Our relationship to ownership

1/ Notice

This week I've been working hard on physical repairs to woodwork on the farmhouse and barn. Then I cleaned out the cold water feed tank which had 20 years of crud in it.

This is what 20 years of limescale and sediment from well water (which is filtered and UV sterilised) looks like.

All this got me noticing my relationship to ownership and the upkeep it entails. There are a couple of maxims that come to mind:

"The things you own end up owning you"

from Chuck Palahniuk in his 1996 novel Fight Club.

"Never own anything that eats while you sleep"

from Dan Sullivan, founder of Strategic Coach.

Don't get me wrong. I actually enjoy 'building work'. I find it physically and mentally rewarding. But ownership does come with overhead and commitments that cost money, time, or attention.

It might be useful to think about this in the context of your leadership decisions, client relationships, or major purchases.

2/ Question

What maintenance overhead have you taken on inadvertently?

3/ Act

Using that question as a provocation, run a quick overhead audit:

1. List three commitments you currently maintain that quietly restrict your freedom or energy.
2. For each, decide whether you can eliminate it (cancel, delegate, discard) or simplify it (automate, set stricter boundaries) without letting others—or yourself—down.
3. Hit reply and share your takeaways.

That’s it until next week.

Clive