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The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions & Create a Life on Your Own Terms
Introducing The Power of Agency, a science-backed approach to living life on your own terms. Agency is the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life. Grounded in extensive psychological research, The Power of Agency gives you the tools to help alleviate anxiety, manage competing demands and help you live your version of success.
Renowned psychology experts Paul Napper and Anthony Rao will help you break through your state of overwhelm by showing you how to access your personal agency with seven empowering principles: control stimuli, associate selectively, move, position yourself as a learner, manage your emotions and beliefs, check your intuition, deliberate and then act.
Featuring stories of people who have successfully applied these principles to improve their lives, The Power of Agency will give you the insights and skills to build your confidence, conquer challenges, and live more authentically.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2019
278 people are currently reading
1361 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 20, 2019
I requested this book on Netgalley in return for an honest review
Extremely helpful! While reading this I was somewhat struggling with a certain part of my life and this helped me when it came to making practical decisions that are good for me.
The book I reviewed before this one (The New Happiness) was a more spiritual and emotional guideline, this book gave me more practical advice, like how to respond in certain situations and what ways of thinking you can use to stay in touch with your own agency.
I am someone who can easily loose my agency. I can be naive and I am easy to influence.
It's my goal this year to be more aware of that and get my agency back. This book is definitely a step in the right direction.
The writing is easy to follow and the use of real cases is very helpful to grasp what it's about a lot more.
I would definitely recommend this book to people who struggle with taking control (back) over their own life.
Extremely helpful! While reading this I was somewhat struggling with a certain part of my life and this helped me when it came to making practical decisions that are good for me.
The book I reviewed before this one (The New Happiness) was a more spiritual and emotional guideline, this book gave me more practical advice, like how to respond in certain situations and what ways of thinking you can use to stay in touch with your own agency.
I am someone who can easily loose my agency. I can be naive and I am easy to influence.
It's my goal this year to be more aware of that and get my agency back. This book is definitely a step in the right direction.
The writing is easy to follow and the use of real cases is very helpful to grasp what it's about a lot more.
I would definitely recommend this book to people who struggle with taking control (back) over their own life.
August 2, 2019
A good and much needed book for today's society. If you are experiencing overwhelm or anxiety this book is for you. If you are not, this book will still help you increase your agency and feel more in control. The book will also help you help those around you that are overwhelmed.
Seven Principles
1. Reduce stimuli -- put away the phone.
2. Associate selectively -- choose friends wisely.
3. Move -- Be healthy
4. Position self as a learned -- be humble and view failure as a chance to learn.
5. Manage your emotions and beliefs -- you can control emotions and beliefs
6. Listen to your intuition but not too much.
7. Deliberate then act
Seven Principles
1. Reduce stimuli -- put away the phone.
2. Associate selectively -- choose friends wisely.
3. Move -- Be healthy
4. Position self as a learned -- be humble and view failure as a chance to learn.
5. Manage your emotions and beliefs -- you can control emotions and beliefs
6. Listen to your intuition but not too much.
7. Deliberate then act
September 5, 2021
Overwhelm is becoming more and more widespread in our fast-paced, technology driven world. Napper and Rao argue that a mindful return to strengthening personal agency is the antidote. They discuss seven empowering principles: control stimuli, associate selectively, move, position yourself as a learner, manage your emotions and beliefs, check your intuition, deliberate and then act.
Why I started this book: Eye catching title and a shorter audio. I was ready and eager for both.
Why I finished it: So fascinating to see the secular and psychological background and approach to topics that I have been taught all my life in a religious setting. The different context really emphasized my need to return to certain religious practices, like having a "Sabbath" away from distractions and rushing to catch up or get ahead, the commitment to life long learning and taking time to ponder.
Why I started this book: Eye catching title and a shorter audio. I was ready and eager for both.
Why I finished it: So fascinating to see the secular and psychological background and approach to topics that I have been taught all my life in a religious setting. The different context really emphasized my need to return to certain religious practices, like having a "Sabbath" away from distractions and rushing to catch up or get ahead, the commitment to life long learning and taking time to ponder.
December 22, 2019
Authors do a good job of laying out the problem: Many if us feel a sense of overwhelm and lack of agency. It may be that their “solutions,” the seven principles they lay put in the book, are the right ones. But some of these principles are quite complex and involved. For example, chapter 5 is about managing one’s emotions. Most of us would agree that doing this will lead to a greater sense of agency. They give examples of their clients learning how to do this, but not really a clear plan of how any reader can do this.
So the book helped to clarify when we don’t feel agency and why. But was less clear on what to do about that.
So the book helped to clarify when we don’t feel agency and why. But was less clear on what to do about that.
