Without looking at a clock, ask yourself right now "What time is it?" Now ask yourself "Where am I supposed to be?" Are you supposed to be across town for a meeting or date in half an hour? Are you supposed to be dressed and ready to meet friends in 15 minutes?
I am asking you these questions because I have found a disturbing trend happening in our society. Some people are actually falling into the habit of being late. And what is worse is that they find it totally acceptable. I am here to tell you that NO this is not acceptable.
If you tell someone that you will be meeting them at 12 noon, you should do everything in your power to be there at 11:55 am. I know that sometimes there are contributing factors such as traffic or what have you, but if you find yourself using these excuses repeatedly, you are going to have to work to improve your on-time record.
What you MUST realize is that when you are late, you are automatically making the other person feel that you do not value their time. And what's worse, when you are late, you spend the first five minutes apologizing for being late and relating your excuse. My advice is to do everything in your power to NOT let this happen. If you are the kind of person that is always running late, teach yourself to leave 10 or 15 minutes earlier so that you have more time to get to where you are going.
If you are single and dating, I cannot explain to you how important it is to be on time for dates. In my matchmaking business I have witnessed time and time again how many relationships fall apart because of people showing up late for dates. Do whatever it takes to be on time. It is that simple. As my husband always says, "If you are not early, you are late."
While we are on the subject of time, put some thought into how many times you tell people these statements:
- "I will call you right back."
- "I will email you tomorrow."
- "I will send you a text."
If you make these statements to somebody, you MUST follow through with them. I cannot tell you how many times I get asked "Why haven't they called if they said there were going to?" What it boils down to is that if you tell someone you are going to contact them, and do not do so in a timely manner, you are showing them that you are not a person of your word and cannot be trusted. It is simple, if you tell someone that you are going to communicate with them, do it. And do it in a timely manner! Do NOT be rude and put off contacting someone for days when you said you would do so sooner. This is probably not something that you would want done to you.
In today's world, we have all become busy, multi-taskers that tend to spread ourselves too thin. But I am here to tell you that we all must start taking responsibility for our actions, especially if you are single and looking for love. Start holding yourself accountable for being on time AND following through with communicating with someone when you say you are going to.
Your friendly neighborhood matchmaker,
CharlieTheMatchmaker
For more insights into what to do and what not to do when searching for love in today's world, pick up a copy of my book "Love Made Easy With CharlieTheMatchmaker." I am here for you if you need me.