There’s a lot on my mind these days.

Most of what we deal with in city leadership is complex: budgets, long-range plans, infrastructure, utilities and city code. It’s not always the kind of material that resonates with most people unless they’re directly affected by it.

But behind all the technical work, there’s a broader challenge we’re all facing, whether we’re in public service, running a business or raising a family — and that’s learning how to stay steady in volatile times.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the value of consistency, especially when the world around us feels uncertain or unstable. There’s wisdom in developing a well-informed plan that assumes change will come and then sticking to it with discipline even when it would be easier to shift course out of fear or frustration.

Economic signals like a volatile stock market can make even the calmest among us feel unsettled. The temptation is to panic, retreat or radically change direction. But, in my experience and in watching others over the years, it’s the people who keep their heads, who trust their preparation and stay disciplined, who eventually see opportunities emerge.

While others react emotionally, these people remain grounded and purposeful. They don’t chase safety at the expense of progress; they keep building.

Plans built on emotion rarely survive. But plans built on truth, discipline and long-term thinking endure. Of course, this isn’t a new idea. Most of us know it instinctively.

We’ve seen how strong habits and clear goals bring results. Yet, when things become difficult and when pressure rises or circumstances shift, we tend to let go of those habits. Our emotions take over. We get angry, afraid and discouraged.

There’s a quote I’ve always appreciated from Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

It’s blunt and true. The real test of a plan is how well we stick to it when things don’t go as expected. That’s where our commitment is revealed. That’s when we find out if we’ve built on a solid foundation or if we were just hoping everything would go smoothly.

I’ll give you another quote. Mark Twain once said, “I have lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”

That quote speaks to our tendency to imagine the worst and how often that imagination shapes our behavior more than reality does.

These days, we’re inundated with information designed to keep us anxious, angry or outraged. The media thrives on our emotions, especially social media. Fear and outrage are easy to sell, and we’ve all become consumers of it at one time or another.

But what if we were more than consumers? What if our confidence came not from what we read online but from what we’ve prepared for and committed to in real life?

Peace doesn’t come from avoiding difficulty. It comes from purpose. It comes from knowing we’re doing the work, even when it’s hard, even when no one’s cheering us on.

The more we root ourselves in faith, preparation and service, the more we find clarity, stability and fulfillment.

So, when the next wave of volatility hits — and it always will — my hope is that we remember who we are and what we’re building.

Let the results of our efforts speak for themselves. Let our steadiness in storms be our legacy.