Bob's boss was very meticulous and had very high standards for his employees. One day, he called Bob into his office and said, "Bob, I've noticed that you've been coming in late quite often recently. That's not acceptable in this company."
Bob stammered, "I'm sorry, I've been having car trouble and the bus is always late."
His boss replied, "Well, Bob, I understand that sometimes things happen that are out of our control. But as a responsible adult, you should have a backup plan for situations like this."
Bob nodded, feeling ashamed of himself. The next day, Bob arrived at work early and was feeling proud of himself for being on time. However, as he was getting his coffee in the break room, he spilled it all over himself and had to go home to change.
The next day, Bob arrived at work even earlier to make up for his previous mishap. But as he was walking into the office building, a bird flew over and soiled his shirt, forcing him to go back home to change once again.
By the end of the week, Bob had exhausted all possible scenarios for being late and was feeling defeated. He went to his boss's office and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry, sir. I've tried everything to be on time, but it seems like fate is against me."
His boss looked at Bob sympathetically and said, "Bob, I appreciate your effort, but there's one thing you haven't tried yet."
Bob asked, "What is it, sir?"
His boss replied, "Have you tried setting your alarm clock earlier?"