PUNCTUALITY- DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
Hey
lovelies!!! I have been thinking about this concept of punctuality and I think
it is high time we talked about it. So let's dive into it....
I have
never seen this beautiful face with so much wrinkles and tears in my whole
life
or at least the time I have spent with her. I thought she just went for a face wash and was about to dry her face up but on a second thought, I felt if she just came from the wash room she should not have a saddened look neither should there be a palpitation nor an obvious feeling of hopelessness.
or at least the time I have spent with her. I thought she just went for a face wash and was about to dry her face up but on a second thought, I felt if she just came from the wash room she should not have a saddened look neither should there be a palpitation nor an obvious feeling of hopelessness.
We
had postponed all pleasurable activities life has to offer and dedicated our
three years of life into preparing for this examination that we knew would change
our lives forever. Unfortunately, she did not pass the examination not because
she did not know what to write, on the contrary she could teach her teacher but
the big problem was that she could not get to the examination hall in time or
let us say she was just few minutes late- Not punctual!!!
Does
it really matter to be punctual? Is the examiner just unfair in his decision on
not allowing her to take the examination? Is that not an abuse of her right as a
human? Before we answer this, let’s talk about punctuality in different
cultures and its impact on our integrity.
Punctuality,
they say, is contextual. You could have your daily routine on a fixed plan and
live your life making sure that no second slips away without accounting for it
or you could just live your life and have a distant relationship with time.
Whatever perception and relationship you have to/with time depends on your
culture and individual thought about life.
In terms of cultural perception to time, Germans and Americans feel that
every second is important, highly valued and regarded as a treasure. This is because they think time should be utilized to the fullest potential for money making or just for the development of the society. On the flip side, Mexicans, Arabs and Africans do not care to look at the clock every minute rather, emphasis is placed on the intimacy, relationship and feelings from the interaction with friends, families and acquaintances.
every second is important, highly valued and regarded as a treasure. This is because they think time should be utilized to the fullest potential for money making or just for the development of the society. On the flip side, Mexicans, Arabs and Africans do not care to look at the clock every minute rather, emphasis is placed on the intimacy, relationship and feelings from the interaction with friends, families and acquaintances.
Knowing
these differences and working according to it is the most important thing. It
is noble to live according to the principle that prevails around you for a good
interaction and relationship to be established.
It has
been a problem for some people to adjust to time settings and be in/on time.
Note that, although some cultures seem not watch every second that passes by,
they also do not expect you to be a whole hour late for a meeting.
Being
punctual tells a lot about your personality, your attitude to work, how you
regard the other person and what your priorities are to life. You could make a
difference in your entire life by just being a minute late or early as in the
story of my grieving friend who lost all she laboured for just because she was
few minutes late. Learning to be punctual can really make a difference and
reflects a shadow of who you are and how you want others to relate with you. It also leaves a lasting impression about you.
Tips on being Punctual
- Have a schedule for yourself
- Plan and organize before the time
- Never work with the philosophy of “Better late than never”
- Get addresses, maps and all you need ready a day before the time.
- Make punctuality your life's principle.
Until I come your way soon, remain graciously fabulous!!!
I once attended a social program in Finland where at the starting time no one was there ecxept the coodinator. I walked up to him and asked why everyone was late. He replied "well, here we use African time". Startled, I asked what that meant and he said "one hour late". You can imagine how embarrased I was that lateness is now viewed as an African culture.
ReplyDeleteYes,It is so unfortunate that lateness has been the norm amongst some Africans. I'm glad that we have few unigue Africans that are changing this norm. Thanks for sharing your experience about this.
DeleteI like the systematic "Tips on being Punctual". My experince is that when you make a conscious effort to deal with issues such as punctuality it pays. Thanks for sharing Roseline. :)
ReplyDeleteYes,it really pays to be punctual. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI think there should be a balance to this punctuality thing, especially when it comes to situation like the one faced by your friend.
ReplyDeleteComing to an examination a few minutes late, in my opinion is not enough to deny her from taking the exams she has labored for 3yrs. The time she has already lost is enough consequence. Sometimes circumstances beyond one's control can cause such lateness. People should have human face in such situations. This is really sad. DENNIS KALIO JNR
Yes, it's really sad.Some people don't care if you're a second late especially if you're an "habitual late comer". One way of avoiding that unfortunate incident is to inform someone to obtain permission from the examiner and the reasons for the permission.Prior knowledge of the situation really helps in making good decision when it comes to cases like this. Thanks for sharing your opinion☺☺
DeleteIn my experience, if you make it your priority to be on time, your friend, employer ect will understand, that that one time you were late - something unexpected actually happened.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, if you're frequently late people will not care for "another excuse" and will not tolerate it.
You will be seen as somebody who do not care and isn't professional.
In the work environment ( esoecaily here in Finland) you won't be able to keep your job, after all, there are plenty people, who will show up on time & can easily replace you.
Yes, Edyta nice thought. I totally agree with you. Our attitudes towards time keeping can influence how people relate with us.Thanks for such a wonderful thought ☺☺
Delete