Are you one of those people who always arrives late or only just in time for your meetings?

Here are some tips to give you a better chance of getting there on time and arriving more composed.

Start with the end in mind – aim to arrive early then work backwards from when you need to be there. The longer or more complex the journey, the more time you should allow. 5-10 minutes of travel time for every hour is a good rule of thumb.

Know where you’re going – sounds obvious but all too often people rely on their SatNavs without actually looking at where they’re going and then end up in the wrong place.  Google Streetview can give you a kerbside view of where you’re going.  Very useful for a visual check of buildings, street layout and landscape.

Leave 5-10 minutes before you need to – not only does it always take a few minutes to get your things together before you actually set off but there’s always one more thing you decide to squeeze in to those few minutes before you leave.

Allow for traffic – journeys can take longer than expected in peak rush hour time.  Also, allow for getting to and from your final destination – the walk from the car park, bus stop, tube or train station.

Better to arrive early – calm and collected with the chance to catch up on a few things than to arrive late.

Apply the same principles even if you don’t have far to go or the meeting is on the same floor – inevitably it’s usually the people who live or work closest who arrive late.