Legacy starts with consistency.

Legacy starts with consistency.

One of the traditions we began over 23 years ago was saying a small blessing around our dinner table. Our girls were 2 and 4 years old at the time.

The blessing goes like this: “I love you. I’ll always love you. You’re special to me. And I appreciate you!”

Those four short phrases always brought a smile to their faces. You could see in their eyes that they felt loved and accepted.

We’ve used that same blessing over the years at graduations, in more handwritten notes than I can count, and even at one wedding so far!

Fast forward, now we have two little granddaughters, ages 2 and 4. They have heard us say that same blessing so many times that they now repeat it back to us.

John C. Maxwell describes two types of legacies:

-Tangible: what we leave FOR people
-Intangible: what we leave IN people

Knowing that my kids and grandkids feel loved and accepted is one legacy that merits my consistency.

When it comes to consistency of blessing, it doesn’t have to be isolated to your family unit. It also applies at work.

A practice we have seen modeled in other companies and adopted at Fulling Management & Accounting is “shout outs.” For the past five years, we have taken 10 minutes in our weekly staff meetings for team members to share a story of another team member’s impact within the past week.

It doesn’t have to be touchy-feely comments. In fact, sometimes the shout outs are metrics-driven. (Imagine that from a bunch of accountants!)

Yes, it felt weird when we started. But the power of consistency has created a safe and anticipated space where our team now comes excited to celebrate their teammates through words of blessing.

What consistent disciplines have you found impactful towards your desired legacy?