[May 2, 2026] If you’re a military veteran, this one needs no explanation; if you’re on time, you’re late. You already live it. For everyone else: showing up exactly on time doesn’t make you punctual; it makes you late.
The real rule is simple. Be early. Not because the clock police are watching, but because it shows you give a damn. Being early means you’re prepared, not rushed. It shows you respect other people’s time instead of treating it as an inconvenience. It’s voluntary responsibility with your boots already laced.
“If you’re five minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, don’t bother showing up.” – Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers head coach, 1959-1967
We called it “Lombardi Time” in the military. It wasn’t just a cute saying. It was how you proved you were serious. You showed up early, got your head right, and started the day ahead of the game instead of scrambling to catch up. Funny thing—when I was promoted, I started showing up even earlier. Turns out the more skin you have in the game, the less you want to waste anyone’s time, including your own.
You know the guy at work I’m talking about. He’s never technically late. He drifts in right at the start time, grabs a coffee, wanders around like he’s on a museum tour, then spends twenty minutes “getting organized.” By the time he’s ready, the rest of us have already done an hour’s work. He’s the same clown who always has an excuse for why his part isn’t done. Nobody wants to carry that guy. Don’t be that guy.
Punctuality is contagious in a good way. When one person shows up ready, it raises the bar. Teamwork sharpens, stress drops, and people start trusting you with the important stuff. Late people create friction. Early people create momentum.
I’ve got a buddy I’ve known for decades—let’s call him Stan. He’s in his early 80s and still working. Good dude, but he’s late to everything. Not five minutes. We’re talking thirty to sixty. Group plans turn into group stress as we wait. Stan shrugs it off like it’s no big deal. Meanwhile, the rest of us are quietly losing our minds. He’s disorganized in life, too. Shocking, I know.
Back in 2013, the Green Bay Packers installed a big clock at Lambeau Field, set fifteen minutes fast. Pure Lombardi. He wanted players and coaches in meetings and on the field fifteen minutes early. Not on time—early. Because winning doesn’t happen when you’re sliding in at the buzzer.
Lombardi’s logic was straightforward: “If winning is truly as important to you as it is to me, prove it by making absolutely sure you are on time. And the only way to be sure is to build in a cushion for the crap you can’t control.”
He was right. Life throws traffic, flat tires, kids, and random stupidity at you. The only way to stay ahead is to plan to be early.
So yeah—if you’re on time, you’re late.
Show up early. Get your mind right. Respect the mission and the people around you.
It’s a small habit that quietly makes you better.
NOTE: The higher I climbed in rank, the earlier I got to work. Funny how that works.
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Please read my books:
My wife is often frustrated when we want to visit good friends and we are always at their house 15 minutes or more at the time we agreed upon. 👀
Imagine that, someone who actually understands what it takes to be successful. This idea that Gen. Satterfield is showing us applies not just to a work or military environment, but all walks of life. Show up late to take your friends to a movie or out to dinner, and they are waiting, unnecessarily waiting on you. That is disrespectful. It’s not about being “machismo” or “patriarchical.” It’s about being a good person.
Yep, Gen. S. Is all over this.