Hey there..

I never used to care about showing up early for anything...

Then my mother sat me down one day and said this to me:

Effy, life boils down to seconds and minutes. You waste time. You waste life. Take care of time and time will take care of your life.

Here's the thing...

Being late tells someone that your time is more important than theirs.

It tells them that your first priority is yourself.

And in any relationship..

That's usually not a smart message to put out.

Now...

Don't get me wrong.

I totally understand that certain people leverage time for negotiations and power...

I get that.

And it's a conversation we'll have another day.

For today I'm focused on the impact not showing up on time will have on...

Our ability to be consistent...

Our credibility...

And the overall ease with which we create opportunity.

Back when I was starting out in Lagos...

One of me first clients was a Mrs Omisore.

A delightful lady.

She needed someone who could help her get her business online but was wary of "web designers"...

They'd all given her a bad experience and in her words: WERE UNRELIABLE

She lived on the island.

I lived on the main land...

Typically 8 local governments between us..

I'd leave home by 7am to be sure to be at her home by 11am for our meeting.

I'd get there by 9:30am....

Sometimes 10am.

But typically I'd have about an hour of time left.

So I'd sit by under a tree nearby...

And read or catch up on a course or follow through on calls.

At exactly 11am...

I'd ring her bell.

That simple habit cemented our relationship.

She single handedly filled my client roaster as a result.

You never know what opportunities you miss by being late.

A chance encounter...

An exciting conversation or a new connection..

So much can happen when you arrive early and prepared.

It’s no accident that my most successful clients are the ones who show up early, prepared and ready to get the most out of their experience.

If you currently struggle with showing up on time...

Let's get one thing out of the way first...

Swap the idea that being early means you'll be wasting time....

Have a plan for the period between when you arrive and when you have the meeting...

Heck...

Have a plan for using the time you spend going to the meeting...

It's the reason why I don't drive.

I can drive...

But I find it more productive to pay someone else do that so I free myself to do what moves the needle for me...

And just in case you're wondering...

I was doing that long before I could afford an uber.

So...

Start by planning those in between times.

Second...get help.

I've had friends take the responsibility of making sure I get where I'm getting to or do what I have to do in order to show up on time...

Technology is also a big help here...

A simply notification a day before worked wonders for me.

Third...get realistic.

Nothing ever works perfectly.

Give yourself buffer time when traveling, no matter what Google Maps says.

And finally don't overcommit.

Don’t plan back-to-back meetings..

Give yourself extra time.

If you have an hour for a meeting...

Schedule it for 45 minutes.

That way even if you do go over time, you’re still ahead.

Tomorrow...

I'll share with you how I racked up N1.5billion in stupid debt and still managed to clear it within the same year simply because over time I'd developed a reputation for doing what I say.

Till then...

Get out of your own way.

CTM