The Right Ways to Use Credit Cards this Christmas

A lot of consumers fall in to deep credit card debt right after Christmas. No one can really blame them because indeed, it is easy to lose control in the midst of the crazy holiday's shopping. However, being stuck in debt is a credit card blunder that can cause financial ruin if not rectified early on. But consumers don't have to end this way if they know how to handle their Christmas shopping. Using the right ways to use credit cards this Christmas, consumers can have a wonderful time without the debt.

Shopping at Sales

One way to save money during shopping is by buying items at a discount. During Christmas season, sales and discounts are plenty and this is the right time to buy all the gifts they'll going to give. Sales can be found in the malls, garage sales, thrift shops, and even online.

Setting a Budget

If there is one thing that should be clear during Christmas shopping that is the budget.People must determine early on how much will they be willing to spend on each present. This may depend on the kind of presents they have in mind. Some may come cheap and some expensive. But regardless, people must list everyone that needs gifting and they should write the amount of the corresponding gift.

During shopping, they must stick to their budget and avoid charging unnecessary things. This will cause impulse buying and they would end up regretting this shopping crime later on. By sticking to the list people don't lose the discipline and will to keep away from debt.

Redeeming Points

If a consumer has diligently earned points throughout the year, Christmas would be a good time to redeem them. This can tremendously help in saving for Christmas presents because the rewards may give gift certificates or discounted shopping at select stores. Gift certificates can mean free shopping. In this case no credit cards will be involved thereby saving a consumer from debt. In some cases, prizes can be in forms of items. The consumer has a choice to whether gift the item or save it for himself. Either way, he won't have to use his credit cards to buy gifts.

After the holidays, even if a consumer managed to escape the troubles of deep debt, he would still accumulate some debt from his other charges. The best way to get out of this fast is by paying on time and in bigger amounts. This shall finish off the debt in a short span of time.

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Sean Teahan co-founder of Cash Doctors,Australia's preferred short term lender, shares his insights on money matters. Founded in 2005 Cash Doctors has helped thousands of Australians with their fast cash loans but that's just the short term solution. Cash Doctors also help people in the long run by providing budgeting tools, e-books and individually researched articles on money matters and financial tips. The aim is to assist people in achieving instant and long term financial freedom.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/credit-articles/the-right-ways-to-use-credit-cards-this-christmas-3697302.html

11 Easy Ways to Lose Weight in 2 Weeks

By Jason Oh -

Looking for easy ways to lose weight and in 2 weeks? Below are 11 surefire ways you can do now to lose your weight now-


1. Beware scale obsession - weight should come off slowly - a half pound to one pound a week - as a result of cutting junk calories while fueling your body properly for the next workout and recovery. Think of your body as a high performance engine - raise the octane of the fuel you use and stop filling when the tank is full.

2. To lose weight in 2 weeks, you have to cut down on the junk foods (not completely), stop eating out and drink less sugary drinks, including the diet kinds.

3. Eat more fresh wholesome foods and whole grain products. It's simply the best and loaded with the essential fiber to keep you satisfied longer. The simple rule is, try to get in 2 serves of fruits and 5 serves of veggies a day.

4. Make it a point each day to include a good habit like drinking one less can of coke or eating one more serve of fruit.


5. Eat 6 healthy mini meals a day to keep your stomach satisfied. The key here is eat in controlled portions and never go for that second serve or a super size meal. Stick to the 1 plate rule to keep your calorie intake at bay.

6. Even 'bad foods' can be good, in 'moderation'. The keys are portion size and cooking method. Juicy, tender cuts of steak are fatty, but are fine to eat if you trim the lard before cooking, or grill it so excess fat can drip away. As for easy guideline on portions, always eat less steak than you would chicken.

7. No matter what you've eaten, take note of how your body feels after a meal, rather than how you think you should feel. If you're still hungry later in the day, treat yourself to a piece of sweet in season fruit rather than a sugar filled snack or dessert. Then go ahead and pat yourself on the back.


