Lesson # 3
As we start the new year, I am taking the month of January to blog about my favorite life lessons from my book, Your Future Self Will Thank You. Follow along here to get the newsletter updates as well as a free PDF of the Future you Defined workbook!
Today, I am revisiting Lesson #3- show up on time. This is one that any person in my life will tell you really matters to me.
We have so little time on this planet. If we live to Betty White standards, it is just shy of 100 years (damn you 2021 for taking Betty!) 100 years seems like a really long time but it is not. And every day we have 24 hours, 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. We don’t get to bank any of those minutes- there are no rollovers. So using your minutes for you is so important. And if you are always rushing to get places, those minutes can seem stressful. I encourage you to look at your schedule to see if things fit. Have you overscheduled? Are there meetings or activities that are unnecessary? Do you have a plan for your day to run smoothly so you can get places and do so in a way that supports you enjoying your day? Small changes can make a big difference.
What is also important is to respect the time of others. They have the same amount of minutes today and if you say you will meet them at 4 and you show up at 4:12, you have made 12 of their minutes possibly less enjoyable. Showing up on time is a sign of respect to both yourself and others.
The women on the golf teams I have coached understand that showing up to morning workout or afternoon practice or to the van at 6 am at the hotel during a tournament is extremely important. It is important to create a habit of being places when you said you were or when you are required to be. As for the sport we play, if you are late to the first tee when your designated te time is, you start with a 2 stroke penalty. If you are more than 5 minutes late, you are disqualified. And if you take too long to hit a golf shot during the round, you can be put on the clock and possibly incur a penalty if you don’t speed up. Also, if you are the one late to the tee or the slow golf in the group, the people you are playing with will wish your putts to not go in and that is just bad karma. So get there on time and hit your shot already!
I have found that managing my schedule, habits, plans and activities has made me a happier and calmer person with higher energy levels. For some, it may seem simple: show up when you say you will. For others, it may be very difficult because there are distractions, disruptions and events that always seem to get in the way. Give yourself grace and compassion as you reevaluate how you are spending your time and how you can make a small change here and there to be there when you say you will. Show up for you. Show up for others. It is worth it.
Keep going. You got this. Your Future Self Will Thank You.