Howdy, Zack here.

Your presence isn't just about your physical presence.

When I shared this week's letter with our artist, Jenna Bown; she sent me back two things. First, a much better illustration than I poorly sketched. Second, a note mentioning how the sketch reminded her of a Jim Elliot quote, "Wherever you are, be all there!" — a reminder she's posted on her son's bedroom wall.

As a lifelong entrepreneur, husband to my amazing wife, Gwen, and dad of 16-year-old triplets, I can share from experience that your family wants the 'happy, content, and present you' to be in their lives, not the 'stressed-out you' who can't stop thinking about work.

If you're honest with yourself, where are you today? Can you relax and enjoy time with your family while not working? Do you spend time on your hobbies? Are you taking care of yourself — your diet, exercise, and health? Or, are you constantly besieged by thoughts of work, even during 'off' hours? Take a moment to reflect.

You're not 'present' when you're not in the moment. And when you're not present, you miss some of life's greatest gifts, such as that first soccer goal you didn't see while responding to a work Slack. But at least you were 'there,' right? Unfortunately not in the way that counted. You were thinking about everything but your child's important moment. The same goes for all the other 'little' moments of life. If you miss them, you'll later realize those were the 'big' ones that mattered the most.

Own your business vs. your business owning you. When you struggle to be present, it's often because you need a stronger foundation in your business. There are typically good reasons why we're stressed about work and feel the need to work 24/7. That's why I became an Executive Coach focused on helping companies build stronger Business Operating Systems. As my clients have seen, they've transformed their businesses and, more importantly, their lives — gaining the gift of being truly present.
​

How to be fully present, starting today:

3 TIPS

• Turn off your tech notifications — like, right now.​
  Set your phone and computer to stop pinging you during personal time and turn off all unneeded notifications.
• Ask someone to help you snap out of it.
  ​It's a tough habit to break, so ask someone to signal you when you're not really present.
• Fix the root of the issues.
  ​Strengthen the foundation of your business so that it's no longer running you.

​

​

3 FAVES

1. ​Video — Simple method I use to memorize lines.
2. ​Mercury — Banking stack for startups.
3. ​Tally — My fave free form builder.

​
Until next Wednesday, start being fully present for what matters most.