High Agency Guide

High agency means believing you can change your situation, then acting on that belief, rather than waiting for permission, perfect conditions, or a rescue. Writer George Mack has helped popularize the idea in recent years.

High agency is not having more options. It is spotting the options that were there all along.

Low agency

“I can’t, because…” Waits to be told. Blames circumstances

High agency

“How could I?” Finds a way. Owns the results

With AI tools, one person can research, write, design, code, and launch alone. Skills and tools are no longer the bottleneck. The willingness to start, ask, and keep going is.

• From “Is this allowed?” to “What would it take?”
• From waiting to asking
• From blaming to owning
• From “I don’t know how” to “I will figure it out”
• From one attempt to many attempts

Picture yourself stuck, needing to solve a problem fast, with no help on the way. Who would you call? What would you try? Which rules turn out not to be rules at all? Be that person every day.

If someone you admire faced your exact problem, what would they do in the next hour?

• Tackle the scary task first every morning
• Send the message you keep putting off
• Ask clearly for what you want
• Ship something small each day
• Write down what you will do, not what you hope for

• Find three ways around every “no”
• Cut big problems down to the next small step
• Ask people who have already done it
• Treat rejection as useful information
• Set a deadline and meet it

• Pick up any skill faster with AI tutors
• Draft the email, plan, or pitch in minutes
• Build prototypes without waiting on a developer
• Research your options before you ask for help

I want to [goal] by [date] using [resources]. Give me ten unconventional ways to get there, plus the first step for each.

• Respect the law, ethics, and other people
• Take smart risks you can bounce back from
• Rest, because burnout destroys agency
• Accept what truly lies beyond your control

• Planning forever without acting
• Waiting until motivation shows up
• Needing approval from everyone
• Consuming advice without applying it

Week 1

Do one task you have been avoiding every day

Week 2

Ask for one thing you want every day

Week 3

Ship a single small project

Week 4

Help someone else solve a problem of theirs