Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, the same obstacles hold you back from achieving your goals?

You’ve put in the time, learned the skills, and yet… you’re stuck.

What if the missing piece isn’t more effort, more hours, or more ideas—but rather a simple psychological shift in how you approach challenges?

Let’s talk about agency—the most understudied personality trait of successful entrepreneurs.

What is Agency?

Agency refers to a person’s sense of control over their life and actions, and their ability to influence their thoughts and behavior.

It’s not just about feeling in charge—it’s about knowing that you can influence the direction of your life.

Agency is a fundamental psychological need that's closely related to self-efficacy.

For entrepreneurs, this trait is essential.

High-agency individuals don’t wait for external factors to determine their success; they take ownership of their journey, find solutions, and confidently overcome obstacles.

People with high agency believe they can shape their outcomes, whether making a decision, navigating a challenge, or creating opportunities from scratch.

This ability to steer the ship rather than drift with the current sets entrepreneurs apart from those stuck in traditional paths.

In essence, high-agency people design their lives, while low-agency people react to it.

Why Low Agency is Holding You Back

Low agency manifests in the way you approach decisions, always second-guessing yourself, seeking permission, or waiting for the “right time” to act.

This mindset makes you dependent on others—whether it’s your boss, the trends you’re told to follow, or the validation you crave from others.

As an entrepreneur, this can be especially damaging, because building something new requires risk-taking, resilience, and decisiveness.

Low agency makes you hesitant, fearful of making the wrong move, and trapped in a cycle of reacting to circumstances rather than creating them.

If you constantly feel drained, stuck, or like you’re not making progress, low agency may be the culprit.

Without addressing it, you remain a passive player in your own life, struggling to break free from the routines and expectations of others.

How to Build High Agency—And Transform Your Life & Business

The good news is that agency isn’t black or white—you can build it.

Building high agency starts with changing how you view control and responsibility.

One of the first steps is to take ownership of your decisions, big or small.

Stop waiting for permission or the “perfect” moment—act now, even if it feels risky.

Let’s do a thought experiment.

If you were in jail in a third-world country and had 1 phone call, who would you call to break you free?

The person you called has high agency.

It means that they are relentlessly resourceful¹ and no matter the circumstances, they’re confident in their abilities to find a way to break you free.

Here are some more characteristics of people with high agency:

• They don’t rely on others to solve their problems; they look for ways to overcome challenges on their own.

• They give you so much energy, you feel like hitting the gym after being with them. You can’t sleep you’re so excited. Low agency people suck the energy out of you. All you want to do is watch Netflix.

• They’re non-cliché. You can never guess their opinions. Their beliefs don’t coincide with their stereotypes. They’re the “Jacked Intellect” in the room.

• They share niche content they find interesting. Low agency people look at the engagement and response to content before sharing it. High agency people just look at the content.

• They had weird teenage hobbies. Again, they were non-cliché.

Who in your life are you these characteristics describing?

A powerful way to develop agency is to surround yourself with those high-agency individuals—people who energize you, challenge your thinking, and encourage you to take bold action.

Their influence can reshape how you approach problems and opportunities.

Additionally, practice sharing content or ideas because you believe in them, not because they are popular or validated by others.

As you develop high agency, you’ll notice that your ability to adapt, improvise, and persist increases.

In business, this translates into stronger leadership, better problem-solving, and the resilience needed to navigate uncertainty—ultimately transforming both your life and your entrepreneurial success.

High agency is not something you’re born with—it’s something you develop.

Start small.

Commit to one action this week that puts you in control of your path.

Whether it’s saying ‘no’ to something that doesn’t serve you, starting a side project, or sharing your work without waiting for approval—take one step toward becoming relentlessly resourceful.

When you’re ready for more, here’s how I can help.

Mindset Jujitsu.

As always, I love to chat with you guys! Reply back to this email or DM me on X (@markfrommktg) with any questions, feedback, or to simply kick it.

Thanks for being here.

Talk soon,

Mark

1  Relentlessly resourceful is a term Paul Graham used to describe the best founders in the world.