This strategy sounds so simple and so straight forward that everyone must think, "Cha! Duh! Of course this is how you do it!" But, you might be surprised by how many people think only in vague terms regarding the time element in any particular event. Those who are chronically late are almost assuredly people who do not delve into the details of what it takes to make a plan come together. I used to be one of those people. No more!
So, here is how it works. Let's take the very simple example of arriving on time for dinner reservations. Dinner will be at a very fancy restaurant in downtown Indianapolis. Reservations are for Saturday night at 7:00 pm. I live in a northeastern suburb, 30 minutes from downtown in good traffic.
Timeline
7:00: Check in at the host stand
6:50 - 7:00: Walk from parking to restaurant
6:40 - 6:50: Find parking
6:00 - 6:40: Drive from home to downtown (allowing for Sat night traffic)
5:50 - 6:00: Take care of pets and make sure everything at home is secured
5:35 - 5:50: Style hair, put on jewelry and perfume
5:20 - 5:35: Make-up
5:10 - 5:20: Get dressed
4:40 - 5:10: Shower/wash hair
4:30 - 4:40: Pick out clothes
From this exercise, I can see that I need to start getting ready by 4:30 if I am to make it to dinner downtown, looking my best, and arriving cool, calm, and collected by 7:00. Who knew!? Now, if that is just too much time, I can evaluate this plan and decide where I can possibly take short cuts. Maybe I don't wash my hair. Maybe I pick out my clothes a day ahead of time. But, until I looked at the details of the steps involved in getting from one point in time to the other point in time, I had no idea I needed to allow that much time for it all to come together. I would have been late, as usual.
So, Snails - try this out on a few easy targets. Then start applying it to more detailed projects, such as planning a party or going on a vacation. It will save you so much grief!
Until next time...keep moving forward!
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