Sometimes things go wrong that are out of your control. We’ve all been late at some point or another. You hit heavy traffic and miss a meeting, or your car doesn’t start and so on. It’s part of life, and as annoying as it is, you just have to move on.
We’ve been experiencing a lot of bad weather in the UK lately, and it’s predicted to only get worse. It’s important to be aware of potential disruptions and how you can mitigate their impact.
You and your employer are affected if you are late. You both lose productivity, and you potentially lose their confidence, income and risk your job if your lateness becomes a continuous problem. So, as we cruise through autumn and head towards winter, why not try the following?
Check your car. Although you should be checking your car regularly, it’s even more important in the colder months. It’s a low-cost solution to make sure your car is winter ready and that you won’t be let down when the frost comes. We know not everyone has the luxury of a new car and that circumstances are difficult but having a simple scraper and a bottle of anti-freeze on-hand are a lot less expensive than a loss of income.
Plan an alternate route. If you know your usual route is particularly vulnerable to bad conditions, be it bad weather or traffic, plan an alternative. Also have a different mode of transport planned out if you can, such as public transport or a lift. A little extra planning can go a long way in ensuring a safe and stress-free journey.
Get earlier transport if possible. As simple as this seems, you should be aware of your routine making you late. Bad weather often causes public transport to be less reliable, so, if possible, get the earlier bus or train. Account for delays in your morning schedule and wake up slightly earlier so you can get ready on time. It’s tempting to see the rain and howling winds outside of your bedroom window and snooze for an extra few minutes, but it’s better than waking up in a panic and rushing to get ready when you’ve hit snooze one too many times! As silly as this sounds, people often get stuck in their routine so a slight change might just save your skin.
If you make efforts to compensate for the season, you will find that you can avoid the Reggie Perrin syndrome. If you don’t know, “The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin” was a sitcom where the main character was habitually late. Every morning, Reggie would arrive on a train that came in 11 minutes overdue. He would walk through the office door and say “11 minutes late, overheated axle at Berrylands” or “11 minutes late, somebody had stolen the lines at Surbiton” or a similarly silly excuse. It was a great show, but we always wondered why he didn’t simple set off 11 minutes earlier. The point is his routine was more important than arriving on time.
So, come rain or snow, why not avoid Reggie Perrin syndrome and adjust your approach to account for the weather?
