Are you always showing up 5 to 10 minutes late to things despite your best intentions? There’s a good chance that you’re simply underestimating how long tasks will take. Experts describe this tendency as “planning fallacy,” and it’s one of the most difficult behavioral patterns to change — but it can be done.
According to clinical social worker Lisa Bernstein, here are some things changes you can implement immediately:
- Don’t double book. Accept that you can’t be in two places at the same time.
- If you have a morning meeting, have clothes ready the night before and use an alarm without a snooze function.
- Use a calendar to block out meeting times. Include travel and transition time.
- Set a warning alarm on phone for when you need to get ready to leave and another alarm for when you need to get out the door.
- Try to get to a meeting early and reward yourself with coffee or time to relax.
The planning fallacy can hamper your productivity, it will negatively impact the time, energy and attention of the people waiting for you. Luckily, with a few small changes you can consistently look like the most responsible person in the room.
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