on agency
The version of "high agency" that finally clicked for me. Three things.
just ask
Most of what you want is sitting behind a question nobody bothered to ask.
Apply for the job. Email the founder. Call instead of researching for hours. "No" is free.
Steve Jobs cold-called Bill Hewlett at twelve for spare parts. Got the parts, plus a summer job at HP. Elon and his brother cold-called a Canadian bank exec until he picked up. That call seeded PayPal.
The asks that scare you a little are the ones worth sending.
the annoying stuff is your edge
Your competitors aren't smarter. They're avoiding the same things you are.
Cold calls. Awkward follow-ups. The dumb question. Flying somewhere for thirty minutes. Your brain hides these under "i'll do it later."
Catch the moment. Ask: am i avoiding this because it's annoying? That's almost always where your edge is.
if you need willpower, the setup is wrong
If you force yourself every day, the move isn't more discipline. It's redesigning so the right thing is the path of least resistance.
Phone in another room. Gym clothes by the bed. Work block at 6am. Friends who already do the thing.
You're not supposed to feel strain. You're supposed to feel a slope.
Operating out of these for now. Might change. Only rule is keep moving.