The clock in my study runs five minutes ahead. My partner and I set it this way in the hopes of constantly being five minutes early, which is exactly what happened the other day.

This happens to be a tradition in both of our families. When I grew up, the clock in my family’s living room was also five minutes ahead. It was the same for my partner.

Upon our latest visit to Hong Kong, we needed to visit the government office. It was scheduled to open at 8am. They opened the doors at 7:45am. 

Being early is the easiest way to signal reliability, capability, and competence. It’s necessary, not sufficient.

One of my high school teachers said it best, “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.”

Being a few minutes late, especially if you can give a heads up or judge that it’s excusable, is still much better than not showing up at all. Don’t let a minor imperfection stop you from participating.