How To Increase Agency (Flowchart)

May 22, 2024


Emmett Shear tweeted that agency is 100% teachable. "It's a mindset but it's also just a set of skills"

Josh made a flowchart with certain questions that helps generate agency in any problem.

You Have a Problem: Are You Working on It?

  • No: Are you in a victim mindset?
    • Yes: Can you answer these questions?
      • What if it were possible?
      • What’s the stupidest, easiest thing you could do to make even a little bit of progress?
      • Why are you so sure you won’t succeed?
    • No: Can you answer these questions?
      • (now) What are you doing right now?
      • (goal) What is a detailed description of the world after you’ve succeeded? What does success look like? What are you actually trying to do? In 12 months, what would you like to be celebrating with a friend?
      • (why) Why do you want to do that?
      • (problem) What is the roadblock? What is the problem in detail? What might make you procrastinate?
      • (solutions) What are some ideas that could possibly work?
      • (plan) Given the best, easiest, or most liked idea, what’s your rough draft of a plan?
      • (next step) What’s the immediate next step?
      • (help) Who or what could help fill in the gaps?
      • (environment) How could you set up your social context and environment to:
        • bolster your motivation, and
        • avoid frustrations and temptations?
  • Yes: Can you answer these questions?
    • What is a detailed description of the world after you’ve succeeded?
    • What’s the connection between what you’re doing now, your plan, and the goal?

Remember:

  • People tend to:
    • underestimate the likelihood of success for “bad” plans that could work.
    • overestimate the likelihood of success for sure-thing plans (day-to-day is usually more chaotic than we expect).

Free yourself from the requirement that your ideas must be good. All that matters is that they’re possible. It could work.

source: docs link