Over the years, I have thought a lot about creating great friendships. I want to be a good friend and have good friends. When I’m gone one day, I want to be remembered for being a great husband, father and friend, so I try to be intentional about those things in my daily living.

Here are 3 ways to have great friendships moving into 2016:

1. Give your time. Ask your friends if they need help with something (everyone does) and then help them. Rake leaves, change the oil in a car, remodel a bathroom, or just give them a ride somewhere. Giving time to help a friend lets you spend time together, improving your friendship, and it builds rapport with them.
2. Drop them a line. Many friendships die due to lack of communication because we are all so busy (though I think that busyness is false). Send a quick text, shoot an email, place a call, send a telegram or kick a carrier pigeon out the window, but communicate in some way on a regular basis.
3. Ask good questions. What I mean is asking what is going on with your friend, listening carefully to their response, and then asking questions about that to understand better. Everyone loves to be understood and heard. So make sure that you understand your friends and hear what they are saying, and the sub context behind it.