Just Be Consistent

I’m sometimes accused of repeating myself. I tend to review situations by dissecting the details and reflecting on what went well and what could have been better. I may share different experiences, but my goal is the share my life, business or investment lessons. The common ingredients are usually people and relationships. It’s what I refer to as “The Who”. If “The Who” isn’t right, the what usually doesn’t matter much.

My core values seldom waiver. What I believe and hold near is the importance of following the Jesuit model, of “men and women for others”. It’s imperative to try to assist others and make their needs and concerns a priority. What I believe and hold near to my heart never changes.

I am often opinionated, sometimes taking risks, but seldom are people surprised by my decisions. I tend to be consistent, but I am human. And like most people, there are times when our emotions may affect our behavior.

If you attempt to be consistent in who you are in every aspect of your life, then you don’t need to worry about how to act. If not, you are not genuine or consistent. People may not believe what you believe, but they will believe in you—if you have strong convictions and are sincere in your views. You’ll seldom find yourself in a role where you are set up to fail. Being consistent means there’s no acting, and that’s a good thing for me because I’m just not good at faking it. I am who I am.

Being consistent sometimes is interpreted as being repetitive and I don’t think this is always negative. Sometimes we need to hear the message multiple times before we absorb it.

I share different stories with the same lesson. I repeat the same common phrases that remind me of what matters most in life. The following are some consistent messages, and together they tell the story of my values…

• It’s not about comparing; it’s about making a contribution.
• There are seldom shortcuts in life.
• It’s usually about “The Who”: Who you marry, Who you hire, Who you invest, Who you do business with and Who you associate with.
• To have a friend, you need to be a friend.
• Eighty percent of success is choosing the right people.
• There is nothing more important in life than relationships.
• It’s always important to add value. To try to create values. I ask myself, “Am I making a difference? Am I having a meaningful impact in what I am doing and what I am working on?”
• I don’t determine what problems people have; they determine their own concerns and worries.
• As Mother Teresa so often shared, “We are not all called to do extraordinary things, but everyone can do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.”
• Under-promise and over-deliver.
• To peak perform, you must find balance in your family, personal, health, financial, career and spiritual life.
• If you don’t know where you’re going, what you’re doing or why you’re doing it, who is going to follow you?
• Learning is a lifelong experience. It’s a journey. It’s never completed. It’s also a commitment. We are all a work in progress.
• If you listen to your associates and customers, you’ll get 80-90 percent of the feedback on what you’ll need. The balance can be from experts or consultants.
• Play to your strengths. Do what you love to do and what you are really good at doing.
• A small percentage of decisions and actions really make the difference (Pareto Principle), so focus on those that will really move the needle. Focus on the most important things. What are they? And why? If they aren’t going to make a difference, then it’s wasted time and effort.
• Have you gone from success to significance? Have you made a difference? Have you touched people’s lives in a meaningful, sincere, and impactful way?

If you are consistent in all aspects of life, you don’t need to be an actor. You don’t need a script. Just be you. Just be the best version of who you can be and who you can become.