8. Food is not the enemy. Food powers your brain and your muscles; without it, you'll lose your energy soon. If you missed a midday meal, eat a piece of fresh fruit or a handful of whole wheat crackers before you head for the gym.


9. How many of us slip chips and chocolate into our trolley for emergencies? It's vital to stop buying junk if you want to stop eating junk! Be strong and avoid purchasing extra snacks. You'll notice that both your grocery bill and snacking habits will start decreasing. If the foods aren't there, you can't eat them!

10. Your favorite exercise - only better - daily walker? Seasoned swimmer? You get kudos for your commitment, but you maybe short changing yourself. As you become more accustomed to your favorite activity, you burn fewer calories. This doesn't mean you have to ditch your go to exercise - just mix it up. As your fitness improves, increase the intensity levels to challenge your body (but train with in your limits). Look at jogging 100 yards followed by another hundred yards of walking, rinse and repeat. It's a great way to jolt the body's metabolism.

Alternatively, look at a combination of interval training and strength training like Turbulence Training to get the maximum output from your body - And when combined with good nutrition, it is one of the easy ways to lose weight with.

Ladies, strength training is good for you too - you will not bulk up and with muscles, you will burn more calories.


11. Use your lunch break wisely - spend half your lunch break walking. Taking a midday walk or a run can boost your energy, and reduce stress. Best yet, it gives you more time after work with family or friends.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/11-easy-ways-to-lose-weight-in-2-weeks-490991.html

Why Do People Start Smoking?

By Aaron Gregory -

There is no other way to say it; smoking is extremely dangerous to health. Although a word of warning is written in each pack of cigarettes, its effect and value to smokers suffered defeat. If only smokers would take a look at the chemicals contained in a cigarette, there are many more toxic ingredients that they don't really know about. These are chemicals known to cause lung cancer and other cancers, along with a range of other life threatening diseases.

Well there are quite a few different reasons that folk go ahead with smoking first cig, which is obviously what gets them started in the first place. When kids are at school they are really inclined to fall for peer pressure because if some other person is doing it, they want to feel cool and slot in and don't want to be picked on.

This is the age in fact where the bulk of people start smoking because this is the first time that they try it, and even if they try smoking first cigarette and feel sick for example and then don't try it again for a while, they are still rather more likely than others to start over for good in the future.

Are Smokers Still Thought Of As Cool?

Another reason that many folks start smoking first cigarette is due to the image that it portrays. A lot of people feel extraordinarily dignified and sophisticated when they're holding a cigarette, while others feel that it gives them that bad boy look and though they are going to be more attractive to girls.

In fact, in studies that have been done, it shows that very few people are actually drawn to the image of somebody smoking and so smoking first cigarette would really not make sense here, unless you go back to the time of the 1950s as an example where it seemed as though pretty much everyone smoked and it was actually the cool thing to do.

Why You should Not Start Smoking - And Why It Is Not Ever too Late To Kick The Smoking Habit

Of course there are tons of different reasons as to the reasons why a person could start smoking, but there are even more as to the reasons why you should stop smoking. Smoke odor is another reason (that's not health related) to quit smoking. When you stop smoking, you'll stop permeating your hair, mouth, clothes, house, and car with the smell of cigarette smoke. There are lots of different ways to stop smoking: Stop smoking hypnosis, wearing a nicotine patch, or blowing through water vapor cigarettes. Which stop smoking method is right for you depends on a variety of factors including your personality and how often you smoke. Which method will make it easiest for you to stop smoking is hard to say - it depends on you, your health, and how often you currently smoke. Generally speaking, the less frequently you smoke, the easier it will be for you to stop smoking all together.

Some people find that gradually lessening the number of cigarettes they smoke each day is an effective approach to quit. However, this strategy does not work for everyone, having to adapt a personal plan to fit your specific needs and requirements can be a big help. A good method to start is thinking about why you want to quit and then writing down all your reasons and options. Stopping smoking requires understanding of your choices and preparation for quitting as it will be more convenient for you to manage quitting, even probably after many unsuccessful attempts.

