These 5 words will make you late.

I made a resolution this year to become a person who is on time. And in the first week, I’ve been pretty humbled by my own behavior, assumptions, and lack of knowledge of how long just about anything takes. I’ve also figured out a super surefire way to guarantee a late arrival for any meeting. All it takes is for me or anyone around me to say this:

“It never starts on time.”

Here’s why it’s poison.

1. It gives me permission to fail.

When I say “she never starts on time,” I’m moving the start time without the other person’s permission. I’ve decided already that the other person is not going to value my time, so I make a decision to not value theirs.

2. It creates a chain reaction.

I assume a late start. And then I’m late. And then we do indeed start late. And that confirmed my assumption that “it never starts on time.” And next time, I don’t even need to say it! It becomes a belief that drives my behavior, and an example I set for those around me.

3. It builds a culture of lateness.

Whether it’s in your company or your family, assuming a late start creates a culture that says “our time isn’t that important here.” What if the opposite were true? What if people said “hey that meeting ALWAYS starts right on the dot. Let’s get over there.” What could change in your company culture if everyone was ready right on time?

I learned that saying “it never starts on time” is a promise that it won’t.

But saying the opposite (even if it’s not true) stops the chain reaction and creates a culture that values people’s time.