Roger Lane has been a great friend for over 25 years. Both of us grew up on a farm and farm boys always have lots of things in common.

He raised hogs; we milked cows.  His home was in Nebraska; mine was in Pennsylvania. Later he sold insurance; later I worked for the highway department. Eventually we had offices next to each other for 12 years where he worked in development; I worked in academics. 

I recently asked Roger what was the best advice he ever received. Without a moment's hesitation, he shared with me the four things he was told to do to be successful. Since it is the start of a New Year and this is the season when we get all kinds of advice for improving our lives, I thought I would give you the four simple statements he shared with me. 

1. Be on time. Years ago I worked with an elderly gentleman named Art. I lived a few blocks from our office and I walked to work. He drove his car and lived about 15 miles away. He always arrived at the office before me so I asked him why he did that. He said something I will never forget, "My father always taught me to leave early enough so that if I had a flat tire, I would then always have time to change it and still be there on time." 

Others choose to run their timeline so close that they are only on time if every little detail fits absolutely perfectly together ... the lights must all be green; the weather must always be perfect; the car must always run well; etc. Sooner or later all of us will miss a deadline, but will that miss be an exception or the rule.  To be successful, be on time.

2. Do what you say you will do. The check is in the mail. Right. Those words make all of us smile. Words do come easily. Sometimes we say them just to relieve an awkward encounter or to make someone feel good with little or no intention to follow through. Those actions erode our credibility and hamper success.

Years ago, a mother told me how all summer she promised her children a trip to New York City as long as they behaved well during those months home from school. The end of the summer came and went and she never did take them to the Big Apple. Later she was asked why she never took them and she replied, "Oh, I never intended to take them; I just wanted to give them something to look forward to." 

3. Finish what you start. We see the crowd line up at the beginning of a marathon. How easy it is to have great enthusiasm and big dreams and white hot passion. But, do we have the discipline and stamina and commitment to pay the price to finish what we start.  Why is the freshman class in college always larger than the senior class?  No matter what you are doing, finish what you start.

Exodus 40:33 says, "So Moses finished the work."

4. Say please and thank you. We seem to be losing our social graces. The common courtesies of opening a door for a lady or driving with politeness or responding to an RSVP seem to be lost in a world that seems to be getting courser by the month. Can we ever say too often the simple but gracious words of 'please' and thank you'. They really do become the mortar that holds together our daily social exchange.

 This is good advice for any of us at any time ... especially at the start of a New Year.

Dr. Don Meyer is the president of the University of Valley Forge in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

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