“Presence is Ownership.”

“Presence is ownership.” 

Reflecting on this quote from Danette Torgeson and thinking about one of my favorite books, Extreme Ownership.

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin write, 

“On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.

The best leaders don’t just take responsibility for their job. They take Extreme Ownership of everything that impacts their mission.”

The book is written for leaders of teams. However, looking back through my notes, I’m now viewing these principles as the leader of a team of one, me. 

Whether it’s belief, discipline, communication, prioritization, or any of the other principles in the book, they all start with me.

What does it say about my leadership ability if I’m unable to communicate with myself, prioritize my time, or stay disciplined to wake up early and exercise?

A principle that isn’t mentioned in the book, but easily could be, is presence. 

There’s something special about fully living in a moment. Being less present creates some sort of funnel between my interaction with the universe. There’s nothing special required either, could be as simple as going for a walk and watching the sunset. These moments last.

How often did I wish I was doing something else today? Not saying the freezing cold drive to the gym shouldn’t be shorter, but sometimes how present (and relatedly, appreciative) I am in these moments makes the difference between a good day and a bad day.

Here’s to being present.