Better Late Than Never?

By Allen Lyle

We have a frank and friendly chat with Allen. Is “better late than never” actually a viable option? What are the effects of this well-practiced procrastination? We’ve all heard this old adage, but how true is it really?

TRANSCRIPT:

The phrase "better late than never" suggests that it's sometimes preferable for something to happen late rather than not happening at all. However, whether it's truly "better" depends on the specific situation.

In some cases, completing a task, project, or action late is still preferable to not completing it at all. For example, submitting a project late might still earn you partial credit, whereas not submitting it would result in no credit; and that one zero credit would significantly lower your overall reliability average.

On the other hand, being late can often lead to missed opportunities. If you're late for a job interview or a crucial meeting, you might miss out on important chances to advance your career.

Being consistently late can have negative impacts on others' perceptions of you, your reliability, and your professionalism. By the way, consistent tardiness will affect both professional AND personal relationships over time.

Ultimately, the decision of whether it's better to be late than never depends on weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks in a given situation. It's important to consider the context, the significance of the task, and the impact of being late on both you and others. However, it’s been my experience that in almost every situation, a deadline is there for a reason, and you will NEVER go wrong by making every conceivable effort to always complete a task on or ahead of its deadline.