A Realistic Drive: Tips for Being On-Time

Two of the major parts of being organized have to do with thinking or planning ahead and being realistic about time.
What does being realistic mean?
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, realistic is

1. Tending to or expressing an awareness of things as they really are: She gave us a realistic appraisal of our chances.
2. Of or relating to the representation of objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are: a realistic novel about ghetto life.

So how can one be realistic about time?

• Know the actual time tasks, events, trips, etc. take.

Estimating a place is 10 miles away so it takes 10 minutes to get there is totally unrealistic. You would need to know the distances and speed limits, and traffic concerns for a particular route and then build in a buffer.
More realistic would be actually taking a trial run, knowing the estimated time it took you and then build in your buffer.
Let’s say you have a doctor’s appointment at 2pm and it takes you 10 minutes to drive there. One would think it reasonable to leave at 1:50, right? Here’s the part people forget – especially men, sorry to pick on you guys, but it’s a fairly true general statement -it takes time to actually get out the door; depending on how many kids are coming with you, what mood they are in, what ages they are, what season it is, etc., then walk to the car, buckle everyone in their car seats (and those 5 point harnesses?! (They need to make DVD instruction manuals to figure them out!) Run back in the house twice for things you forgot, then unbuckle that 5 point harness so Suzy can go potty, buckle her back in, run back in one more time, start backing out of the driveway only to realize you need to move the trash containers in order to get out, then get on the road. Of course there will be construction, an accident, and somebody will have to go pee (even if it’s 5 minutes away, they won’t be able to wait!). Then you won’t be able to find a parking spot, it starts raining 1/3 of the way across the 2 mile stretch you had to park to find a spot, so you run back for your umbrella. Finally in the building after stopping at the restrooms and finding the suite number on a directory, you wait for the elevator. Once in the elevator, you realize that while Suzy was screaming about being hungry, you didn’t notice the sign that said this particular elevator only went to the 10th floor and you needed 11. Back down to the 1st floor, new elevator, and up to the 11th. Now you need to wind your way around the halls, because it’s at the very back of the building. Finally! In the waiting room only to hear, “Sorry, Mrs. Smith, your appointment was yesterday. But we can reschedule it for 4 months from now.”
OK, the example above is a little dramatic (but not far from the truth of a time that actually happened to me). But you get the idea. Know how long things take.
How long does it take to make your bed? Make breakfast? Unload the dishwasher? Vacuum the living room? Fold a load of laundry? Thaw a pound of frozen hamburger? Cut the grass? If you need to use a timer and write it down initially. Of course, you need to base it on your own experience and systems.
I was sick one Sunday morning and asked my hubby if he could take the kids to Sunday School. What time he asks. 9:45. Ok, we’ll leave at 9:35 he says. I said I usually leave at 9:15. “Why?!” he asks, totally incredulous, “It’s 8 miles away.” I say that’s what I know about how long it takes me to get out the door, drive and get them into their classrooms. But I figure he has his own system and he’ll be fine. Later that day I ask if he was on time. No he says nonchalantly. Here’s the another thing: it needs to actually matter to you to be on time. He doesn’t care if he’s late – doesn’t bother him. Why would he want to do it differently if it doesn’t bother him?
Secondary lesson: you can only be realistic and control you. 🙂