February 8, 2020
Agency is the feeling that you are making meaningful decisions towards your goals. Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed is associated with low agency. I bought this book because I was feeling overwhelmed. Some of the tips in this book have helped, such as leaving my phone out of sight when I take breaks, but overall the book felt a bit empty.
I'm disappointed by the fact that most of the principles and tips in the book were justified via anecdote. Compared to books like The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky or Self-compassion by Kristen Neff, which give advice inspired by real experiments with interventions, the research in this book feels shallow.
The density of practical tips was quite low. For every tip, there was maybe 10 minutes of story telling to justify it.
There is value in the book. I don't doubt that the 7 principles are correlated with high agency. I just feel like now I need to go find 7 more books with research on interventions to make progress.
I'm disappointed by the fact that most of the principles and tips in the book were justified via anecdote. Compared to books like The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky or Self-compassion by Kristen Neff, which give advice inspired by real experiments with interventions, the research in this book feels shallow.
The density of practical tips was quite low. For every tip, there was maybe 10 minutes of story telling to justify it.
There is value in the book. I don't doubt that the 7 principles are correlated with high agency. I just feel like now I need to go find 7 more books with research on interventions to make progress.
September 25, 2019
For as long as people have goals there will always be a sense of being overwhelmed and this book provides insights, practical approaches that target both thought and behavior to cope with whatever comes our way on a daily basis.
What I loved most about this book is how well it is structured, the authors take their time in explaining and outlining what agency is and factors that influence it in modern times and how best to go about living your best life.
It's also great that they do not make promises, but rather invite and encourage the reader to take notes, ask questions, reflect on any insights as they read along.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC, this is a timely read given how much pressure we face today both in our personal and public lives.
What I loved most about this book is how well it is structured, the authors take their time in explaining and outlining what agency is and factors that influence it in modern times and how best to go about living your best life.
It's also great that they do not make promises, but rather invite and encourage the reader to take notes, ask questions, reflect on any insights as they read along.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC, this is a timely read given how much pressure we face today both in our personal and public lives.
May 16, 2021
Nothing new, same information I've read in all the other Self Help books out there. Mediocre with new labels.
January 2, 2020
Decent book, a bit clinical but had some great lessons
June 2, 2020
It took me a *very* long time to get through this book. Part of the reason is that it's dense with good information, but the other part is that a lot of it is information I had read or heard before, and sometimes I got tired of that and put it down for a while.
Despite much of it seeming familiar, I did make -- according to Goodreads -- 77 highlights, so I did find many things worth flagging.
The unique thing about it, and it's primary value, is that it takes a lot of familiar themes and puts them together under the concept of "Agency" -- the ability of a person to truly act according to their own sound decision making and in accordance with their authentic desires, not ruled by emotion, peer pressure, family, social media, or etc. Which is harder than it sounds. A lot of us strive for independence, but don't think beyond being materially self-sufficient. It's important to be mentally self-aware and self-sufficient as well.
The authors bolster their work by citing both peer reviewed research and their own experiences as consultants, which makes the book even more dense, but enhances the sense of reliability.
I think this would be a great book for families, especially those with adolescents, to read together and discuss. It could provide a common language that could enhance communication around stressors and impulses. Younger people could learn a lot as they get started in life, and older people will get a chance to re-consider how they perceive and process information and come to decisions.
Despite much of it seeming familiar, I did make -- according to Goodreads -- 77 highlights, so I did find many things worth flagging.
The unique thing about it, and it's primary value, is that it takes a lot of familiar themes and puts them together under the concept of "Agency" -- the ability of a person to truly act according to their own sound decision making and in accordance with their authentic desires, not ruled by emotion, peer pressure, family, social media, or etc. Which is harder than it sounds. A lot of us strive for independence, but don't think beyond being materially self-sufficient. It's important to be mentally self-aware and self-sufficient as well.
The authors bolster their work by citing both peer reviewed research and their own experiences as consultants, which makes the book even more dense, but enhances the sense of reliability.
I think this would be a great book for families, especially those with adolescents, to read together and discuss. It could provide a common language that could enhance communication around stressors and impulses. Younger people could learn a lot as they get started in life, and older people will get a chance to re-consider how they perceive and process information and come to decisions.
June 10, 2019
I picked this up at random from the library and was pleasantly surprised. The title sounded interesting so I figured I’d give it a chance. Although these self-help type books can be pretty hit or miss, I actually ended up really liking this. I think it’s easy (for me at least) to get overwhelmed by work and other mundane to-do list items which can lead to anxiety and procrastination, while not allowing yourself time to reflect on the bigger picture or analyze longer term goals in a focused and sufficient manner. I felt like the principles laid out in the book gave good advice for addressing these issues and they gave me a lot of good/actionable ideas.
