I had my first meaningful lesson in punctuality as a college football player. During our summer practices, we had meeting beginning at 8:00pm. At the time, I never considered punctuality or myself as a punctual person. However, I was never late to anything I cared about and valued my sport and craft. I remember walking into the meeting and the room was already filled teammates and coaches. Our head coach stood in the front of the room and began to chastise me and several other players who walked in with me. He scolded that I was late, didn’t have respect for the team, and demanded we leave the meeting. As I was being scolded, I remember looking at my watch and it read 8:01pm. I was confused, embarrassed, and a bit upset… I had never been kicked out of a place before… especially a place I really wanted to be.
As I exited the room, I declared that would never happen again. It also dawned on me… if I really wanted to be there, I would have been there at 7:45… not 8:00 or 8:01. That evening, I learned what punctuality really meant. It means respect, drive, and “want to”. RESPECT for your time, their time, and the vision at hand. DRIVE to show up and go after the vision and your goals. And finally, “Want To”; showing up early means you want to be there, ready to work, and focused to win the moment. From that scolding on, I arrive at least 15 minutes early to anywhere I need to be.
What does punctuality mean to you? Who taught you a tough lesson related to time and respect? I want to hear your thoughts. Share with me at www.facebook.com/menevolvingnow or www.twitter.com/dremenandwomen . Happy EVOLVING!!!
written by: Andre Young
