Photo by: TonyVC via flickr
Do you set your clock a little late in hopes that it will help you be on time and not be late? I tried this technique and I have noticed a few others try this method and in my experiences and by asking those who have done this, it doesn't work. This article will explore what I have learned in using this method and in asking others who have tried this and what their outcomes were as well as give a solution to the real problem.
SETTING THE TIME LATE TECHNIQUE
The real time is 7:00pm, but you purposely set the clock for 7:30pm or some set it just a few minutes later in hopes that you could trick yourself the following morning in believing that you are running late so that you get moving to go to your scheduled meeting. You also hope that this gives you the extra 30 minutes to be safely early for whatever it is that you are trying to make on time. What usually happens in my experience as well as others I have talked to is that, you still find yourself late and the time you had hoped to save actually doesn't happen as planned.
What really happens is that you continually do a quick mathematical calculation in your mind in the morning and calculate that you actually have more time to snooze so you hit the button feeling good about yourself and feeling clever that you cheated time because the time is actually 30 minutes earlier. As the mathematical calculations of the early morning is filled with mistakes, you end up waking up super late and you spend the time calculating the real time over and over again as you get ready because you don't have the real time showing.
You probably waste more time trying to figure out the real time instead of getting yourself prepared for whatever is you are about to do. Not a really good start to the morning or for any meeting. You are too busy trying to calculate the real time.
THE REAL PROBLEM
The true problem is your time management problems that should be addressed directly versus trying to find "clever" ways around it. So the first part of the solution is to face your real problem and find ways to fix it versus finding the quick fixes that only causes more problems. When you try the wrong time setting technique, you are actually planning on being late versus learning ways to be on time. You also waste a lot of time by filling your mind with useless calculations when in reality the real time IS the real time and you should be planning yourself accordingly. Unless you have a time machine, I would stick with the true time that we all have to live by and not try to find ways around this.
I remember once I borrowed a car from a friend that used this technique and changed their clock 17 minutes later. I was actually running on time, but because the clock was late, I thought I was later than I really was. Another bad example from another person was that every clock in their house, car, watch and phone was different. Imagine trying to remember which clock has certain minutes that must be calculated and trying to figure out the true time, she explained that by doing it this way, she thought that she would really trick herself in believing that she was actually later than she thought. I should go back and ask her how does she reference what the real time is... ah forget it, my mind hurts just thinking about it.
THE SOLUTION
The solution is to use the real time for all of your clocks and plan to be early by learning good time management skills as well as making it a goal to be on time. Trying to find the quick fixes will only get you into trouble and it might work a few times but the amount of work to force it to work by trying to trick yourself is a bad technique. Do a search online or pick up a book about time management skills and make it a habit to be on time.... THE REAL TIME!