It is a fact that numerous smokers wish that they didn't started to smoke and that they could give up tomorrow. When quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest. So don't give up. Willpower, determination and mindset are the most important aspects when giving up smoking. Take your life back! Deciding to stop smoking must be abrupt and not gradual as some people suggest. Staying smoke free will provide you an entire new perspective of everything, more energy, better appearance, more money in the pocket, and of course, more life to live.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/why-do-people-start-smoking-3682179.html

How To Get Your Kids To Organize Their Bedroom

By Marilyn Bohn -

I was not a perfect child by any stretch of the imagination. But one thing I don't remember is my mother having to nag me to organize my room and get rid of clutter. Maybe I just have selective memory.

Now my brother on the other hand is a different story. He was very popular at school. He was into all kinds of sports and student government. But at home he was, how do I put this nicely? He was messy. If there was anyone who needed to get rid of clutter it was him. He didn't leave things around the house but his room was awful and he didn't want to clean it.My mother used to worry that he would be hurt on the football field and the medical people would have to carry him home on a stretcher to his room and she would be mortified that it was so awful.

As an organizing expert I see firsthand the problems between parents and children as they fight over keeping their rooms organized and they insist they have to get rid of clutter. Many times the kids can't see any clutter in their rooms as we as adults do.

It is ineffective to say to a child go and clean your room and get rid of clutter and organize it. Have you tried it? Has it worked? Probably not, not even with older children does that technique work. Here are 8 sensible ideas on how to get your kids to organize their bedroom.

1. Teach the child, no matter the age, what it means to have an organized, clutter free room. Walk around their bedroom with them and look in the drawers, in the closet and under the bed and talk to them about what you expect the room to look like when it is organized. Listen to them about what they think an organized room should look like. Come to an understanding so when you need to tell them to clean or organize their room they will know what it needs to look like when they are done.

For a young child it is never effective to say clean your room. They need specific instructions such as: put your dirty clothes in the hamper, put the books on the book shelf, hang up the clothes on the floor in your closet, and put your toys away. Children can't remember more than one or two instructions at a time and many adults can't either. So the child may need to be given one task to do and then come back to you for another task to do. For older children have them write it down and have them check it off after it is done.

2. Make it easy for a child to stay organized and get rid of clutter. Provide a waste paper basket in their room for trash. They will be responsible to empty it once a week or when it is full, whichever comes first.

3. For small children have plenty of child friendly containers to separate their toys into. Label the container with a picture or words to help them remember what toy goes where. Get their input as to which bin they want to use for which toy. When you get their opinions they are more likely to cooperate and have a feeling of ownership for things that are theirs. Also it is a great time to teach how to organize and get rid of clutter.

4. Have containers, drawers and closet rods at the child's level so they can use them.

5. Don't cram their closet with clothes they can't wear. In their closet and drawers only keep clothes they can wear. Seasonal clothes should be removed and placed in bins that are labeled and put on top of their closet or in some other room. If you are saving their clothes for another child label the bin with the size of the clothes.

6. Teach children the joy of giving by giving them the opportunity to clean up toys they no longer play with and take them to a local shelter.

7. Put a bookcase in their room for books and teach them how to take care of books. You could keep one shelf free for small toys they use often.

8. Teach children to make their bed every day. When their bed is made their room looks neater and it will encourage them to get rid of clutter and keep their room neat and tidy.Kids can be expected to keep their rooms free of clutter and adults can teach them and encourage them to do so by example and providing them the tools they need.

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Marilyn Bohn is the owner of Get it Together Organizing, a business dedicated to developing practical organizing solutions that help individuals and business professionals live clutter-free and productive lives. She is the author of "Go Organize! Conquer Clutter in Three Simple Steps" and is an experienced, enthusiastic public speaker, a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and the author of hundreds of articles covering various organizing topics.

