Jake: Nobody cares about your reasons, just stop being late

This isn’t a rant. It’s sage advice someone once gave me, and now I’ll keep passing it on to my four sons as they make their way in the world.

One of the simplest things you can do to set yourself apart from everyone else? Be on time. At a recent dinner, my 11-year-old took it even further and brought a proud smile to my face.

“Being on time is late,” he said. “You need to get there early.”

The kid’s got it figured out. Now, if I could just get him to clean his room.

Showing up late is a disservice you’re doing to yourself

Whether it’s school, work, or practice, showing up late is a serious disservice to yourself.

You’ve heard it before: You only get one first impression. That’s not a cliché, it’s just human nature. A bad first impression is hard to shake, no matter how good your excuse is.

And here’s the truth: Nobody cares about your reasons. Especially when it keeps happening.

I have a brutal commute right now. The Revive I-5 project has turned my mornings into a slog I can’t control. So what did I do? I started leaving an hour earlier. It’s not fun, but my bosses aren’t questioning my commitment, and my career isn’t taking a quiet hit because of something that was totally avoidable.

That’s the deal. Sometimes punctuality costs you something. Do it anyway.

But here’s the flip side, and this is the good part: Arriving early sends a completely different message.

Getting there early tells the people in charge that you’re eager, that you take this seriously, that you’re someone worth investing in. On the field, in the classroom, at work — it works every time.

So take it from my son, who already understands something a lot of adults don’t: Being on time is late. Get there early.

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