The 7 Agency Traps

Agency isn't some bullshit corporate buzzword.

It's the superpower that separates people who make shit happen from those who just let life happen to them.

But here's the thing — your agency isn't fixed. It ebbs and flows like a tide.

Some days you feel unstoppable. Other days, answering a simple email feels like climbing Everest.

What's actually happening is that you're falling into agency traps — hidden enemies that temporarily kill your ability to take meaningful action.

And they strike without warning.

What’s "agency"? It's your level of determination to make shit happen in the world. To be the driver, not the passenger.

High agency people have:

• Clear thinking

• Bias toward action

• Healthy disagreement with the status quo

But here's what nobody tells you: even the most high agency people lose their mojo sometimes.

And it happens in predictable patterns.

Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance called these moments "gumption traps.” They're like invisible potholes that stop you dead in your tracks.

But what's less discussed is how even the most determined, action-oriented people can temporarily lose their agency — often without realizing why.

Here are the 7 deadliest agency traps and how to escape them:

1. The Ego Trap

This feels like confidence. "I've got this. I know what I'm doing. I'm smart."

But the truth? The best people I know are actually pretty humble.

Why? Because their work constantly humbles them.

When your ego inflates, your ability to see reality accurately goes down proportionally.

Skilled craftspeople tend to be quiet and modest; the work itself keeps them honest.

Solution: Assume you're not that good. Sounds like terrible advice, right? But it works. When you mess up (and you will), you won't be devastated. You expected it. You learn and move on with your agency intact.

2. The Boredom Trap

Boredom isn't just being disinterested. It's your mind's alarm system warning that your agency is slipping away.

Remember when you first learned something new? Everything was fascinating. Then familiarity kicks in. You go through the motions. Your mind wanders.

And suddenly, you're stuck in the status quo.

The temporary loss of agency happens in that gap between noticing your boredom and acting on it. Those moments when you push through despite your mind signaling it needs a reset are precisely when costly mistakes occur.

Solution: Stop immediately when boredom hits during important work. Pirsig recommends sleep first, caffeine second.

If neither is an option, turn repetitive tasks into deliberate rituals. Bring mindfulness to boring shit.

3. The Binary Logic Trap

We're obsessed with yes/no, true/false thinking. But reality is rarely that clean.

Are you a good programmer or a bad one?

Should you quit your job or stay?

Is your business idea viable?

These questions lack context. They're designed to remove your agency.

Solution: Look for the third story — what would someone watching from the outside see? There's almost always a narrative that transcends the binary bullshit you're trapped in.

4. The Tool/Mental Models Trap

Imagine trying to remove a precision screw with a butter knife.

Nothing drains agency faster than struggling with the wrong tools (physical or mental).

Nothing drains agency faster than struggling with the wrong tools.

The frustration compounds with each failed attempt, and what should have been a straightforward task becomes an exercise in futility.

Solutions: Invest in quality tools. A quality used tool almost always beats a cheap new one.

For mental tools, try the "Six Thinking Hats" technique:

• Blue hat: Managing the thinking process

• Green hat: New ideas and possibilities

• Red hat: Intuition and feelings

• Yellow hat: Benefits and value

• Black hat: Risks and problems

• White hat: Facts and data

By deliberately switching between these perspectives, you escape your natural biases.

5. The Environment Trap

Your surroundings shape your work more than you realize.

Poor environmental conditions act as a constant drain on your agency, requiring more willpower to accomplish the same tasks.

I once tried to write in a crowded airport terminal. After two hours, I had negative progress. The next day, in a quiet room with good lighting, I finished in half the time.

People with naturally high agency control their environments by default.

Solutions: Fix your environment wherever possible. Lighting, comfort, temperature, etc. — it all matters.

Don't underestimate small adjustments:

• Want to read more? Place books in visible locations.
• Want to exercise? Set out your workout clothes the night before.
• Want to eat healthier? Put healthy options at eye level.

These aren't tricks. They're agency amplifiers that reduce the willpower required to take action.

6. The Backtracking Setback

You think you're finished when suddenly: "Oh shit, I forgot a step from 3 hours ago."

That bearing you removed? Needed to go back in first.

Those database tables you dropped? Had crucial relationships.

The sudden deflation isn't just about extra work; it's the psychological impact of thinking you were done, only to get pulled back.

Solution: Create an "Anti-To-Do list.” A record of what you've already accomplished.

Throughout your day, document each completed task, no matter how small. It gives you that dopamine hit and maintains momentum.

7. The Intermittent Failure Trap

The most maddening trap: problems that mysteriously disappear when you try to fix them.

Like that software bug that appears under seemingly random conditions.

You believe you've fixed it, only to have it reappear later. Often at the worst possible moment.

Solution: Expand your time horizon. Don't try to solve intermittent failures in a compressed timeframe. That's when frustration mounts as the problem refuses to reveal itself consistently.

Here's the real cost of these agency traps:

Think about the opportunities you've missed because your agency abandoned you at the moment of decision.

The ideas you never pursued because a trap drained your determination.

The skills you never mastered because setbacks made you question your abilities.

Over time, you begin to see yourself as someone who starts but doesn't finish. Someone with good ideas who can't execute them. A person who lacks high agency.

That's the true cost. Not just delayed projects, but a gradually diminished sense of what's possible for you.

So what's the move?

Recognize these traps. Name them when they appear. And have a game plan ready for each one.

Your agency isn't fixed. It's a resource you can protect and amplify.

And the people who win? They're not necessarily the smartest or most talented.

They're the ones who've learned to use their agency to escape these traps faster than everyone else.