📖 Read Time: 3 minutes
📩 What you’ll get out of this newsletter: a sharp, practical take on becoming more high agency aka the person who makes things happen, even in chaos.
This newsletter was inspired by an incredible breakdown from George Mack called High Agency in 30 Minutes—link here.
Lately, I’ve been coming back to this thought: if there’s no real downside… why not just do it?
It’s been bouncing around in my head and I can’t unsee it now.
If you don’t like your body, getting a personal trainer or working out more… it takes will power, but there’s no downside, ONLY upside.
Listening to your partner when they mention something you do (that’s small and fixable) hurts them… changing that behavior has no downside, ONLY upside.
Starting that newsletter, the blog, the social media channel, creating a new offer, DM-ing someone you admire, taking a day off if you really need it… minimal downside, extremely high upside.
What these things have in common: they only require one thing… choosing to be high agency.
High agency sounds like one of those vague motivational phrases until you actually see it in action.
It’s a cheat code for people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or out of control.
It’s the friend you’d call if you woke up in a third-world jail cell with no idea how you got there. It’s the person who doesn’t just survive hard things… they solve hard things. For others, but more importantly, for themselves. It’s the quiet “I’ll figure it out” energy, the bias toward action, the refusal to be hypnotized by the way things have always been done.
High agency isn’t genetic. It’s a system you can install.
High agency is NOT:
Waiting to be picked
Getting stuck in “I need to know more first”
Optimizing for what people will think
High agency IS:
Figuring it out as you go
Defaulting to action (especially when it’s uncomfortable)
Being allergic to groupthink
Anyone has the potential to become high agency. The only thing preventing it is the lies we feed ourselves to stay comfortable, when really… the second you take initiative, the bricks start stacking until one day you wake up and just… are.
5 Moves to Start Building High Agency Immediately:
1. Kill the Guru Complex
The people you think have it all figured out? They don’t.
High agency people have debugged the idea that someone else is coming to save them. They’ve let go of the thought, “when this finally goes right, then I’ll be happy…”
Reminder: No one is coming. That’s the best news possible. You are in control of your own reality.
2. Run “Physics Checks” on Problems
Next time you think something’s impossible, ask: “Does this break the laws of physics?”
If not? It’s fair game. Everything else is just a creativity and effort problem.
Think about the person who built an entire business selling digital coloring books. Didn’t break physics. Just required creativity.
3. Do One Thing That’s “Not Allowed” This Week
Every system has dumb invisible rules. Every person has self-imposed limitations.
Pick one to break.
Example: My mom is high agency af. That woman will move mountains. We went shopping and found this hand-blown pitcher that was super cute but had a small defect. It was also the last one in stock…
At checkout, she pointed out the defect and asked for a discount. I was kinda embarrassed until the manager said, “yeah, we’ll happily take 50% off.”
Invisible rule, broken. Pitcher, secured.
4. Switch from Outcome Goals to Input Goals
Outcome goals = low agency traps. Input goals = action momentum.
“Launch my offer to 10 people” > “Get 3 clients.”
You can’t guarantee outcomes. You can guarantee action.
Same with fitness: “Work out 4x this week” > “Lose 3 lbs.”
Momentum > expectation.
5. Audit for Groupthink
High agency people don’t consume what everyone else consumes. They follow weird rabbit holes, chase niche curiosities, and don’t take headline reality at face value.
Look at your inputs: Are they shaping you into a bystander… or a player?
Genius Tips: High Agency Reframes
Spectators wait for permission. Players build in silence.
If it doesn’t break physics, it’s solvable.
First steps always feel cringey—do it anyway.
Momentum beats perfection every time.
Systems > vibes. Action > intention. Receipts > ideas.
If you take nothing else from this:
High agency isn’t about feeling powerful. It’s not about carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders or being tough.
It’s about acting before you feel ready, breaking the mental jail cells you built for yourself, and stacking evidence that you’re someone who just moves.
—alex
P.S. Forward this to a friend who’s underestimating how powerful they actually are.
P.P.S. are you looking for help with content strategy?
We have a three spots left in August for our next four-week advisory sprint. Whether you’re an experienced founder, aspiring founder, or simply figuring out your side hustle, if you’re in the process of building your social media or personal brand, schedule some time and let’s chat!
