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How to Stop Being Late

If you don’t have a late friend, you are the late friend. Here’s how to be on time.

Kimi Goffe

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

We all have a late friend—the one who’s always surprised that rush hour traffic delayed their journey, or who just manages to board their flight. Chronic lateness can strain personal relationships, increase stress at work, and be a constant source of anxiety for those who deal with it.

The good news is that it’s not intractable. Late people can learn how to be on time. However you view being chronically late—pet peeve, moral failing, biggest flaw, lovable quirk—these articles will help you understand why people are late and how they can improve.

Image by Tanja Ivanova/Getty Images.

Late for Everything? Here Are 7 Tips to Help You Break the Habit.

A constant struggle to be on time could be because of your personality or ADHD, but there are strategies for overcoming it.

The Science Behind Why Some People Are Always Late

We’ve all got those friends who are never on time.

Why I’m Always Late

Kimi Goffe: “This hilarious and insightful illustrated essay made me feel so seen. And also so fed up with myself as a ‘CLIP’ or ‘Chronically Late Insane Person’ as Tim calls it. He depicts the irrationality of chronic lateness so well—and understanding this aspect of it is key to starting to improve.”

Why Some People Are Always Late [WATCH]

Every friendship group has at least one person who is known as ‘the late one’. But why do some people struggle so much with punctuality? BBC Reel’s Dan John speaks to authors Grace Pacie and David Robson about the psychology of being late – and whether we can train our brains to be more punctual.

Time Blindness: Is This the Real Reason You’re Always Running Late?

Time blindness is more common in people with ADHD. It might explain some people’s lateness.

5 Tips to Help You Stop Being So Late (Or at Least Make You More Honest About It)

KG: “Listen to this interview with a productivity consultant while you’re en route—and probably running late—to your next appointment. It’s part of NPR’s ‘Life Kit’ series, where they provide ‘tools to help you get it together,’ something us chronically late people definitely need.”

It’s Never Too Late to Learn to Be on Time

KG: “This article breaks down six different procrastination-prone personality types, from the perfectionist to the poor planner. Each one’s lateness is rooted in different reasons, so the improvement strategies suggested are specific to each type.”

BONUS READ: The Best Books on Time Management, via Five Books.

BONUS READ: Why Habits Matter—and How to Rewire Yours for Good

KG: “Being chronically late is a bad habit, and no one knows habits better than author Nir Eyal. In this collection, he provides resources to help you overhaul your habits by first understanding how they’re formed and why they’re not set in stone.”