Every year, when I get to this week, I know I’ll be spending my last couple of hours with my undergraduate students.

Each winter, I teach a business planning and strategy class and tomorrow is our final day.

It won’t be a lecture – it rarely is anyway – but instead is focused on the student teams as they deliver the final “pitch” for their new venture ideas.

It’s one of my favourite days of the year.

As we close, but before I get too teary-eyed at the prospect of never seeing these “kids” again, I will share five lessons I’ve learned since I was in their shoes.

I offer them as a few simple rules for life, regardless of what you do for a living.

• Ambiguity is your friend.
• It’s not how smart you are. It’s how you are smart.
• The “high road” and “extra mile” are never crowded.
• Whatever you are, be a good one.
• It’s always your turn.

You don’t have to be a university or college student to add these to your mantra.

They apply to any of us.

You could have easily been given the same advice a generation or two ago. They’re so simple we can often take them for granted.

I probably think or use at least one of them on the daily.

I hope you find this helpful too.

Have a great week!

PS – I may add a sixth rule – “Write your own sh*t when it’s important.”