If you’re one of those people who is always running late, then you’re definitely not alone… And while it’s inevitable that we all fall behind schedule on occasion, chronic lateness – where you literally can’t seem to get your act together – is definitely a habit worth trying to break.
After all, you constantly run the risk of annoying those around you – seriously, nobody has the time to be kept waiting.
So, what to do if you’re ready to let go of your late ways? Well, according to one expert, the first step is to identify what kind of chronically late person you are…
And it turns out there are four distinct types who are more prone to being late, according to Australian scientist Dr Kruszelnicki.
Speaking on the TODAY Extra programme last week, Dr Kruszelnicki said: ‘If you work out what sort of personality you fit into, you can then try to juggle things against that.’
Here are the four personality types Dr Kruszelnicki identified:
Type 1: The Perfectionist
The Perfectionist is you if you can’t bear to leave to leave things unless everything is, well, perfect. Citing the example of someone who can’t get out of the door in the morning without unstacking the dishwasher, Dr Kruszelnicki explains that you struggle to see the bigger picture.
Type 2: The Crisis Maker
Dr Kruszelnicki describes The Crisis Maker as the polar opposite of The Perfectionist. This is you if you’re a procrastinator who’s always letting things pile up and can’t get started on something until just before the deadline.
‘They think they will only perform well if there is stress on them,’ he said, ‘They love the adrenaline rush. if it wasn’t for the last minute, nothing would ever get done.’
Type 3: The Dreamer
The Dreamer is probably the one type that most of us would identify with… You just always manage to underestimate how much time you have left to get things done.
‘[The Dreamer] is a denialist, who thinks, “Oh this is easy, in my hotel room, I can have a shower, pack, get down the lobby, check out and be in a taxi in three minutes”,’ says Dr Kruszelnicki.
Yep, that sounds familiar.
Type 4: The Defier
And, finally, there’s the type Dr Kruszelnicki calls The Defier – this is you if you’re always a running late on purpose. The Defier feels the need to stand up against the broad authority of existing social constructs, apparently.
‘They’re late deliberately,’ he says. ‘[They think], “You won’t want me to be on time, no I won’t”.’
