Ownership. We’re talking about personal responsibility and accountability over one’s life, actions, and its outcomes. If you want to take control of your life, you have to maintain a high degree of ownership.

I’ll be the first to tell you that I’ve messed up. I’ve messed up a lot, and I’ve messed up badly. I’ve been the man who made excuses, but I’ve learned to be the man who takes ownership. I can say that, without a doubt, I’m much happier being the one with the ownership mindset than the victim mindset.

Let’s play a game:

Recall a time where you observed someone making an excuse.

Got it? Good.

Now do you recall what you thought of them after hearing it? I bet it was something along the lines of, “They’re just making excuses.” If not that, it was probably something similar. As an observer—an outside perspective—you can see things more clearly than if you were in the midst of the situation.

Now recall a time where you observed someone owning up to an outcome.

What was your thought about that situation? Probably something similar to, “Okay, this guy’s got his head on straight. He f***ed up but he’ll do better because of it.”

If you make a mistake people will notice it. And if you don’t own that mistake, people will DEFINITELY notice it. But what happens if you make a mistake and acknowledge, “Yeah, I messed up. I’ll do better next time.” People will not only notice that, but they will also have a sense of confidence and respect for you they may not have otherwise had.

At its core, ownership is about accepting full responsibility for our circumstances—good or bad—rather than blaming external factors. It’s about shifting from a victim mindset to an empowered mindset.

Victim Mindset: “I failed because I was never given a chance.”
Ownership Mindset: “I failed because I didn’t speak up and put in the extra effort.”

This mindset applies across so many aspects of life:

All of these are key aspects of the Memento Mori philosophy.

This week, think of the last time you made an excuse—a time where you were the victim. There isn’t any shame, we all do it. Now reframe that situation and place yourself in a position of ownership.

Start with one of the key aspects of ownership above. Write it down, personalize it, and read it to yourself every day. You’ll think about it throughout the day if a situation in which you need to hear it arises.