I once read (in the Times) that a chronically late person (such as myself) tends to structure their day based on the belief that everything can be accomplished according to a prior "perfect day" wherein each task was completed either on time or early.

Far more complicated than this I think. Many other factors at play but most common is executive functioning issues that make it hard to gauge time for tasks and plan departure times accordingly. Personality types in terms of people pleasing or self focus also make time more or less important.

People who easily shift between tasks are also at an advantage when it comes to handling life’s messiness. “One of the benefits is that you have a realistic view of life, and so you won’t be distressed when things don’t fit into your time,” Dr. Ballard said.

In the 1950s, the anthropologist Edward T. Hall coined the terms “monochronic” and “polychronic” to describe different cultural attitudes to time management.

In northern Europe and the United States, which Dr. Hall labeled “monochronic” societies, he wrote that people tended to emphasize deadlines and work sequentially, completing one task before... See more