I’d rate it higher but there were a lot of superfluous examples from their work that weren’t relevant to me and that I mostly skimmed.
I’d rate it higher but there were a lot of superfluous examples from their work that weren’t relevant to me and that I mostly skimmed.
September 10, 2020
According to data from the World Health Organization, the United States has been ranked as the most anxious nation on earth, with at least one in five—a full forty million Americans—currently diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
Almost 65 percent of the total population of England consults psychiatrists.
Nobody cares much about anxiety that leaves terrible effects on human body. And surprisingly, people of all ages are caught up by this disease one way or the other and they don't even know that they have succumbed to it. In this book Paul Napper tells what are the factors that lead a human being to anxiety and depression and how can he get rid of them.
The book is very useful for dealing with anxiety. I'm not writing here something from the book because I really don't want to spoil it.
Almost 65 percent of the total population of England consults psychiatrists.
Nobody cares much about anxiety that leaves terrible effects on human body. And surprisingly, people of all ages are caught up by this disease one way or the other and they don't even know that they have succumbed to it. In this book Paul Napper tells what are the factors that lead a human being to anxiety and depression and how can he get rid of them.
The book is very useful for dealing with anxiety. I'm not writing here something from the book because I really don't want to spoil it.
August 8, 2020
Many self-help books delve into this area. The power of agency is the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself. Unlike a lot of self-help books the ideas in this book are backed by science - these are ideas that have been tested and found useful for a wide range of people.
It's well structured and gives you the hope that you can make changes in the areas of your life that need changing - with case studies and ideas that (if you put them into action) will help increase your feeling of self-worth and self-esteeem, and help you understand and feel that you are in control of your own life.
Worth reading, if you feel that there are some areas in your life where you don't have control.
It's well structured and gives you the hope that you can make changes in the areas of your life that need changing - with case studies and ideas that (if you put them into action) will help increase your feeling of self-worth and self-esteeem, and help you understand and feel that you are in control of your own life.
Worth reading, if you feel that there are some areas in your life where you don't have control.
May 13, 2019
Nothing really new but diving into this book is a good way of taking time to overthink your actual way of coping with daily stressors and becoming conscious about elements, behavioral patterns or people which are influencing your self confidence. And therefore your stresslevel and mood.
September 7, 2025
"You can choose." Really understand that, and you have agency.
September 27, 2019
"The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decision, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms", authored by doctors Paul Napper and Anthony Rao, is based around two central ideas. The first is that a vast majority of people in modern life feel overwhelmed by circumstances and situations and the second is that experience restricts their ability to make decisions, put plans into action, and take the needed steps to live life in the way they want. Napper and Rao’s book is an extended answer to this conundrum advocating seven principles individuals may adopt to push back against this experience.
Much of this book deals with the gathering quandaries inherent to modern life. The pace of our daily existence has outpaced out emotional and mental energy for managing its demands. American life, in particular, has become goal-oriented; we are transfixed with artificial markers, both personal and professional, of success and increasingly divorced from interpersonal connections that once formed the bedrock of our societal contract. The stories and examples culled from everyday life filling this book attest to this as well as the professional observations of medical and mental health professionals, religious leaders, and educational figures.
BOOK WEBSITE: https://www.powerofagency.com/
The Power of Agency makes the case these issues affect adults and children alike in greater numbers. The book draws from a wealth of research and data supporting these claims and the authors reinforce these conclusions with solid reasoning of their own. It identifies a variety of causes for these issues and lays out a cogent roadmap for addressing each one. The idea of agency, reclaiming one’s ability to set an appropriate pace for focusing and appraising situations to make the best decisions, is the lodestar of the author’s prescription for facing down these difficulties.
The aforementioned seven principles proposed by Rao and Napper are not difficult to digest as ideas. Reducing distractions, cultivating connections with healthy like-minded people, increasing physical activity, placing a high premium on learning, trusting one’s instincts, expanding self-awareness, and giving proper consideration to situations before acting on them are crucial. The authors divide these principles into two groups – the first three are behavioral while the final four are cognitive. The authors present these concepts in a comprehensible fashion for any reader without ever pretending interested parties will experience overnight success implementing them in their lives.
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2kSUy6K
Napper and Rao explore implementing them in a systematic fashion including diagrams and exercises along the way to facilitate their incorporation. The thoughtfulness of their approach even extends to advising readers how to best approach the text recognizing that even the ideas laid out here may seem daunting or overwhelming to those struggling with the issues discussed within its pages. Their sensitive appreciation for the wounded psyches of those turning to such volumes for help is an unique characteristic of the book strengthening its overall value.
