Let’s discuss a phenomenon I’ve been noticing in our society. I just don’t understand the point of setting your clock 5 minutes fast to ‘trick’ yourself into being on time. Really? Does it help you to leave your house any sooner? Don’t you know which clocks in your house are accurate and which ones are fast, and therefore plan your time accordingly? Consequently still making you just as late as you would have been? Don’t you look at your incorrect clock and mentally calculate the actual time, thus wasting more time than if the clock was simply set to the right time?
Do you suffer from this bizarre-chronic-wish-you-were-on-time-but-just-can’t-ever-seem-to-get-out-the-door-on-time? Is there an explanation? Do you really feel that changing the time on your clock will affect the outcome? Please, defend yourself. I’m very curious. Let’s discuss.
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Umm…. guilty. Except I’m guilty x2. I set all clocks that are in my soul possession 10 minutes fast. It’s more of a nice feeling.
“Oh man, I’m going to be five minutes late…”
10 seconds later in the inner dialoge…
“Wait a minute! I’ll be 5 minutes early! YES!!”
I really like the second feeling.
* Excuse me… I made an error in my sentence above. I haven’t thought as hard about this as you. That is what I meant to say.
I always have my clocks set a few minutes ahead, even the clock in my car. I don’t have a problem getting places too early or too late. I’m usually reasonably on time. My husband is in the Navy so we HAVE to be on time when we take him to work at 5am every morning. The traffic on base where we live is horrendous! I honestly haven’t thought as hard about you on this matter. I don’t usually calculate the time in my head and more often than not I don’t even remember that the clocks were adjusted a few mins ahead.
I am also guilty of doing this! The only clock in my house that is set ahead is our alarm clock in our bedroom. I do this just to make it easier to get my husband up. Yes, I said that I get my husband up. He absolutely and totally sleeps through ANY noise. This makes it my duty to wake him up and this is no easy task. One morning I couldn’t get him up so I set the clock ahead and said “look…you’re late!” and he was up in an instant. He is so out of it in the morning that each morning when I tell him what time it is he doesn’t even remember that our clock is fast! I have the alarm set for my “normal” wake up time, but I have gotten in the habit of thinking to myself “Oh, the clock is 15 minutes fast, so I can hit snooze at least once and if I hit it twice, I will only be three minutes behind”!!!!
GUILTY! I do this…I have no idea why…BUT I have Eric set the clocks fast but I tell him to not tell me how far ahead he sets the time…but still guilty. All of the clocks in our house (and cars) are set ahead to whatever he sets them at but our cell phones are the right time so really it makes NO sense at all.
I’m going to be changing this tonight! It’s goofy. I also have to set my alarm clock in my bathroom so I actually GET OUT OF BED to turn it off…I like my sleep.
I’ve never had much of the being late thing and part of that is I plan enough time to have wiggle room. and my watch is set to the right time. my husband however, likes to set the clocks anywhere from 3 to 7 minutes ahead. this has caused unnecessary panic for me MANY times. I am all on time and I’ve got my departure and arrival and the current timing in my head – I get in the car and the clock says I’m 5 min later than I am and I wasn’t counting on that 5 min and think I lost it somewhere and panic. and then I remember that that clock is wrong and everything is alright. but the fact remains that I had a momentary panic at 7 am and I am NOT a morning person. DRIVES ME CRAZY.
Clock on husband’s side of the bed is on time, my side is fast….WHY??? I guess I like to be on time…. though I confess, I sometimes sit up straight & look at his, just to see what time it really is…
Going to go & change it right now… : )
my husband does this. it drives me NUTSO! he says it allows him to sleep in. but to me TIME IS TIME…doesn’t matter if you set your clock ahead, why not just get up earlier? dur.
Although, i do tell my husband to be at places earlier than planned so he will get there somewhat on time. the man is notorious for being LATE! {can you tell it drives this on-time gal nuts?}
I haven’t done it on purpose. I’m just too lazy to actually reset the clock as it somehow got ahead. And yes, there may be a moment of panic when I initially look at it, but I have just grown accustomed to it. Although I must admit, early in the morning I tend to believe it. It’s not until I get in my car and look at that clock that I remember I’m early.
I used to do that!!! I like to be early for everything, but Nate would make fun of me. I would set a couple of the clocks about 10 minutes early for the purpose of helping him move a little faster. He’s changed over the years, and he hates being late too! All our clocks are on time now… Sorry 🙂
That drives me crazy as well. But being too early can be a fault too. Plus the people who travel and don’t adjust their watches/phones to local time. And want to eat/sleep as they were at home.