Be on Time.....

You saw the title and thought she can’t be talking about ME. For others, you may even feel like this is going to be a POT calling the kettle black situation …. when this will be a moment that can FREE us ALL no matter which category you fall into. I am going to warn you, YOU will be triggered if you have a history of being TARDY.

Ask me how I know? Because I was personally triggered when it was dropped in my spirit to share go figure!

Over the weekend a friend of mine had a train delay that was going to make her late for a special event we were attending. When she mentioned to her mate that her arrival was going to be late, he responded well see if Chonda can pick you up, she usually runs behind right? In the midst of our laughter, I felt the spirit nudge me because this has been one of the things I have been working on since December. Professionally, I AM NEVER LATE. Personally , I have been late o. ccasions but not in an intentional manner. Majority of my tardiness can be tied to me mismanaging my capacity in a day. I am known to be double, even triple booked from time to time. I am the queen of I may be late, but I will be present. While that is cool for some it is not cool for ALL and honestly, I don’t want that to be my life brand, and neither should you!

I hear you now, I have kids, I have this meeting, my job etc. and I understand things happen but there must be a better way to plan for those things you can control when you have committed to something.

There’s this hidden sense of entitlement or that “you know better than the host /event committee” that your tardiness won’t affect the space when it really can. I can recall attending a play in December. I casually started talking with another ticketholder afterwards, we shared our thoughts of the show and the only comment this person made was that it did not start on time. He said in the arts/theater you don’t wait on the audience. He stated in his culture it was disrespectful to come late or to start late when a time had been given. Other than the noted timeliness or lack thereof this man had only good things to say. I wondered to myself how many other people thought the same thing …... Great show, Great people but tardy! I will go a step further how many of you have hosted an event and majority of the folks arrived on what the saints call CP time! In my opinion when we place assumptions and guess work into play when attempting to plan our time or arrival, we have already interrupted the flow.

I have watched people though the event starts at 5pm say their arrival will be at 6-615 not because they are busy but because it makes sense to them to arrive late so that they won’t have to stay long ……I have been guilty in previous years as well of doing the same. But Can I tell you a secret and what I learned? In a case like this, YOU should have declined the invite in the first place. You are not doing anyone any favors by entering spaces late that you barely want to be at? This goes back to those honest conversation with SELF that are needed. Your TARDINESS says more about YOU then it does anybody else. It can be viewed as selfish and very disrespectful…. It’s tight but it’s right and I am ministering to even myself while sharing this all over again. I have personally been on both sides of the coin, and I am sure you can relate also as tough as this may be to hear.

Moral of the story, WE must do better when it comes to TIME.

I have attended two leadership workshops/summits in the past few weeks and TIME always comes up amongst leaders. One thing I noticed is the most highly effective leaders lead by example and they are rarely late. I sat at a table of millionaires recently, I paid attention to each of their individual characteristics and the one common theme was each of them were at the table seated before the program began. They shared stories of paths crossed and Time being the real currency and I could not agree more.

When you are late:

· You make it about you….and not the person/place/or thing you are celebrating and attending….

(Interrupting the experience of others to get to your seat/row/location)

· You miss an opportunity to connect with people in real-time who may have had to sneak out early….

· You establish a bad rep regarding TIME…. (Good Business is done ON TIME, meeting deadlines etc.) ….

· Leaves no room for error and reduces Trust ! It affects your emotional wellness (You show up Flustered and not your FULL self)

When you are on time:

· You get the good seat….

· You can network and mingle in advance of a program/party ….

· You get to become familiar with the room where things are located….

· You leave room for error and increase Trust …. (Be it professionally or personal)

I can hear a few of you now …. I don’t want to be the first person there …. I would rather be first than be the last if I can control it! We must do better as a family, on our jobs, in our friendships and for our future. Timeliness is indeed next to GODLINESS cause lord know when GOD’s Timing isn’t YOURS you trip out ……. but got the nerve to be late? How Friend?

Let’s lead by example, hold each other accountable and work on being ON TIME this year!!

I promise it will help you more than it harms you! You do not want to miss your blessing because you were LATE!!

Ps. Stop calling people at 7:15 like we still meeting at 7pm? (Throws hands up, you heard what I said, lol)

Have a great week!!

Respectfully,

Rochonda-xoxo