The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decision, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms touches all the bases in its effort to provide the public with an effective approach for coping with modern life. This, if nothing else, distinguishes it from many works in a similar vein, but the comprehensive approach they promote gains even more thanks to its exceptional and clear writing throughout. This will be a valuable addition to the ever growing library of literature on the subject.
Much of this book deals with the gathering quandaries inherent to modern life. The pace of our daily existence has outpaced out emotional and mental energy for managing its demands. American life, in particular, has become goal-oriented; we are transfixed with artificial markers, both personal and professional, of success and increasingly divorced from interpersonal connections that once formed the bedrock of our societal contract. The stories and examples culled from everyday life filling this book attest to this as well as the professional observations of medical and mental health professionals, religious leaders, and educational figures.
BOOK WEBSITE: https://www.powerofagency.com/
The Power of Agency makes the case these issues affect adults and children alike in greater numbers. The book draws from a wealth of research and data supporting these claims and the authors reinforce these conclusions with solid reasoning of their own. It identifies a variety of causes for these issues and lays out a cogent roadmap for addressing each one. The idea of agency, reclaiming one’s ability to set an appropriate pace for focusing and appraising situations to make the best decisions, is the lodestar of the author’s prescription for facing down these difficulties.
The aforementioned seven principles proposed by Rao and Napper are not difficult to digest as ideas. Reducing distractions, cultivating connections with healthy like-minded people, increasing physical activity, placing a high premium on learning, trusting one’s instincts, expanding self-awareness, and giving proper consideration to situations before acting on them are crucial. The authors divide these principles into two groups – the first three are behavioral while the final four are cognitive. The authors present these concepts in a comprehensible fashion for any reader without ever pretending interested parties will experience overnight success implementing them in their lives.
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2kSUy6K
Napper and Rao explore implementing them in a systematic fashion including diagrams and exercises along the way to facilitate their incorporation. The thoughtfulness of their approach even extends to advising readers how to best approach the text recognizing that even the ideas laid out here may seem daunting or overwhelming to those struggling with the issues discussed within its pages. Their sensitive appreciation for the wounded psyches of those turning to such volumes for help is an unique characteristic of the book strengthening its overall value.
The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decision, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms touches all the bases in its effort to provide the public with an effective approach for coping with modern life. This, if nothing else, distinguishes it from many works in a similar vein, but the comprehensive approach they promote gains even more thanks to its exceptional and clear writing throughout. This will be a valuable addition to the ever growing library of literature on the subject.
July 23, 2021
Excellent concept and the first chapter lays out the problem very nicely. I'm sure the authors are excellent clinicians. Unfortunately, the rest of the text is uneven and often unnecessary. Sometimes the writing wanders from its mission of promoting agency. Sometimes the authors try to fit a pop psychology concept into their thesis. And, I'm definitely not a fan of using case reports as evidence, especially when it comes to "gut" intuition.
The Power of Agency is geared towards a lay public that has little exposure to self-help / prescriptive books. For that group, this book can be useful.
The Power of Agency is geared towards a lay public that has little exposure to self-help / prescriptive books. For that group, this book can be useful.
September 12, 2024
I have never given much thought to the concept of 'Agency', and I appreciated this very clearly written, well-formatted treatise on it. I am definitely adding Paul Napper and Anthony Rao's framework to my Get-Unstuck toolkit.
This book breaks down 7 Principles of Agency (listed below). You can read it as an entire book, which I did, or read a particular section you're interested as a stand-alone. Napper and Rao offer a little bit of theory, but focus much more on practical strategies. Each chapter ended with a summary-menu of potential action items to address that particular Agency principle. It's one of those books that offers a hundred small, obvious-seeming actions, and the real challenge is in setting yourself up to actually use the right strategy for you at the right time.
I do think the book was missing an emphasis on how to set yourself up for success - in my experience, the most difficult time to implement new habits/strategies is when I am already stuck. This book is definitely rooted in a Western, white-male-driven, 'rationality'-heavy tradition. This was not a bad thing, but I would have been interested to hear Napper and Rao's comments on this fact, and reflections on how their theory overlaps with other approaches to 'Agency'. I rate this a 4.5 star bibliotherapy book.
***
SUMMARY/KEY TAKE AWAYS
The book defines agency as "being *active* rather than *passive*, of reacting effectively to immediate situations and planning effectively for your future...In simpler words, agency is what humans have always used to *feel in command of their lives*. With it, people are able to live in ways that reflect their interests, values, and inner motivation."
