I have been having trouble showing up on time my whole life, I know that it is because of my ADHD, but I didn't always know this. People have hated me for being late and have never even once considered the possibility that I simply can't do it. It's not in my ADHD nature to be organized. If you are struggling with time like me, then I do have some good news...over the years I have created some strategies that have helped me a lot. So here it is, ten ways to never be late again.

1. Expect delays.

You never know when traffic is going to hit, or if you just happen to hit every red light on the way. So make extra time to prepare for these delays.

2. Don't try to do things faster to save time.

Every day before my shift, it comes the time that I should start getting ready, and I always try to get away with this one. There is no need to speed rush your makeup, it takes away the fun of putting on makeup and it makes you late. So please, just don't.

3. Fifteen Minutes Early

Every job you ever get will want you to show up fifteen minutes early. It makes you look professional and it gives you a cushion of time in case the unpredictable happens.

4. Consider travel time.

If it takes 20 minutes to get to work, make sure you are leaving the house at least 35 minutes before your shift starts. If you are leaving 15 minutes before your shift starts, you're going to be 15 minutes late.

5. The One Hour Rule

Start getting ready one hour before you should leave the house.

6. Pick your clothes the night before.

Pick out your outfit, wash it, iron it...whatever needs to be done and put it in a bag near your bed to help you get ready faster in the morning.

7. Shower the night before.

This one is optional, lots of people shower to help them feel more awake. Unfortunately for me, this doesn't seem to work. So I shower the night before.

8. Start using an agenda.

Write down all your appointments, parties, and events. Write down the date, time, and what it is. Just the act of writing it down and having a calendar will help on its own, but you can also try to make things not too close together if possible.

9. Plan ahead.

You are probably going to hate me for this one, and I hate myself for this one too...but plan stiff before you do, don't just dive into things and hope for the best.

10. Add it all together/make a morning plan the night before.

Here is an example of one of my plans:

If my shift starts at 11, then I need to be there by 10:45. The drive is 20 minutes, plus an additional five minutes for expected delays. That means I need to leave the house by 10:20.

Since I have such an extensive uniform, I need at least 20 minutes to get ready. Meaning I need to be up and out of bed getting ready by 10:00. However, I like to play 15 minutes of video games to help me wake up. So I need be up and getting my coffee by 9:30.

Just give it one try.

If you are literally late all the time, just pick one event that you will be on time for and use these tips to show up on time. Once you see that you can be on time every now and again, you will gain more confidence and be able to make more changes towards a less late lifestyle.

Thank you!

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