Punctually Late
Are you routinely late to events by a precise amount of time and say to yourself "better late than never?" Family gatherings for example? Or work as another example? Do you know why?
Jared Sandberg of the WSJ wrote an article entitled "I'm Not Really Late, I'm Just Indulging In Magical Thinking" where he spends some time on the subject:
Most chronically late people consistently underestimate time by 25% to 30%, says Diana DeLonzor, author of "Never Be Late Again."
"Late people engage in magical thinking," she says. "They remember that day 10 years ago when they made it to work in seven minutes flat. That becomes their standard."
Anthony Warren, a professor of entrepreneurship at Penn State's Smeal College of Business, deducts points from students who show up late. "It's an outrageous expression of arrogance," he says.
It also makes people mad. Just ask designer Marc Jacobs. In a NY Times article Jacobs is quoted as asking "Why are people so bitter and jealous and being so horrible to me?" Had his critics been speaking strictly about his clothes, and not also reacting to the two-hour delay of his fashion show in September, he might not still be asking, as he did outside the Mercer Hotel in SoHo two months later. Mr. Sandberg continues:
What makes people late? Maybe it's being overly optimistic about the time needed to commute and park, a warm bed in a cold room, or a task for which no amount of planning can apportion adequate time: getting that second sock on a toddler's foot.
In the past, research suggested lateness had its roots in psychological issues of avoidance and anxiety. But more recent research shows late people are tardy to welcomed events, too. Piers Steel, a professor at the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business, says late people can be impulsive, but sometimes they're just chronically busy.
"There's not one comprehensive theory why everyone's late," says Prof. Steel, who authored an article earlier this year called, "The Nature of Procrastination." But one primary cause is that people "can't get motivated well before their deadlines," he adds.
Are you unsure whether your in the procrastination club? Try measuring your procrastination with Prof. Steel's procrastination test.
References: Sandberg, Jared "I'm Not Really Late, I'm Just Indulging In Magical Thinking." Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2007
Dodes, Rachel "Marc Jacobs: Unfashionably Late." Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2007
University of Calgary (2007, January 10). We're Sorry This Is Late ... We Really Meant To Post It Sooner: Research Into Procrastination Shows Surprising Findings. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 13, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/01/070110090851.htm