PRINCIPLE #1: CONTROL STIMULI: "Managing your exposure to external stimuli will increase the quality of your thinking, the quality of your judgement, and the quality of your overall life."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: We are exposed to enormous amounts of information and background noise when we are living in a city. Even when I think I have cut down stimulation, I still might be overstimulated.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Think about how to package and trim incoming information before it gets to you; Cut down background noise where possible in your environment; Lose the phone; Go outside
PRINCIPLE #2: ASSOCIATE SELECTIVELY: "Spending tie with empathetic, optimistic, open-minded people and weeding out those who have the opposite qualities will boost your mood, elevate your motivation, and improve your health."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: Humans mirror each other - moods and behaviours spread. We are also programmed to reference what the people around us are doing/how they are reacting, and use it as a point of reference for our own actions/reactions. This can work both for and against you.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Be part of diverse circles and communities; Be a truthteller, Set healthy boundaries; Prepare to be unpopular so that you're able to tolerate criticism if you take an independent stand
PRINCIPLE #3: MOVE: "Physical movement, along with proper rest and nutrition, will put your body and mind into balance, giving you greater motivation, strength, and stamina to move forward in your life."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: Literally ANY and ALL movement helps you in a million ways. Physically moving can get you out of 'learned helplessness' mindframes.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Move at least 30 min and never stay seated for more than 2 h; walk a lot; start small with exercise routines; listen and interpret your body's signals!
PRINCIPLE #4: POSITION YOURSELF AS A LEARNER: "Actively positioning yourself to learn from a wide range of people and trustworthy resources will serve to continuously expand your knowledge and capabilities."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: You cannot out-run some of the cognitive biases that are programed into us. Watch out for Authority bias, Confirmation Bias, and Anchoring Effect
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Learn to fail, Indulge your Curiosity, Get feedback, Ask about people's chain of reasoning
PRINCIPLE #5: MANGE YOUR EMOTIONS AND BELIEF: "Increasing your awareness of how your emotions and beliefs drive your thinking, influence your behaviour, and affect your judgement will help you navigate life with confidence."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: "Your agency is tied to an optimistic mind-set: I'm capable, it's worth a try. A non-agency voice tends to be negative and self-critical: I'm to old, my resume isn't right, life isn't fair." Managing your beliefs will help you manage your emotions. Beliefs are not precious and can be affirmed/contracted by evidence; values are what are based in your inner truths.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Self-awareness is KEY to managing your emotions and beliefs. Expand your emotional vocabulary, now your sinkholes, and practice awareness of your thoughts/feelings.
PRINCIPLE #6: CHECK YOUR INTUTION: "Intuition is an invaluable source of information to guide you, and when used wisely, it enhances creativity and the quality of your decision-making."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: 'Ordinary Intuition' - response to immediate circumstances - can be differentiated from 'Strategic intuition' - which the book uses to refer to the problem-solving your brain does OUTSIDE your conscious mind, which can lead you to 'intuitive' solutions or conclusions that did not come from linear thinking. Recall that intuition is NOT helpful when dealing with problems whose primary data is outside of your immediate experience & knowledge, particularly statistical questions.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Sleep on big decisions! to hear your intuition, try quieting your mind and see what arises in mind/body.
PRINCIPLE #7: DELIBERATE, THEN ACT: "Using a defined deliberation process allows you to make effective decisions, act with confidence to overcome obstacles, and open up new paths and opportunities."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: It's really useful to think about how you make decisions. What's your system? It's easy to make important decisions without self-awareness of HOW we are making the decisions. Also be aware of 4 common impediments to decision making: obsession, perfectionism, impulsivity and procrastination. Consider how good/complete your information is. Be aware of your emotional state when making a choice - it could have a disproportionate impact.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Separate your deliberation process from taking action on important matters (sleep on it). (Deliberate, then act)
This book breaks down 7 Principles of Agency (listed below). You can read it as an entire book, which I did, or read a particular section you're interested as a stand-alone. Napper and Rao offer a little bit of theory, but focus much more on practical strategies. Each chapter ended with a summary-menu of potential action items to address that particular Agency principle. It's one of those books that offers a hundred small, obvious-seeming actions, and the real challenge is in setting yourself up to actually use the right strategy for you at the right time.
I do think the book was missing an emphasis on how to set yourself up for success - in my experience, the most difficult time to implement new habits/strategies is when I am already stuck. This book is definitely rooted in a Western, white-male-driven, 'rationality'-heavy tradition. This was not a bad thing, but I would have been interested to hear Napper and Rao's comments on this fact, and reflections on how their theory overlaps with other approaches to 'Agency'. I rate this a 4.5 star bibliotherapy book.
***
SUMMARY/KEY TAKE AWAYS
The book defines agency as "being *active* rather than *passive*, of reacting effectively to immediate situations and planning effectively for your future...In simpler words, agency is what humans have always used to *feel in command of their lives*. With it, people are able to live in ways that reflect their interests, values, and inner motivation."