Marilyn takes the often stressful subject of organizing and breaks it down into a simple, easy to understand system. Her methods are both eye-opening and encouraging! She has a passion for helping others reach their personal goals and living a better, clutter-free life!

Marilyn also offers personal, private consulting to assist in organizing. She invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com for easy organizing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/how-to-get-your-kids-to-organize-their-bedroom-3698333.html

Constructive Criticism - How to Give and Receive It

By FerragusLapointe -

We all dream of success in life but unfortunately not everyone can succeed. This is a saying... "Only the fittest will survive". Well, this saying was not just thrown up without a reason. There is a reason behind this statement. But perhaps you are asking... who is the "fittest"?

Well, we all know that life always tosses up a few challenges for all of us every now and then. It doesn't matter what you do, you are going to face many challenges in life. Only those who have the courage to face and break through the challenges will come out as a victor. That is why there is a term like... Only the fittest will survive.

You will receive countless criticisms along the way; some good some bad. What you have to understand about criticisms is that, despite the harshness of words, they were spoken in truth and so it is up to you how to digest it.

Successful people are able to take criticisms and transform them into advantages for them. It is not going to be easy to face the wrath of criticism from others, but if you can take them in your strides, you would become a better each time when you swallow a criticism and devour its full essence.

Different people take criticisms differently. Some grow even stronger with criticisms while others just fall flat. If you want to survive, learn how to take criticisms lightly, no matter how harsh they are. If you are able to do that, you are actually going to benefit from them.

Of course, learning how to accept criticisms lightly is crucial to your success, however, on the other hand, you must also learn how to give constructive criticism.

How to Give Constructive Criticism?

Constructive criticisms should be utilized to transform you; but there are some guidelines that critics should consider before voicing out their own opinions. Follow the following guidelines when giving criticism to others:

1. Do not criticize the person as a person, focus on criticizing hir or her behaviour instead.

2. Focus your criticism on the present situation. Don't bring up the past. Let bygone be bygone and focus on making thing better for the future.

3. Before throwing out your punches or criticisms, try to understand first why you are offering such criticism. What are your bases?

4. Before speaking, take a quick role reversal in your head and deal with the criticism as if you are the one receiving it.


5. Always remember that while you give criticism, you must be prepared to receive it too. If you can't, then you should not criticize others!

6. Before you give criticism, always throw up a few positive aspects of the person first, this can really help take away some of the bitterness.

7. Use the word "I", to emphasize to the person that it is your own opinion.

8. Encourage a two-way dialogue. Don't just firing out all your criticisms at once, ask questions and encourage them to share with you their feelings and opinions. This is the secret to giving constructive criticisms.

If you follow the above guidelines when criticizing others, people will sense that you are actually giving them positive feedbacks and they will appreciate it because they know that you want them to be better.


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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/constructive-criticism-how-to-give-and-receive-it-3697175.html

How Do I Calculate Finance Charges?

By Peter Kenny -

Having some knowledge of how to calculate finance charges is always a good thing. Most lenders, as you know, will do this for you, but it can helpful to be able to check the math yourself. It is important, however, to understand that what is presented here is a basic procedure for calculating finance charges and your lender may be using a more complicated method. There may also be other issues attached with your loan which may affect the charges.

The first thing to understand is that there are two basic parts to a loan. The first issue is called the principal. This is the amount of money that is borrowed. The lender wants to make a profit for his services (lending you the money) and this is called interest. There are many types of interest from simple to variable. This article will examine simple interest calculations.

In simple interest deals, the amount of the interest (expressed as a percentage) does not change over the life of the loan. This is often called flat rate or fixed interest.

The simple interest formula is as follows:

Interest = Principal × Rate × Time

Interest is the total amount of interest paid.

Principal is the amount lent or borrowed.

Rate is the percentage of the principal charged as interest each year.

To do your math, the rate must be expressed as a decimal, so percentages must be divided by 100. For example, if the rate is 18%, then use 18/100 or 0.18 in the formula.

Time is the time in years of the loan.

