We all know that guy who’s perpetually late… to everything. They confidently stride into the office long after everybody else, they’re on incredibly good terms with the snooze buttons on their alarm clocks, and we know all too well that they’ll send us a breezy “on my way” text before they make it to the pub an hour after they said they would.
Don’t know him? It’s probably you. But while your mates, and your boss, wonder if you’re leading some double life or were just never taught to read the time, you can rest assured that it means something else entirely.
According to Business Insider, unpunctuality is a common trait of people who are successful, creative, and optimistic.
A number of studies have shown that everybody needs to cut late arrivals some extra slack, because they’re more likely to have a lot on their plate (multitasking makes you lose all sense of time, after all).
Similarly, their generally positive outlook on life makes them believe that they have more time on their hands than they actually do – hence why they find it so tricky to keep to strict deadlines.
Despite this, however, they’re far more likely to succeed; a study among salesmen has proven that optimists tend to complete 88% more sales than their colleagues – which may have something to do with the fact that they’re more likely to look at the bigger picture, rather than distracting themselves with insignificant details.
It’s also worth pointing out that relaxed and creative types (aka Type B people) are proven to perceive time differently, thanks to a study which saw a group of research participants asked to guess how much time had passed after a minute. The late people among them thought that 77 seconds had passed, whereas people who are typically on time, guessed 58 seconds.
Basically, it’s not your fault you’re late; it’s your incredibly busy life and fantastic outlook.
Not sure if your boss will buy it, but it’s worth a go.
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