PRINCIPLE #1: CONTROL STIMULI: "Managing your exposure to external stimuli will increase the quality of your thinking, the quality of your judgement, and the quality of your overall life."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: We are exposed to enormous amounts of information and background noise when we are living in a city. Even when I think I have cut down stimulation, I still might be overstimulated.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Think about how to package and trim incoming information before it gets to you; Cut down background noise where possible in your environment; Lose the phone; Go outside
PRINCIPLE #2: ASSOCIATE SELECTIVELY: "Spending tie with empathetic, optimistic, open-minded people and weeding out those who have the opposite qualities will boost your mood, elevate your motivation, and improve your health."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: Humans mirror each other - moods and behaviours spread. We are also programmed to reference what the people around us are doing/how they are reacting, and use it as a point of reference for our own actions/reactions. This can work both for and against you.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Be part of diverse circles and communities; Be a truthteller, Set healthy boundaries; Prepare to be unpopular so that you're able to tolerate criticism if you take an independent stand
PRINCIPLE #3: MOVE: "Physical movement, along with proper rest and nutrition, will put your body and mind into balance, giving you greater motivation, strength, and stamina to move forward in your life."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: Literally ANY and ALL movement helps you in a million ways. Physically moving can get you out of 'learned helplessness' mindframes.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Move at least 30 min and never stay seated for more than 2 h; walk a lot; start small with exercise routines; listen and interpret your body's signals!
PRINCIPLE #4: POSITION YOURSELF AS A LEARNER: "Actively positioning yourself to learn from a wide range of people and trustworthy resources will serve to continuously expand your knowledge and capabilities."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: You cannot out-run some of the cognitive biases that are programed into us. Watch out for Authority bias, Confirmation Bias, and Anchoring Effect
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Learn to fail, Indulge your Curiosity, Get feedback, Ask about people's chain of reasoning
PRINCIPLE #5: MANGE YOUR EMOTIONS AND BELIEF: "Increasing your awareness of how your emotions and beliefs drive your thinking, influence your behaviour, and affect your judgement will help you navigate life with confidence."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: "Your agency is tied to an optimistic mind-set: I'm capable, it's worth a try. A non-agency voice tends to be negative and self-critical: I'm to old, my resume isn't right, life isn't fair." Managing your beliefs will help you manage your emotions. Beliefs are not precious and can be affirmed/contracted by evidence; values are what are based in your inner truths.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Self-awareness is KEY to managing your emotions and beliefs. Expand your emotional vocabulary, now your sinkholes, and practice awareness of your thoughts/feelings.
PRINCIPLE #6: CHECK YOUR INTUTION: "Intuition is an invaluable source of information to guide you, and when used wisely, it enhances creativity and the quality of your decision-making."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: 'Ordinary Intuition' - response to immediate circumstances - can be differentiated from 'Strategic intuition' - which the book uses to refer to the problem-solving your brain does OUTSIDE your conscious mind, which can lead you to 'intuitive' solutions or conclusions that did not come from linear thinking. Recall that intuition is NOT helpful when dealing with problems whose primary data is outside of your immediate experience & knowledge, particularly statistical questions.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Sleep on big decisions! to hear your intuition, try quieting your mind and see what arises in mind/body.
PRINCIPLE #7: DELIBERATE, THEN ACT: "Using a defined deliberation process allows you to make effective decisions, act with confidence to overcome obstacles, and open up new paths and opportunities."
A KEY TAKE-AWAY: It's really useful to think about how you make decisions. What's your system? It's easy to make important decisions without self-awareness of HOW we are making the decisions. Also be aware of 4 common impediments to decision making: obsession, perfectionism, impulsivity and procrastination. Consider how good/complete your information is. Be aware of your emotional state when making a choice - it could have a disproportionate impact.
FAVOURITE STRATEGY: Separate your deliberation process from taking action on important matters (sleep on it). (Deliberate, then act)
April 19, 2020
High level, mainly corporate, focus on developing the principle of prudence.
Framed as a research study, I felt it focused mostly on the mechanics of decision making and less on the action side of agency.
I define agency as “the ability to make things happen.” The authors seem to define it as more around good judgment professionally.
Great info on emotional management and taking a pause backed by neuroscience and interviews. I am reading Nir Egal’s Indistractible next because it deals more with designing the reflective space this book calls for.
A solid read.
Framed as a research study, I felt it focused mostly on the mechanics of decision making and less on the action side of agency.
I define agency as “the ability to make things happen.” The authors seem to define it as more around good judgment professionally.
Great info on emotional management and taking a pause backed by neuroscience and interviews. I am reading Nir Egal’s Indistractible next because it deals more with designing the reflective space this book calls for.
A solid read.
