The Power Of Five Minutes
Late for work... again!
How many times have you been five minutes late for something?
If you're anything like me, I'm guessing the answer is past the point of counting.
It happens all the way through our lives, and even though it's just five minutes, it can have severe consequences...
- Five minutes late for school could result in detention
- Five minutes late for an important exam could result in refused entry
- Five minutes late for the train could add several hours to your journey
- Five minutes late for work could lead to disciplinary action
- Five minutes late for a meeting could be the difference between securing the deal
The list goes on. And I think at least one - though probably more - of the above has applied to every person reading this on more than one occassion.
Hit the snooze button!
So how can these dreadful consequences be avoided? It's only five minutes after all... surely it isn't so hard to make it on time?
The point is, we almost always plan to make it on time...
... it's doing it that's the problem.
Is hitting snooze on your alarm making you five minutes late? If you set your alarm for seven o'clock, yet don't get out of bed until seven thirty, do you find that the extra half hour sleep is meaning you're cutting it fine?
Even if it isn't making you late, if you're arriving at school or at work in the nick of time, you're on thin ice...
BUT I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON MY MUCH-NEEDED SNOOZE TIME...
The good news? You don't have to.
By setting your alarm five minutes earlier:
- Your body won't notice the difference
- You can still have your thirty minute snooze
- You'll be left with a wider margin to arrive at your destination on time
Meaning you will avoid:
- Disapproving looks from colleagues, classmates, bosses and teachers
- Making a bad impression
- All the negatives listed in the first part of this article
Double your efforts with this useful tip
Try setting your watch/clock five minutes fast. Make sure that whatever time you need to do something at, go by your watch and nobody else's. You've just gained an extra five minutes leeway!
Five minutes matters
So as you can see, the impact five minutes can have is at times disastrous - but easy to avoid.
Five minutes is a very short period of time but a very powerful time window...
Want to read a funny little poem about waking up late?
