This was originally published on the Happiness Series
How to be Late… Gracefully
By Peter Ferko
Being fashionably late is one thing, but being late to a job, a meeting, or an appointment is not quite as hip. Instead being late is stressful! I’m often running on several tracks at a time and find myself running late more often than I’d like. I used to give myself a stomach ache over it, but I’ve found some perspective to help avoid lateness and some tools that help when I can’t:
1. When you realize you’re going to be late, call to see if you can reschedule or just adjust the time until when you’ll get there. You will be amazed at how often people could care less about you changing an appointment. Stress gone!
2. When you see you’re going to be late to a fixed appointment, call in to be responsible and to help create a workaround, if necessary. Once you get in, don’t mention it (you already called it in), just get on with things. Stress minimized!
3. When you’re late for things that don’t always start on time — the theater, a movie, a dinner party — surrender to the consequences. Since I stopped worrying about it, I’ve noticed that most of the time things starts late, so I’m on time anyway. Once in a while they don’t, and you watch the first 15 minutes from the lobby TV (for the theater) or you miss the trailers (at the movies) or you miss a cocktail (at the party). Stress never even appeared!
4. Trust that things work out the way they are supposed to. If you’re late, it will likely be okay. Just try to avoid being late in the future, it will be better for everyone involved. What stress?
5. Work on the causal plane. A yoga teacher can give you a mantra to help remove obstacles in your path, which could be a train that won’t show up or the forgetfullness around setting your iPhone alarm! Mantras are best when passed from teacher to student, so the energy the teacher has amassed around the intention passes to the student.