December 18, 2019
I appreciate the framework that was created in this book. These 7 principles are not new or revolutionary in and of themselves. But connected together as they were, they provide a different and meaningful lens for the reader to look at the idea of agency, and to ponder the agency they themselves carry.
I think this book could be a helpful tool as a referral device, for people who struggle to find and express their own voice.
Good stuff.
I think this book could be a helpful tool as a referral device, for people who struggle to find and express their own voice.
Good stuff.
October 18, 2023
One of my new favorite words and psychological concepts.
“What we’re witnessing in our practices, and indeed across every spectrum of the human experience, is an increasing number of people who have lost their ability to adapt to stress–with the result that they lose the ability to direct their lives. Psychologists refer to this as a loss of agency. Agency is what allows you to pause, evaluate, and act when you face a challenge–be it at work, home, or anywhere else in the world.
Agency is about being active rather than passive, of reacting effectively to immediate situations and planning effectively for your future. When you become too overwhelmed you lose your agency, you can no longer evaluate your circumstances, reflect on the challenges and opportunities you’re confronted with, make creative decisions, and act in ways that open up possibilities for a meaningful life on your own terms.
In simple words, agency is what humans have always used to feel in command of their lives. With it, people are able to live in ways that reflect their interest, values, and inner motivations. Building agency is central to what therapists and consultants like us do in helping people improve their lives, it has been debated and written about by mental health scholars for years.
And yet only recently has it begun to penetrate the popular consciousness as essential for coping with the obstacles that life throws our way and building a healthy fulfilling life. Its erosion is linked directly to the crisis levels of anxiety we see in current times, for physiological reasons we will get to below, and because when we don’t have agency, problems fester, and plans don’t get made, leaving us with the constant sense of worry about the things that aren’t getting done and the impending consequences of inaction.”
~ Paul Napper and Anthony Rao from The Power of Agency
Agency.
It’s one of my favorite words and psychological concepts. So, when I saw this book I immediately got it and read it and here we are.
Paul Napper and Anthony Rao are leading consultants and clinicians (who have both held academic positions at Harvard Medical School).
In their great book, they define agency as “the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life.”
Then they provide practical, scientifically-grounded wisdom on, as per the sub-title of the book: “The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms.” I loved it. (Get a copy of the book here.)
Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:
1. Building Agency vs. Reducing anxiety.
2. The 7 Principles - For building agency.
3. Step 1: Control Stimuli - To create a calm, clear mind.
4. Mirror Mirror in My Brain - And in yours!
5. Energize to Agency-ize! - Eat, move, sleep to power up!
I’ve added The Power of Agency by Dr. Paul Napper and Anthony Rao Ph. D. to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at heroic.us.
“What we’re witnessing in our practices, and indeed across every spectrum of the human experience, is an increasing number of people who have lost their ability to adapt to stress–with the result that they lose the ability to direct their lives. Psychologists refer to this as a loss of agency. Agency is what allows you to pause, evaluate, and act when you face a challenge–be it at work, home, or anywhere else in the world.
Agency is about being active rather than passive, of reacting effectively to immediate situations and planning effectively for your future. When you become too overwhelmed you lose your agency, you can no longer evaluate your circumstances, reflect on the challenges and opportunities you’re confronted with, make creative decisions, and act in ways that open up possibilities for a meaningful life on your own terms.
In simple words, agency is what humans have always used to feel in command of their lives. With it, people are able to live in ways that reflect their interest, values, and inner motivations. Building agency is central to what therapists and consultants like us do in helping people improve their lives, it has been debated and written about by mental health scholars for years.
And yet only recently has it begun to penetrate the popular consciousness as essential for coping with the obstacles that life throws our way and building a healthy fulfilling life. Its erosion is linked directly to the crisis levels of anxiety we see in current times, for physiological reasons we will get to below, and because when we don’t have agency, problems fester, and plans don’t get made, leaving us with the constant sense of worry about the things that aren’t getting done and the impending consequences of inaction.”
~ Paul Napper and Anthony Rao from The Power of Agency
Agency.
It’s one of my favorite words and psychological concepts. So, when I saw this book I immediately got it and read it and here we are.
Paul Napper and Anthony Rao are leading consultants and clinicians (who have both held academic positions at Harvard Medical School).
In their great book, they define agency as “the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life.”
Then they provide practical, scientifically-grounded wisdom on, as per the sub-title of the book: “The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms.” I loved it. (Get a copy of the book here.)
Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:
1. Building Agency vs. Reducing anxiety.
2. The 7 Principles - For building agency.
3. Step 1: Control Stimuli - To create a calm, clear mind.
4. Mirror Mirror in My Brain - And in yours!
5. Energize to Agency-ize! - Eat, move, sleep to power up!
I’ve added The Power of Agency by Dr. Paul Napper and Anthony Rao Ph. D. to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at heroic.us.
