Freedom vs Agency
“I just want to have more freedom.”
Some version of this statement is probably the number one item that comes up in the Coaching world these days. Freedom from routines, freedom from old patterns, and freedom from limitations – especially one’s self-imposed or otherwise unconscious framing that is being outgrown. And yes! These are all great reasons to explore the field of Coaching in hopes of matching up with a Coach that can help you surface the things holding you back so that you CAN free yourself from repressive routines, outdated patterns, and hidden assumptions that may be holding you back.
But...
Freedom “from” these kinds of things is only half the picture, and the lesser half if I were to speak frankly here. A better kind of freedom exists out there, and that comes in the form of true Agency, or the ability to make things happen. I often write about the importance of action in these articles (like here, here, and here), but the best actions to take are ones that create novelty, that “build the new,” that lean out over your front foot and push your boundaries further.
How are these 2 kinds of freedoms different?
The first freedom is pretty self-explanatory. Fewer limits mean more freedom. More options are better than less. Less duty equals more opportunity. Of course we all want more of this kind of freedom, right?
The second form, the freedom of Agency and the ability to make things happen, is much trickier. You may have set up your life to where your afternoons are free of appointments, achieving that first definition of freedom sufficient to allow you almost unfettered optionality on how to fill that time in ways that interest you. But what are you truly able to accomplish here?
Have you developed enough skill in playing guitar to where you are “free” to play along with some of your favorite songs, or even compose your own? Do you have enough training and practice in the culinary arts to enable you to enjoy the process of creating a 5 course meal for you and your friends this evening? Or even at the most basic level, have you cultivated enough curiosity and interest in the world around you that you have a half of dozen hobbies that you joyfully devote your time, energy, and money (TME) to further exploring?
The first freedom, freedom from obligations and limits, is a great place to start. But it gets real boring, really quick, if it isn’t soon replaced by prioritizing your ability to follow the path of action and agency into the realm of the second one. Only there are you really free to express your most unique qualities, pursue your passions, and fully bloom into your true Individuality.
What would YOU be doing if you had minimal obligations and restrictions on your TME, and could really lean into that 2nd freedom? And perhaps more importantly, what could you start doing today to create that reality?
