T I M E M A N A G E M E N T
might need under perfect circumstances and, by some miracle, cir-
cumstances actually turn out to be perfect, you’ll show up places
early. Good planning ensures even more waiting.
One WaY TO eL iminaTe SOme OF The WaiTing
Folks who keep you waiting tend to do so chronically. You can
eliminate some of the waiting in your life by eliminating some of
those people.
Stand me up once, shame on you. Stand me up twice, shame on
me. I don’t make a second appointment with the person who blew
off the first one.
But we don’t always have a choice. One of the chronic wait-
creators in your life might be your boss, your spouse, or your kid.
You can try to convert these folks into the cult of punctuality, but
you’ll most likely fail.
That’s another reason why you’ll have to wait sometimes.
Make the Wait Matter Less
You know certain activities will involve waiting. To the extent that
it’s in your power to do so, try to engage in those activities at times
when waiting won’t make as big a difference.
But few doctors schedule appointments for 6:00 (a.m. or p.m.)
or Saturday afternoons. You have to take what you can get, includ-
ing the cancellation at the dentist right in the middle of the day,
just one more reason why...
You’ll Always Have to Wait
Three inescapable facts of modern life make waiting unavoidable.