The simple interest formula is often abbreviated:

I = P R T

Simple interest math problems can be used for borrowing or for lending. The same formulas are used in both cases.

When money is borrowed, the total amount to be paid back equals the principal borrowed plus the interest charge:

Total repayments = principal + interest

Usually the money is paid back in regular installments, either monthly or weekly. To calculate the regular payment amount, you divide the total amount to be repaid by the number of months (or weeks) of the loan.

To convert the loan period, 'T', from years to months, you multiply it by 12. To convert 'T' to weeks, you multiply by 52, since there are 52 weeks in a year.

Here is an example problem to illustrate how this works.

Example:

A single mother purchases a used car by obtaining a simple interest loan. The car costs $1500, and the interest rate that she is being charged on the loan is 12%. The car loan is to be paid back in weekly installments over a period of 2 years. Here is how you answer these questions:

1. What is the amount of interest paid over the 2 years?

2. What is the total amount to be paid back?

3. What is the weekly payment amount?

You were given: principal: 'P' = $1500, interest rate: 'R' = 12% = 0.12, repayment time: 'T' = 2 years.

Step 1: Find the amount of interest paid.

Interest: 'I' = PRT

= 1500 × 0.12 × 2

= $360

Step 2: Find the total amount to be paid back.

Total repayments = principal + interest

= $1500 + $360

= $1860


Step 3: Calculate the weekly payment amount.

Weekly payment amount = total repayments divided by loan period, T, in weeks. In this case, $1860 divided by 104 weeks equals $17.88 per week.

Calculating simple finance charges is easy once you have done some practice with the formulas.

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Peter Kenny is a writer for The Thrifty Scot, please visit us at Unsecured Loans and Bank Charges.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/how-do-i-calculate-finance-charges-218237.html

To Prevent Snoring Try These 3 Simple Tips

By Jon Cielo -

Sleep snoring has been the cause of breakups as well as bad health problems. So you need to take it seriously, it isn't funny, neither for the snorer nor the sleeping partner. To reduce the risk to your health and your relationship you really do need to prevent your snoring. Here you'll discover 3 simple ways to stop snoring at night.

All around the world people struggle trying to cure their snore. On the other hand, some just soldier on unaware that it is a serious problem. But, you know, there's no need to suffer like that. There are many ways to prevent snoring, including home remedies and anti snoring aids. And you don't have to look far to find stop snoring aids that can help. You can get these at the pharmacy or even online.

But there are things you can do even before you go that route. Some simple changes in your routine could help to prevent snoring at night. Here are 3 simple tips to prevent snoring:-

1. Sleep on Your Side

Since snoring is more common in 'back sleepers' it makes sense to try to change to your side. Of course it's hard to do this without help, so you can attach a simple tennis ball to the back of your pajamas to force you onto your side whenever you turn onto your back whilst asleep. You can also buy such aids.


2. No Meals Before Bed

When you have a full stomach the undigested food puts a whole lot of pressure on your diaphragm which helps to restrict your air passageways. This can help to cause snoring. And as it takes several hours to digest food, your last meal should be at least 3 to 3 1/2 hours before bed. The longer the better.

3. No Alcohol Before Bed Either

This is a well-known trigger for snoring as alcohol eventually acts as a depressant. When asleep, under it's influence, your muscles in and around your throat relax even more so that the soft tissue in your airways can move into them, constricting them enough to cause snoring. So, no alcohol within say, 4 hours of going to bed.

There are tons of other things you can do to prevent snoring such as special exercises, herbal remedies, plus, as I said at the start, there are special anti snoring aids like snore pillows, snoring mouthpieces, chin straps, nasal strips, etc. As a last resort of course you have surgery, but this really is just a last resort.


To discover more about how to prevent snoring please now go to www.howtostopsnoringatnight.info and get the facts.
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/to-prevent-snoring-try-these-3-simple-tips-3689981.html

2 Highly Effective Financial Abundance Principles

By Matt Zavadil -

The average person never receives a proper financial education when it comes to succeeding with personal finance. Understanding that, how in the world will you find success when it comes to your own financial abundance when you've never been taught all the correct financial principles?

