user: In one sentence, describe what the following article is about:

If you have a chronic problem with punctuality, you might be prone to making a lot of excuses. Some of them might be valid, like if you're late to a meeting because you had a flat tire, or a winter storm stalled traffic for an hour. But if it seems like you're constantly trying to explain away your tardiness, it's time to own up to your problem. As with any problem, you cannot fix it if you're in denial that it's a problem at all.  If you're not sure whether your issue is chronic, ask your friends and family to tell you honestly whether they consider you a punctual person. If punctuality is truly an issue for you, you won't have been able to hide it from them. Check to see if your tardiness is the result of passive aggression. Being late can be a form of resentment at having to be a certain place to do a certain thing. If you think this is the case, try to change your events around, or otherwise practice accepting that which you can't change.  Don't be too hard on yourself if you have trouble being punctual, though. According to a study conducted in San Francisco, 20 percent of the US population has the same issue. You probably really want to be on time, and when you're late, you feel genuinely sorry for inconveniencing others. But if you're late again and again, people will feel that your behavior is inconsiderate. Being late puts other people in the position of having to wait for you. It's seen as a statement that you value your time more than you value theirs, even if you really don't feel that way.  Think of how you feel when someone else is the one who's late for a meeting. Do you appreciate having to sit alone in a restaurant while you wait for your friend to show up half an hour late? Be kind to people that are late while also telling them how you feel. Eventually, being late all the time will erode people's faith in your reliability, creating a negative impression that could eventually extend to matters other than punctuality. Do you feel a little buzzed when you're rushing to beat the clock? It's like a game, and if you can get there before the timer runs out, you win. However, this exhilarating habit can have bad consequences when you lose your gamble with time too often. If you like the rush of adrenaline you feel when you're down to the wire, stop putting your appointments on the line and try to get it some other way, like by playing timed computer games, taking up track and field sports, or — if you really like the rush — parachuting from a plane. It doesn't seem as meaningful as honesty or integrity, but punctuality is intimately tied to these important values. When you say you're going to be somewhere at a certain time, and you don't show up, what does that say about you? When it happens over and over, might it affect others' impression of your integrity, or cause them to think twice about what you say? Try to take punctuality as seriously as you take other values you strive to uphold. If you care more about being punctual, you'll start being more punctual.  Examine the areas in which you're more likely to be flippant about punctuality. If there are certain people you don't bother meeting on time, or a certain class you always come to 15 minutes late, it's possible that the people and the class just aren't that important to you. Try to spend your time doing things you care about doing, and do them with intention. Show up on time and be all in. When you care about what you're doing, and you're living with integrity, it feels right to get there on time. After a few weeks of rearranging your habits and thought patterns so you can be more punctual, it won't feel as difficult — and you'll start reaping the rewards of being the sort of person who's never late. Here are a few examples of the benefits you'll experience:  You'll be much less stressed out on a daily basis, and you won't have to make excuses and apologize all the time. You'll probably experience a professional boost, since you'll no longer be late for work. Your personal life will be uplifted as people begin to see you as a reliable person and trust you more. Being habitually punctual tends to have the effect of actually allowing you to be late from time to time, since people will start giving you the benefit of the doubt.


assistant: Acknowledge that you have a hard time being punctual. Notice how being late affects others. Get your adrenaline rush in other ways. Make punctuality one of your core values. Enjoy the rewards of being a punctual person.