punctuality

　　punctuality means observing regula r or appointed time . a man who gets up a t seven o’clock every morning is pu nctual . a man who has promised to call on a friend at five o’clock in the afternoon and actually does so at tha t hour is also punctual

　　punctuality is a good habit , and unp unctuality a bad one . a few minut es’delay may not be a serious mat ter , but it may have bad r es ults . get ting up five minutes late r than u sual may upset the plan of the day . calling on a friend five minutes later than the appointed time may cau se him some unexpected t rouble . moreover , habitual unpunctuality leads to indolence and even failur e in life . one delay af ter anothe r makes a man unable to exer t himself . it also proves him to be unt rustworthy .

　　those who ar e unpunctual s hould t ry their best to get rid of their bad habit . in doing this , they should avoid making any kind of exception . they should never say to themselves :“a few minutes’delay does not mat ter this time . i s hall never be unpunctual again .”t hose who think in this way will find excuses for delay from time to time , and will at last give up the a ttempt to cultivate the good habit .

　　like all other good habits , pu nctuality becomes second natur e with those who have duly cultivat ed it .