About 15 to 20 percent of Americans say they're consistently late to appointments and meetings. One mistake latecomers make: they underestimate the amount of time it takes to complete tasks.
Another problem: multitasking. People who don't like to waste time often want to squeeze in as many tasks as possible, but the result is usually running out of time.
Another problem: if you're more "type b," you might perceive time differently.
One study found type "A" people tended to estimate a minute had passed after 58 seconds, while type "B" people perceived a minute to be 77 seconds.
To break the cycle, make being prompt a priority.
Try a time-keeping app to help you schedule your day. You can also use an old-fashioned timer to keep you on track. Write down how long tasks should take and stick to your limits.
Instead of multi-tasking, you might want to try "cluster-tasking."
That's doing related tasks at the same time every day, such as checking email and making calls in one block of time.
These are a few ways to help you fix your late tendencies.