I write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes at 9 every morning.

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Welcome to the Second Mix Podcast where we reflect, revise, and remix our lives. My name is Matthew Bennett. If you like what you hear today, please subscribe and give me 5 stars wherever you can and IF you know of anyone who will find this content helpful, please join my mission and share this with them. At the end of this episode there’s going to be a call to action -a call to take some little step to remix your life – please join the Facebook group Ideas and Concepts Mastermind so we can continue the discussion. The link is in the description.

Agency is the state of being in action or exerting power. This is where it all comes together. 

When we talked about Ethos, we talked about your mindset, your character, your philosophy on life. 

Then we looked at our Intentions – your goals, your mission, and your purpose. 

Then we looked at our Efficacy – building our abilities to carry out that purpose. 

You will notice great strides in your progress if you invest your ethos, your intentions, and your efficacy into action – into agency. 

When you invest these, there is powerful, clear, and skillful action and real work will start getting done. Not tasks or busy work. But the real work you need towards actual progress – actual results. 

I spent the first 25 years of my adult life thinking about my philosophy, writing out goals, trying to figure out my purpose, and to some extent building some skills, with no real direction. It got me nowhere without consistent action. It’s only been in the past two years that I have taken the time to create my goals, decide on my mission, write out what is required to achieve them, getting the skills necessary through reading and practice, and then taking decisive steps to completing them.  

It’s been just over two years, and I’ve started two businesses, lectured on what I know, started a podcast, joined a mastermind, lost 40 pounds, started learning Spanish, read 240 books on personal development, improved my relationships with my wife and family, and I’m about to buy some rental properties with a goal of 4 this year. I’m not bragging. I just want you to know this stuff works. But what could I have accomplished by now if I had started when I was 18, or 28, or even 38? I waited until I was 46 years old before the light turned on. 

Life can get confusing if you let it get confusing. There is a universe of thought packed in your mind. It isn’t some neatly organized space with labels. Rather, a constant stream of supporting and opposing thoughts, or distractions, and too many more categories to realistically name. 

Action involves saying, “I don’t care what all these random thoughts are saying, I know my plan, I know my purpose, and I have the skill to get it. So I’m going to go get it.” And then saying that every single day – instead of chasing other thoughts and chasing other plans. Through the self-doubt that you will almost certainly experience, and the waves of adversity that will invariably be coming, action is keeping a solid course and continuing onward to the prize. 

I had been assuming that there were going to be several episodes devoted to each of these attributes  - but when it comes to agency, there’s really not a lot to talk about. It’s action-oriented, so as long as your action is backed up by your healthy ethos, clear intention, and growing efficacy, you’re going to be doing well. 

And action bleeds right into all of these others – it takes action to sit down and define your ethos. It takes action to determine your intention, writing out your goals, your mission, your purpose. Without action they don’t get written down. It takes action to build your efficacy. It takes reading, learning, and practice of all the skills you need to build. 

Here’s just a couple more thoughts on action, before I end this thing. 

Take advantage of inspiration, but don’t wait for inspiration. A quote usually attributed to William Faulkner says, “I write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes at 9 every morning.” Get a system to do your work. Have a plan to take action, and no matter how you feel, at that preset time in your planner, take the action you are supposed to take. Do the best you possibly can, pour your effort in. Nobody is expecting you to do more than your best. And your best will get things done. 

Learn to do these things with courage – no matter how scared you are. If you don’t like making phone calls, how are you going to get better? Making fewer calls isn’t going to do the trick. You’ve got to make calls. You may always be scared to do this – but you’ll learn how to get through that fear and make them anyways. And realistically I can almost promise you that you’ll grow accustomed to it and no longer fear it. It always takes courage to begin. 

So don’t wait for inspiration, and don’t wait for the fear to go away. Just take action. 

Thanks for listening to the Second Mix Podcast, once again, I am Matthew Bennett. You can grab this transcript on the blog at secondmix.net. If you have any questions send me an email at matt@secondmix.net, I personally answer every email I get, and I want to talk to you! Please give me 5 stars whenever and wherever you can, subscribe to get notified about the latest episodes – and if you haven’t yet, please leave me a review.  If you know anyone who might find this information helpful, please tell them about this show – I do this to help people.  I’m gonna be here every Monday and Thursday until I can vaporize clouds with my mind. 

Take steps that will make your week incredible.  I’ll be back on Thursday –  this week continue reflecting, revising and remixing your life. I’ll see you soon!