The Importance of being an Allegrophoebic !!!

 More than often I have witnessed people from all spheres of life having but little respect for time. And I am counting myself in too. On multiple occasions I have been guilty of a late arrival whether it is quietly sneaking in at work secretly hoping that my boss has not arrived or keeping my friends waiting on the roads while convincing them over the phone saying 'Hey! I can see you...I'm just crossing the road!' when in reality I have just stepped out of my house! Sometimes I wonder what does it take to be punctual? And why is that more than often we end up being late than being on time, even when we do not want to? Weird...isn't it? I guess the trouble of being punctual is that no one is there to appreciate it because the person or the group of people we meet often makes their entry after ours leaving us look like idiots who do not have a life!!!!

On the contrary, my personal experience says that people who have made the most of their lives are often the ones who have a grand respect for time or to put it the other way around, people who are punctual have made it bigger than the others. Look around. Its true!

Ask yourself...are you someone who loves to push the clock ahead? Are you someone who has but little respect for yours and other's time? Then watch out. You have some serious problem here.Studies have revealed that a person who is not punctual is often found to lack self-confidence, discipline and possess a greater chance of being sacked or being dumped!!!

Would you believe? There is a small section of people among us who are not only spot on time but also possess a fear of being late!!! This is known as allegrophoebia. People who exhibit this disorder are scared of the alarm clock because they intend to pace ahead it's ringing and are mostly found to panic when faced with a tiny obstacle in the middle of the rush! Phew!

Therefore, the heart of my point is that we have to look at Indian Standard Time (I.S.T) the way the rest of the world looks at it and not how we Indians interpret it!!! Its a very common practice to be late whether it is at the doctor's or paying a formal visit to friends and colleagues. I have also some people associating 'late arrival' to fashion...means to draw all eyes upon them. 

That's called being an attention seeker my friend, not a trend-setter!!!

Have you realized how much time we can save upon if all of us were to keep up with the clock? For example on an average if you have 3 meetings or appointments or casual catch-ups in a day and you invariably delay each of them by 10 minutes, you are losing 30 mins of time everyday which you could otherwise utilize in reading a book, pursuing a hobby or working out ( I have deliberately quoted these examples as most of us complain of not finding time for these activities). Plus you save the last minute rush which mostly leads to forgetting to put mascara or gloss (Girls!...what a crime!!) or the important file or the pair of socks (Guys!!!...yeah yeah we know). If it is a professional meeting, you could reach a little before time and collect your thoughts right before the big ticket!!! In case of casual outings, your family and friends start looking upto you as a dependable individual. It works...and that's how you make an impression! Trust me!

All of us comply with a pretty hectic schedule day in and day out and wish there were more than 24 hours in a day but I say, a little attention to time management can go a long way and trust me you will surprised at how much more you will be able to do!!!

I googled for a few quotes about punctuality so that I can tickle the lazy souls out there and I came across this awe-inspiring quote....Loved what it said and I'm sure you'll love it too.

" Strict punctuality is perhaps the cheapest virtue which can give force to an otherwise utterly insignificant character" - John F. Boyes

Here's a food for thought. I have looked almost everywhere for an appropriate antonym of the word 'punctual' and I haven't tasted much success in finding one. The ones which I have considered are delayed, tardy, late, belated...Do you know any other word which can be used? Which word do you think suits best against punctuality?

And by the way, the fact that you can get sacked and dumped was all made up!!!...My only desire was to improve your being and enable you to make the best of yourself...I'll be more than glad if I am half successful!!!

Cheers!