You don't need a manual to become high agency
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a manual or a book to become a high agency individual. It’s ironic to need one.
High agency is not a skill but a trait. The combination of multiple attributes. Thinking clearly, making informed decisions (which really means making trade-offs), having the courage to decide and act, putting in the effort, refusing to depend on external factors, and being intentional about taking control.
This trait has a toggle switch. Any human being — regardless of IQ, financial condition, or background — can turn it on. These are my observations from moments when I toggled the switch in my own life.
Most things in life are subjective. The best answer to any question is “it depends.” There are no right or wrong decisions. Everything is a trade-off. That is why thinking clearly about your own situation matters more than following someone else’s playbook.
Simple, but not easy. Some decisions are small and trivial. Some are big and difficult. Courage to take the risk and call the shots is what separates thinking from doing. Many people struggle — and regret later in life — because they were unable to make a few key decisions. The root cause, in most cases, is a lack of courage.
17 years ago, on the same day (April 4), I decided to start my own business, leaving my stable job despite having no other income source or savings for the family. Might sound foolish (or courageous), but that’s what I did. And that’s what led me to where I am today.
But none of the above matters if you can’t put in the effort. When you take the shot, act on it. If there’s a shortcut, take it — as long as it isn’t illegal or unethical. The size of the effort doesn’t matter. The act of moving does.
When you start taking action, you will encounter obstacles along the way. You might feel like you need a teacher or capital. You don’t. There is always a way. And another way. And another. There is the conventional path, and then there are the pathless paths.
When I was just 11 years old, I tried to learn computer programming, and I had never been to school. I asked my father to approach multiple computer institutions that rejected me because of my age. The courses were only designed for adults. And it was also unaffordable for us.
But the next best option I had was to read books and learn. I nudged my parents to buy me books that I could barely carry. Somehow, I read and reread the books until the concepts started to click. I didn’t stop. And it worked out for me.
Be intentional. Take control, in the most Stoic sense. Control what you can, let go of what you can’t, but find the workaround. Think of it like an escape room. Instead of crying near the locked door, keep finding the doors that are open. Any progress beats staying stagnant.
You can be high agency right now. Pick the area in your life where you feel the most stuck. Sit with it. Think clearly. Make a few key decisions. And start acting on them. Not tomorrow, not next Monday, right now.
That’s the push. From grey to green.