Masters of Destiny: The Mindset That Separates Doers from Dreamers

Image generated with OpenAI by the Author

  Life separates us into high- and low-agency individuals.

  High agency individuals live their lives, while low agency people let life happen to them. Steve Jobs is a high-agency individual. He lived his life, and he lived it on his terms. Elon Musk is another one living his life and not letting life happen to him. It's about taking control and steering your life in a direction that you want.

  Those with low agency don't know they have low agency.

  Low-agency people are oblivious to the fact that they are low-agency. This is not an insult, and they are not necessarily dumb people. They haven't realized that they are allowing life to happen to them. Just accepting what life gives them.

  You can escape being low agency.

  Being aware that there is a difference between living life and life happening to you is a start. If you're reading this article, you're either high agency or at least working your way up.

  What is it to be high agency?

  High agency individuals have certain characteristics. They believe they have the power to shape their circumstances rather than be shaped by them.

Take Responsibility Over Blame

  What defines high agency is the willingness to own the outcome, good or bad, and learn from it. Rarely giving blame to external forces or other people is the key. They will ask questions like, "What can I do about this?", and don't ask, "Why is this happening to me?"

  You see the difference?

  They believe they are the primary reason for their outcomes. It's not luck, fate, or other people. It's focusing on what they can control.

“A rational person can find peace by cultivating indifference to things outside their control.”

~Naval Ravikant

Initiative & Action-Oriented

  To be high agency, don't wait for permission; take action. You start projects, take risks, and make things happen.

  The idea of being comfortable with discomfort is what allows them to be action-oriented and innovative. While others might hesitate in the face of ambiguity or risk, high-agency individuals lean in — viewing discomfort not as something to avoid, but as a cue that they’re on the edge of meaningful progress

“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”

~Thomas Jefferson

Resilience In The Face Of Obstacles

  Viewing setbacks as feedback and not final judgment is highly important. High agency people see it as an opportunity to learn and overcome. It allows for the option to adapt or pivot without getting discouraged.

  Resilience comes from a problem-solving mindset. It's not a reason to quit; it's a puzzle to solve, making them resourceful.

“Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional.”

~Roger Crawford

Critical Thinking

  The high agency thinks for themselves, questions assumptions, and challenges the status quo. This keeps them from blindly following trends, authority, and consensus. It's about making decisions based on long-term values and goals, and not short-sightedness.

“Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it.”

~Robert A. Heinlein

Vision Driven

  High agency people have a clear sense of purpose and mission. Setting goals and working towards them. They do this even if the path isn't clear to them.

  Their vision is what drives them to do more, take risks, and figure out obstacles.

Self-Reflection & Self-Correcting

  Self-awareness is a sign of high agency. Regularly reflecting and evaluating your behavior and results is important. They take that information and use it to figure out if you need to change course, habit, or adopt a better strategy.

  The high agency are always learning from mistakes and bettering themselves.

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."

~Aristotle

  Highly successful people tend to be high agency. They bring the most change to the world around them. History is full of examples of high-agency people.

  Steve Jobs started Apple Inc. in a garage, built it into a larger company. They booted him out of the organization, but he took that and pivoted to new endeavors. Those projects helped him learn new tools that, when Apple Inc. brought him back, he made Apple Inc. the company we see today.

  Think about how many people you know who own an Apple product today.

  He didn't let obstacles stop him. Steve learned from his failures and adapted. If you read his book "Steve Jobs", by Walter Isaacson, you'd understand how he walked to the beat of his own drum, never following the crowd.

  When everyone wanted to use a stylus for their devices, he said why would we use that, when humans have one built in, their "finger".

  Steve Jobs was an innovative thinker, two steps ahead of everyone else.

  We can learn to be more high agency like Steve Jobs. It takes awareness and the willingness to change. It's not a comfortable change either. You have to fight the urge to feel accepted, often finding yourself pushing against the current.

  Not everyone has the mental gumption to be high agency.

  The idea of being someone like Steve Jobs sounds amazing. Unfortunately, it's not for everyone. Some people prefer the comfort of blending in with the crowd.

  And that's okay…

  If you want to be high agency, be prepared to be uncomfortable. You will feel judged. You will feel pressure to conform. You will be told to quit.

  Don't let those obstacles stop you. Keep moving forward and be different.