Agency
do you have it?
I first came across this term when my Product Manager friend told me that his manager had given him the feedback that he lacked agency.
I started googling the term and got to know that agency literally meant - the ability to take action.
A year later, a friend told me I had high agency. Did this mean, based on my previous understanding, that I was particularly good at taking action?
It turned out the term had another meaning in the cultural zeitgeist: bending reality to one's will.
This blog1 helped me make even better sense of this new buzz word that everyone used so casually.
From that moment on, I realized that everyone I admired possessed high agency. They really never accepted their reality as fixed or something that they couldn’t change. They questioned back, tried everything in their power & more to get what they wanted - whether it was a simple answer or a big change.
I would also attribute agency to be the single most important difference in being the main character2 vs a NPC (Non Player Character)3. It's the difference between striving for greatness and being stuck on a path dictated by tradition, culture, or anyone. It's the difference between the regret of inaction and the satisfaction and closure that come even with failure.
Here's my new & crisp approach to exercising maximum agency
My approach to maximizing agency is simple: when faced with a problem, my default is to solve it. I've realized that sometimes, the solution simply requires acquiring new skills. Whether it's knowledge (learning something new), hard work (putting in the work), or discipline (being at it), acquiring the necessary skills is key.
Acknowledging the improvement area as “skill issue”4 motivates me to acquire the necessary skills and solve the problem. Regarding knowledge, LLMs provide access to information that is readily available, inexpensive, and easily personalized.
And here’s a Nietzsche quote for this
No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life. There may be countless trails and bridges and demigods who would gladly carry you across; but only at the price of pawning and forgoing yourself. There is one path in the world that none can walk but you. Where does it lead? Don’t ask, walk!