Whenever you see someone struggling to keep their personal finances together, it's because they haven't followed the steps that lead to success. Don't feel bad if this has just described you and your life to this point. You can turn all this around by simply following the next couple of keys that lead to prosperity. It really isn't all that hard. It just takes a little dedication to your future happiness.

The very first strategy you must understand is the importance of paying yourself first. Don't you always find a way to get your rent or mortgage paid each month? You put food on the table and make sure your kids have clothes to wear, right? But you don't pay yourself first. You must start doing this. Don't make the mistake of counting on your job or the government to help you retire. In this new day and age, most of us are on our own.

So, pay yourself first. Every single month, set aside a part of your income toward your future. Don't use the excuse that you have nothing left to work with. You don't tell your mortgage company this excuse, so why are you telling your future self this?

If things are really tight at the moment, there are companies that will allow you to start investing into an IRA for as little as $25 a month. If things are so tight that even $25 is too much, then you have some serious life choices ahead of you, such as discovering ways to increase your income stream.

You'll also want to put a little away into an emergency account so you can eventually lay off the credit cards. Which leads into the second personal finance rule. Right away, make sure you make getting out of debt a huge priority for yourself. Debt is financial cancer. There's no other way to say it. You must make it a priority to pay off all debts and then stay out of debt.

If you want financial abundance, you need to change your mindset when it comes to debt. Our society has become one that accepts debt without question. This must change for you and fast. It's not all right to go buy that big screen TV on credit just because you don't have the discipline to save for it first.

Think of debt as the way that you rob your future self of life, liberty and happiness. Yes, it's that important. Unless you want to never retire, work until your dying day and become a bitter person looking back, develop a plan to get out of debt today.

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Matt Zavadil: Take the two keys to financial success you've just learned and make getting out of debt your top priority at this time in your life. Once you finally get out of debt, then use those old payments to pay yourself first and fund your retirement.

(ArticlesBase SC #3319847)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - 2 Highly Effective Financial Abundance Principles

What Causes A Panic Attack To Occur?

By Elizabeth Hayes -

A panic attack is an intense feeling of foreboding and dread that lasts from a few minutes up to an hour. Typically sufferers can feel confused, fearful and tense, as well as physical symptoms of choking, shortness of breath or dizziness.

Panic attacks have been shown to be hereditary, but there is no significant evidence to show that this is due to genetics. The onset of a panic disorder can occur at any age and to anyone, but it is most likely to develop in women with above average intelligence.

Those who suffer from panic attacks are more likely to have had parents who have expressed a heavily cautious view of the external world. This can lead to physiological problems for the child.

There are also biological triggers – other conditions can leave sufferers more prone to anxiety attacks, most notably post traumatic stress disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. Even periodic depletion of vitamin B caused by a tapeworm infestation can cause a person to begin experiencing panic attacks.

Some people suffer from these attacks directly associated with exposure to an object or situation they gravely fear. This can be a phobia, but others can suffer from a "situation bound panic attack" – when a person has experienced a panic attack in a certain situation when presented with the same situation again the sufferer can be more likely to experience a similar attack.

These situations for example could include being in a stressful educational environment, a relatively normal work environment where the sufferer needs to appear normal or perform their duties well, or in the case of the military, extreme stress can occur when it comes to re-deployment into the field.

Recent studies point to a lack of assertiveness in panic attack sufferers – their interactions with other people tend be polite, respectful and passive. Whilst this is not a problem in itself, it does pose the possibility of the person feeling unable to voice their views, and therefore a feeling of unimportance and isolation.

A panic attack sufferer can also begin to avoid situations where they fear a panic attack is a possibility, exacerbating the problem of isolation and un-assertive behavior.

Panic attacks can also be brought on by medication such as Ritalin. Usually this is a temporary effect. When a person addicted to alcohol or drugs begins to come off their drug they may experience strong withdrawal effects, which can include panic attacks and anxiety.

