I have been to many events where the guests are on time but the ones being celebrated are extremely late.
Imagine going to a wedding that is supposed to start at three o’clock in the afternoon but the bride doesn’t walk down the aisle until four o’clock. The guest are highly frustrated and are getting impatient. Now, imagine that that bride is you.
When you are the one being celebrated at a special event and sends out an invitation with a specific time, being late can frustrate your guest. Being late makes your guest think you have horrible time management skills or are just plain rude. Fortunately, I have 10 effective ways for you to be on time for your next special event.
#1 Value Punctuality
The first vital step to being on time is to value punctuality. Being on time to your event has to be important to you. You have to make a mental shift and put in the effort to be on time. If your event is important to you then you will find a way not to be late.
#2 Plan your event wisely
Let’s say you have plans to have your birthday party at six in the evening but you will be getting off of work at four o’clock. That gives you two hours to get ready for your party. It is important to plan exactly how to be ready and on time for your party in two hours. You must consider the amount of things to be completed in the two hours or if you should change the party to a later time.
#3 Schedule out your day
Making a schedule for the day of your event is extremely important. Your schedule should include every single thing you must do leading up the event and an estimated time to do them.
#4 Leave room for error
On the day of your event, always add an extra free 30 minutes to your schedule. You may have to decorate in 2 hours but need an extra 30 minutes because you are running behind schedule or are missing certain supplies and have to run out to buy them.
#5 Do not multitask
Did you ever have a big day where you thought you would have time to do 3 things at once but couldn’t. It’s either you mentally or physically couldn’t or you tried and all three things failed. Try to plan things out at separate times to prevent multitasking.
#6 Prepare the day before
There are certain things that you must do the day of your event but there are several things that you can do the day before. You can prepare your outfit in advance. If you are in charge of your centerpieces and decorations, try setting up the ones you can the day before.
#7 Get dressed early
Since you know yourself, you know how long it takes to dress. Even if you normally get ready in 30 minutes it may be your unlucky day and a popped button adds an additional 20 minutes to your dress time. Try adding an extra 20-30 minutes to your dress time on the day of your special event just in case that zipper gets stuck or makeup gets on your blouse.
#8 Check your GPS before the event
If your event is at a location you have never been before, it might be a good idea to check your GPS hours or even days before the event to see how long it will take to get there. The last thing you want to do is think your event’s location is only 10 minutes away but in reality it’s 25 minutes away.
#9 Place your keys in a spot you will find it
This step might seem obvious but you would be surprised on how many people are late to their events because they just can’t find their keys. I have seen brides leave hotels late because their whole bridal party spent 20 minutes looking for one key. Place your keys somewhere you will remember and leave a note to yourself on where the key has been placed.
#10 Leave your house early
None of these steps help if you leave your house late (if your special event is not taking place in your home). You may have prepared everything, looked up the distance in your GPS, and even got dressed early, but if you don’t leave your house early you may still be late. Leaving your house 15-20 minutes earlier will help you if you get stuck in unexpected traffic.
Try applying these ten steps and be on time to your next special event!
