From the desk of Dr. Moshe Zloof: Advice of the week-- June 17, 009

The Anatomy of Tardiness

or the advantage of being on time

by

Dr. Moshe Zloof

Common perception is that it’s difficult to change one’s habits, particularly the tendency to persistent tardiness. The purpose of this week's advice is to chart the damage this pattern incurs on the mind and body, including the loss of precious time that can be used more productively.

The brain has two major centers, 1) the cognitive center (located at the prefrontal lobe), where we think, interpret,&nbs p;and make decisions, and 2) the emotional centers (located at the center of the brain) inducing fear, worry, anger, happiness and sadness. Both centers consume considerable amount of energy through blood flow to their corresponding locations.

When you are late to important events such as interviews, business meetings, court proceedings, or catching a flight, your fear and worry centers become overactive, depleting the flow in the Cognitive Centers by consuming extra amounts of blood flow (energy). This is why you lose focus and concentration. So instead of focusing on what you are going to say in your presentation after your landing, you are now worried and fearful about the consequences of missing the flight.
Even if you succeed to arrive on time, you have already wasted energy fretting about it instead of using the time creatively and productively to think about the issues at hand. Furthermore, this experience will continue to draw on your energy during the rest of the day, rendering you anxious and exhausted by the end of the day.

Frequent fear and worry result in a perpetual state of unrest and stress, which in the long run affect the Amygdale (center of fear), the adrenal gland, the heart, and making one prone to a number of physical infirmities.

Advice

If you have new motivation to correct the habit of tardiness, start slowly by giving yourself just 10-15 minutes more time than your normal schedule. As you realize the positive effect it is having on you, such as being less nervous and being able to use your time more productively, your system will eventually reprogram this habit into a more positive one.