tips to arrive early for classes and any other commitment

Why arrive early?

• Understand the benefits of ariving early: You will have happier clients, happier colleagues (who didn't lose business because of you), more repeat business, and healthier relationships. You will no longer be the victim, always looking for a reason why the circumstances around you are the reason for your irresponsibility. You will have more positive energy. You will have more valuable time for yourself because your time will be organized and under your control.
• Choose who you will be: Choose to be a responsible, professional person who will always arrive early for his or her commitmments, with a certain amount of extra time to spare. Earn people's trust and don't lose it. Immediately follow the behavioral steps for this to be true.

Best habits of people who always arrive early

• Nutrition, hydration, sleep and other necessities: Before your commitments, you should have already eaten, already hydrated yourself, you should be relaxed and rested (with sufficient sleep the night before), you should have already used the bathroom as needed, and you should be comfortable and full of positive energy to share with those around you. What you put in your body is fuel. This is a topic of its own, and a very valuable one. Examples:
  • Eat fresh, garden vegetables with vibrant colors every day (greens, reds, organges, reds, etc.). Think farmer's market.
  • Avoid salt, sugar, grease, street food, fried foods, excessive cheese, and sauces that are not natural and are not transparent.
  • Replace unhealthy oils (canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower, and palm oils) with small amounts of healthy oils (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil).
  • It is better to eat the entire fruit than to drink it as juice (think more fiber, less calories, and feeling full/satisfied more easily; fruit is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but can increase blood sugar levels because it contains natural sugars like fructose, which is converted to glucose by the body).
  • Drink sufficient water. A simple way to calculate your daily water need is to take half of your body weight in pounds and drink that many ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should aim for 75 ounces of water per day. If you exercise, especially for longer periods or in hot weather, you should increase your water intake.
  • Prepare food at home so you know what is in it.
  • Learn about circadian rhythm and why it is so important.
  • See a nutritionist to understand what is best for you. This will likely require blood tests to understand your nutritional status, overall health, and how your diet and lifestyle are affecting their body.
• Respect other people's time: See punctuality and arriving early as a sign of respect and take it seriously. Everyone's time is precious. It is the one thing in the world that we can never have more of.
• Keep a calm mindset: Arriving early allows you to relax, review details, and mentally prepare.
• If you aren't capable of arriving early, then don't commit: If there is a chance that you will not arrive early, then don't commit. If you aren't leaving enough space between commitments, then commit less. If you need to solve other things first, such as having a reliable solution for daycare for a child, then solve those issues before committing. It is not fair that you commit and then don't deliver what you committed to. Organize your life first before making commitments. Providing great service isn't an excuse for being late. "I am the best", so I am worth waiting for isn't a professional way of thinking.
• Plan ahead: Don't leave things to the last minute. Prepare clothes, documents, and essentials the night before.
• Allow extra time: Account for unexpected issues like traffic, weather, or parking and leave much earlier than necessary.
• Use alarms and reminders: Use alarms or apps to remind yourself when to leave, not just when to arrive.
• Know your routes: Check routes in advance and have alternative options ready in case of problems.
• Maintain a realistic schedule: Leave space between commitments to avoid rushing from place to place.
• Plan on arriving early, not on time: By arriving early, you will not be racing against the clock. You shouldn't be rushing through a door and telling people you will be with them in a moment and/or making and/or inventing excuses for your lack of discipline as to why this time was different. You should be early, relaxed and prepared so that you can calmly and happily begin your commitments.
• Plan how early you will arrive: For example, always arrive minimum 60 minutes early for your first commitment of the day. If you succeed in always arriving minimum 60 minutes early, you could consider changing that to minimum 30 minutes early. However, it is not recommended to arrive less than 30 minutes early for your first commitment of the day.
• Plan what you will do with the valuable time you will have when you arrive early: For example, to reward yourself for arriving early, have a seat, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, greet others, receive a hug, smell the flowers, enjoy a book you are looking forward to reading (that you packed because you knew you would arrive early), take some time to learn something new, listen to your favorite news source or program or listen to your favorite calm, relaxing music (using earbuds that you packed because you knew you would arrive early), etc.

Tips to start developing these habits

• Make a list the night before: Write down everything you need to bring or do.
• Adjust your internal clock: Tell yourself the commitment begins 60 minutes earlier than it actually does.
• Prepare a launch zone: Keep essentials (keys, wallet, phone, bag) and everything else you will need to leave in one place. And, have all food and hydration packed, even if all in a bag in the refrigerator.
• Use smart alarms: Set an alarm to remind you to leave, not just to wake up.
• Time yourself: Measure exactly how long it takes to get ready and travel.
• Leave in zen mode: Depart calmly to better handle surprises.
• Reward yourself: Give yourself small rewards for being consistently early.

7-day plan to build the habit and follow the behavioral steps for this to be true

Day 1: Basic organization

• Prepare clothes, bag, and essentials the night before.
• Create a checklist for faster morning preparation.

Day 2: Time estimation

• Time yourself traveling to a familiar place.
• Add 60 minutes extra to your usual travel time.

Day 3: Departure simulation

• Pick a mock departure time and practice leaving exactly then.
• Review what delayed or helped you.

Day 4: Smart alarm setup

• Set a 'Time to Leave' alarm 15 minutes before your actual departure time.
• Treat this alarm as non-negotiable.

Day 5: Make early arrival the goal

• Plan to arrive minimum 60 minutes early for your first commitment of the day.
• Use that extra time to relax or prepare.

Day 6: Reward your effort

• If you arrive early several times, treat yourself to something enjoyable.

Day 7: Reflect and adjust

• Analyze what worked best and what was hard.
• Fine-tune your routines based on your experience.

Extra tip

Think "I will leave at 7:00am to arrive no later than 8:00am and have at least 60 minutes of reward time for me before my first commitment of the day" instead of "I need to arrive by 9:00am". It's a mental shift that makes a big difference.