next to your bed should go off first, and the second alarm clock across the room should go off five minutes later. You will be forced to get up to turn it off, which guarantees that you will not fall asleep again.
2. Get Ready the Night Before
Prepare your lunch the night before so you don’t have to take the time to do it in the morning. Select and lay out your clothes the night before as well so you don’t have to take time to think about what to wear or to iron your clothes. Gather everything you’ll need and put it in one place so that you won’t have to run around looking for your cell phone, car keys, wallet or briefcase five minutes before you have to leave. Make sure you have enough gas in your car the day before so you don’t have to fill up on the way to work. You can also save time by showering the night before and getting a coffee machine on a timer. That way, your coffee will be hot and ready by the time you drag yourself out of bed.
3. Change Your Attitude
If your lateness problem requires a more serious fix than simply getting up earlier, think about changing your attitude. If you need to be at work at 8:00 AM, tell yourself that you really need to be at work at 7:30 AM. If you end up running late then you’ll be fine, but if you end up getting to work early, that gives you time to get your coffee and look smugly upon your fellow coworkers that arrived after you.
Even if there’s no indication that your job is in jeopardy (yet), stress to yourself just how important it is to get there on time. You may not have suffered any consequences other than a dirty look from your coworkers or a disapproving glance from your boss, but keep it up and you’re bound to see more than that. Don’t let it get that far – when you get up every morning, tell yourself that keeping your job is dependent upon getting to work on time. Remind yourself that if you’re looking for a promotion or raise, you can kiss it goodbye if you keep on coming late.
This is a guest post from Ryan Embly. He writes for the website CarRentalExpress.com, a provider of cheap car rentals all over the world.
