Usually I'm a pretty professional person. I know my professional etiquette and I actually love how polite I am. I know never to sign off professional emails with a kiss and if I'm meeting someone for an interview or otherwise, you can bet I'll have checked the route 5+ times on google maps, walking to the destination using street view just to avoid getting lost - AND writing out my route. But times? You can absolutely guarantee that being there on time - or being there at all - is my downfall.
9 times out of 10 I'm a 'leave it to the last minute' type of girl, much to my dismay. I love my sleep and I'll leave it till the last possible minute before I drag myself from my peaceful slumber and get ready. I'm hopeless with public transport so without a doubt I'll 'just miss' the earlier bus/train and end up getting the one that will get me there late or just in time. 9 times out of 10 though, I always manage to land on my feet and make it.
Most times it was because I'd get my times and dates mixed up too though. My Mum would insist I double check my ticket a million times both for the date and time. I would do, yet I would still end up somehow telling them the wrong departure time or, even in some cases, find that I'd booked the ticket for the wrong day completely! In the end my Mum insisted on checking all my tickets after that. Many, many, MANY times at university, whilst traveling to and fro Luton/Sunderland myself and my parents would embark on a typical ritual of almost missing the coach or train. Usually you'd see my parents rushing - almost running - to the station/platform with the train or coach due any second only to find me strolling along behind casually as if missing my train or coach didn't matter. (Usually it didn't. When I was at home I was so settled that I didn't want to go back to uni and do all that work and whilst at uni I didn't want to go home and not see my boyfriend at the time for months). But alas, I always made it. Once, I was late getting the train and it was only by sure coincidence that the train was late too and was only just pulling into the station as I was. If it had been on time I'd have missed it!
There was only once I actually missed the train and that was coming back from Newcastle to Luton. Deep down though I'm pretty sure I missed it on purpose though as I'd just gotten into a relationship and couldn't bear the thought of leaving my boyfriend for a few months when we were still very much in the honeymoon phrase. My Mum was livid. I just shrugged before we went and got a Burger King.
That's the only time I haven't fallen on my feet. Except now.
Quite possibly on the day of meeting someone for one of my most exciting projects yet, typical incompetent Louise rears her head yet again. Seriously, incompetent is practically my middle name for my family. I spent most of yesterday evening getting ready, double checking my meeting place and yes, downloading an MP3 tour guide of London Canal Museum, something I'd hoped to visit if I had time after the meeting (as it was nearby). I decided on my outfit and woke up this morning although not early, but with enough time to get ready with time to spare. And then I get a text. From the person I am supposed to be meeting. Telling me they are there waiting for me.
Wait, what?
I panic, wondering why he's there two hours early.
That's right. In my usual fashion, I got my meeting times mixed up. Somehow (I'm blaming the fact that when I skimmed his email I spotted the number 2 when he was talking about his next meeting) I thought we were meeting at 2:30 rather then 12:30. How unprofessional!
Luckily for me, my writing is just that good that people are willing to take another chance on me ;). No, but truthfully, it happens. Very luckily for me, he understood and re-arranged the meeting for Thursday instead whilst I sit here cursing myself for double checking every detail except the most important one.
The lesson to this post? If you are ever on the receiving end of someone being late or having to reschedule altogether due to something like this, understand! It does happen and it's such an easy mistake to make. It's never done on purpose. And always, always double check EVERY detail INCLUDING THE MEETING TIME.
In the meantime I'm going to get into the habit of updating my year planner with everything, even the non important stuff (what it makes me look busy) so I never make a mistake about this again. Oh and I'm also going to, in the wise words of Fall Out Boy, start 'setting my clocks early because I know I'm always late'!
Please note - if you are somehow a professional reading this having stumbled across this blog and you think my writing style is excellent yet tut and shake your head at seeing how incompetent I am - I'm not really, I promise you! I am hard working, confident, extra polite and will never, ever do something so silly again ;)
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