I’m not a big New Year’s resolution guy, but for 2016 I have decided that I would make a commitment to focus on one theme or virtue per month and endeavor to apply it to my business and personal life. For January I have decided to focus on consistency. One definition of consistency is the steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, or form.

With five kids and several of them in sports, I find myself talking frequently with them about creating good habits and being consistent with these habits. Whether it’s how they approach practice or the way they treat others, having a consistency about how they go about what they are doing creates a disciplined predictability. Recent Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Ken Griffey Jr., was asked what he thought was his secret to success. He said in so many words that he created a consistent, disciplined routine of hitting in the cage (sometimes at 3 or 4 A.M.) when no one was watching. His approach paid off on the field as he won the respect of his teammates and fans. There is something about creating good, consistent routines that is very attractive and rewarding.

As I reflect on my own life, I try to create consistency in the disciplines I know will improve my life – exercise, spending time with the family, being in the Word and working hard and with excellence every day.

An important part of being consistent at Master’s is doing what we say we are going to do. Following through and providing excellent service and advice consistently builds trust with our clients. We strive hard to be consistent in our interactions with you so you don’t have to wonder if tasks will be completed or transactions will be processed. I encourage you to think about how you might be more consistent in some aspect of your life and how that can impact others or bring you a sense of accomplishment.