April 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this book—it was clear, well-structured, and full of valuable insights. Everything made sense and was easy to follow, but still deep enough to make you reflect. I took a lot of notes while reading and definitely learned a lot about how to take more control over my choices and mindset.
One thing I appreciated was the inclusivity throughout the book. The authors made a real effort to acknowledge different kinds of people and life experiences, which made the content feel relatable and respectful. You can also tell how much time and research went into this—the amount of sources and references was impressive. I deeply resonated with the very last principle: Deliberate, then Act.
A powerful read for anyone looking to become more intentional with their life and decisions.
One thing I appreciated was the inclusivity throughout the book. The authors made a real effort to acknowledge different kinds of people and life experiences, which made the content feel relatable and respectful. You can also tell how much time and research went into this—the amount of sources and references was impressive. I deeply resonated with the very last principle: Deliberate, then Act.
A powerful read for anyone looking to become more intentional with their life and decisions.
June 21, 2025
It is a solid read if you're looking for perspective and reflection. It allows you to detach from everything that is happening so you can think clearly and effectively and choose the decision that would contribute to your highest potential. It also presents uncomfortable truths in a very clear and direct way, which I appreciated. There’s a lot to learn, and many of the ideas are phrased really really well, some points were explained better than I’ve ever seen elsewhere! Lines worth memorizing. But the overall writing style isn’t very engaging. It feels more like reading a very long piece, so finishing the book felt more like a task than a page turner, words are not really so entertaining. But if you're looking for insights more than anything, it's definitely worth checking out!!
dnf-abandoned
December 23, 2025dnf
My interpretation is that agency is a bias for action, it gets even better when your actions are aligned with your values
And not, "ability to slow things down, focus and size up your current situation and make good decisions."
This book, perhaps should have just been named " how to be decisive" instead.
Note to self, why did I even buy this book in the first place?
Isn't this having better boundaries instead?
interesting chapters on intuition versus emotions, focusing technique by Eugene t Gendlin
My interpretation is that agency is a bias for action, it gets even better when your actions are aligned with your values
And not, "ability to slow things down, focus and size up your current situation and make good decisions."
This book, perhaps should have just been named " how to be decisive" instead.
Note to self, why did I even buy this book in the first place?
Isn't this having better boundaries instead?
interesting chapters on intuition versus emotions, focusing technique by Eugene t Gendlin
June 11, 2020
The Power of Agency is a practical how-to guide on attaining agency in your life. It points to the detrimental impact that overstimulation can have on us and provides techniques to combat overwhelming situations.
I thought this book was descent and would be helpful for anyone suffering from anxiety. After reading a few self-helps though, I can tell the authors pulled most of the principles from other books. Not sure how much original thought went into it.
I thought this book was descent and would be helpful for anyone suffering from anxiety. After reading a few self-helps though, I can tell the authors pulled most of the principles from other books. Not sure how much original thought went into it.
April 28, 2024
This is a great book that uncovers how we often think and how we may want to adjust that to create more control over our situations and life. The book is rooted in researched, scientific evidence, and is enhanced through related stories from interviewed individuals. A suggestion I have is to read the conclusion, which is 3 pages, before digging into the book. I also recommend reading the entire book, how ever pieces may work from some as well.
March 5, 2021
3.5 Stars. I was hoping for a bit more, but I realized that these guys aren't speaking to the very new person approaching control of their life, they are actually talking to everything. They just believe in the fundamental principles so much that they are writing about them. All the same, great principles, but a little simple. I'd like to handle the complexities a little more.
June 1, 2023
Easy to read, comprehensive and informative, the authors Napper and Rao provide great tools to help us find agency in relationships, in the workplace, in families and for ourselves. One of those books you could turn to over and over when the going gets tough, or when you just need some gentle reminders on how to take good care.
January 7, 2025
I think this is a self help book that could easily be an article or at most a TEDtalk, unless you really haven’t heard these concepts before. I found the introduction to be really interesting — a unique perspective on how agency can overcome the paralysis of anxiety that plagues modern life. But the lessons themselves felt like recalibrated life lessons angled slightly differently.
July 5, 2019
A great book. It explains how to have “agency” and be able to make decisions in your personal and professional life. It discusses aspects that we usually don’t think about, such as moving regularly and to avoid stimuli. Would recommend it for everyone !!
January 1, 2020
I enjoyed this book. Each principle is its own chapter so you can skip any of them that don't apply to your life. The book begins with an evaluation of where you are in the 7 areas. You can then read the chapters in order or just skip to the areas where you want more help.
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