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Elizabeth Hayes : If you would like to read my article "Symptoms Of A Panic Attack" then click here; http://www.panicreliefsolutions.com/.  And for more information on panic attacks and anxiety disorders, visit my website at http://www.panicreliefsolutions.com?.


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The Real Reasons Why People Are Always Late

By Gian Fiero

I know them. You know them too: People who are always late. It seems like no matter what the situation or event, they just can't seem to be on time. Some use a litany of excuses to justify their chronic tardiness, but the worse offenders are not only comfortable with being consistently late, but expect you to be accepting of their impunctuality as well.

Not only is their behavior selfish, it's also disrespectful.

People who are always late rob us of the most precious and valuable commodity that we own: our time. The time you spend waiting for someone to arrive is time that can be better spent doing a myriad of things; productive things in fact. When you are sitting idle it's because your time is being viewed as less valuable than the time of the person you are waiting for. After all, you are going to be honored with their company, so waiting is a small price (and inconvenience) to pay for such an enormous pleasure, right?

The truth of the matter is, no one - no matter how punctual - is always punctual. This is due to circumstances that can not be controlled such as a massive car pile-up on the freeway, being held hostage during a bank robbery, being stuck on an electric light rail vehicle while commuting during a power outage. Tardiness does happen rarely, not occasionally, to the most punctual of people.

When punctual people are tardy, they have reasons for why they are late; not excuses for why they are never on time. There's a difference. The person who is always late can realistically attribute their irritating impunctuality to one of several causes:

1.) Arriving anywhere on time requires preparation (the process of actually leaving point A), departure (from point A), and travel time, (from point A to point B). It's all geared toward a timely arrival at point B.

The vast majority of people who suffer from chronic tardiness arrive at their destinations late because they fail to properly plan (which also means taking driving /commuting conditions under consideration when estimating travel time), which delays their time of departure; thus making them late.

Not being properly prepared, or experiencing a disruption in the preparation process, results in tardiness as well. Though planning is the solution for many, it gets up-ended when people lack organizational skills.

Just the process of getting ready-to-go requires organization. (People with small children should take heed.) It should be done the night before. Selecting wardrobe and items needed for the following day puts you closer to departure when you wake-up. Failure to do so prolongs the preparation process, and can delay your departure. The end result? You are late - despite driving excessively fast in an attempt to make up for time lost during travel time.

2.) Then there's tardy offender number two. The worst kind. They just don't give a damn about being on time. Many (narcissistic) people like how it feels to have others anxiously awaiting their arrival. It makes them feel special, and in fact, empowered. Some even believe (though most won't admit) that the party (or whatever it is) doesn't start until they arrive.

When others are waiting on them it feeds their ego (or arrogance). This is why many celebrities like to arrive "fashionably late." It's proof positive (for them) that they operate under different guidelines and are not held to the same social standards; therefore, they don't have to extend the same social courtesy.

Ironically, the worst offenders (even celebrities) can, and frequently do, show up to certain appointments on time such as court hearings or airplane flights when required. This suggests that punctuality and priority go hand-in-hand.

Curing the impunctuality of the worst offender is obviously a more daunting task. The thing to remember about people who are always late is that they are well aware of their problem; and their problem is not for you to solve.

What do you do when you find yourself in the undesirable position of repeatedly waiting for someone? Leave. That's right. Set a grace period of say 7-15 minutes, and go back home, to work, or wherever you need to go.

Once you've made it clear that you value your own time - and will not have it wasted - you can restore the balance of respect in your relationship with your impunctual friend, and hopefully, send a clear and loud signal to them that always being late is not cool, and it's not acceptable.

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Gian Fiero is a seasoned educator, speaker, and consultant. His clientele spans multiple industries and professional genres. He has also taught at the high school and college levels, and is recognized as a growth expert in his field. Gian has been helping minds and businesses grow for over 20 years.



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