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Personal agency
Personal agency, or self-agency, describes the experiences we have when we set goals for ourselves and take action to achieve them.
- People with high agency feel a sense of control over their lives, and they can make decisions about what they want or need and act to meet those needs.
- People with low agency may feel like something outside their control, such as luck or fate, is shaping their path. If someone has low agency, they may feel powerless to change the direction of their lives. And powerlessness is a very uncomfortable feeling for most of us.
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The six components of high agency
- Intentionality assumes that humans are making conscious choices to improve their lives.
- Power means that a person has the resources, capabilities, and knowledge to act on their goals.
- Rationality: We can understand the circumstances of their situations and keep track of the outcomes of their actions.
- Forethought: our ability to choose the right actions to achieve their goals and anticipate the outcomes of their actions.
- Self-regulation: our capacity to monitor their emotions, behaviors, and motivations as they act upon their goals.
- Self-efficacy: a person’s belief in their ability to succeed.
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Low self-agency
Low self-agency is not a moral failing; there are many social, economic, and cultural reasons people may feel that they have little control over their lives.
You have probably come across people with low self-agency in your everyday life. Perhaps you know a coworker who constantly complains about their workload but never takes it up with their supervisor, a family member who believes they are cursed with bad luck. This may be because they are struggling with low self-agency.
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From low agency to high agency
- Examine your beliefs. Would you describe yourself as someone with high agency, low agency, or somewhere in between?
- Practice intentionality. Setting a small intention at the beginning of each week can help you get in the habit of purposive thinking about your wants and needs.
- Understand your circumstances. High agency requires resources like time, money, knowledge, and skills.
- Find support. If you struggle with self-agency in your career, consider working with a career coach or a mentor.
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