Ben Wilson

No one's going to stop him from doing what he wants to do. And that starts at age five. But it doesn't have to start that young. Steve Jobs has a great quote. He says, life can be so much broader once you discover one simple fact. And that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people who are no smarter than you. And you can change it. You can influence it.

You can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again. And I think that realization could come at any point in life and it can come in degrees over time. So let's break this down into three categories. of how to be more high-agency. The first is how to frame problems. The second is how to design solutions. And then third is how to execute.

You can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again. And I think that realization could come at any point in life and it can come in degrees over time. So let's break this down into three categories. of how to be more high-agency. The first is how to frame problems. The second is how to design solutions. And then third is how to execute.

All right, so let's start with how you frame the problem. The first thing to do, and this has been really helpful to me, is to define every problem starting with the sentence, I don't know how to X. Okay, I picked this up from a recent episode of Alex Hormozy's podcast, and it's been a really great tool for me. So how does this shake out?

All right, so let's start with how you frame the problem. The first thing to do, and this has been really helpful to me, is to define every problem starting with the sentence, I don't know how to X. Okay, I picked this up from a recent episode of Alex Hormozy's podcast, and it's been a really great tool for me. So how does this shake out?

Let me give you an example from my own life to make it maybe a little more concrete. So my wife gave birth to our fourth child a week ago. And so it's been really difficult to find time to work out, especially in the morning, which is when I like to work out because it gets my day going, gets me active.

Let me give you an example from my own life to make it maybe a little more concrete. So my wife gave birth to our fourth child a week ago. And so it's been really difficult to find time to work out, especially in the morning, which is when I like to work out because it gets my day going, gets me active.

So the low agency way to think about it, which is what I was doing at first, is to just leave it as this undefined nagging problem. It's a complaint. I would like to work out in the morning, but I can't because my wife is up with the baby all night. So I have to be with the other three kids until about 8.30 AM. Okay. It's a complaint. It's an undefined problem.

So the low agency way to think about it, which is what I was doing at first, is to just leave it as this undefined nagging problem. It's a complaint. I would like to work out in the morning, but I can't because my wife is up with the baby all night. So I have to be with the other three kids until about 8.30 AM. Okay. It's a complaint. It's an undefined problem.

And it uses the word that we hate, can't. But then redefine it. Once I redefine it, I say, I don't know how to both work out in the morning and spend time with my kids from 630 to 830 AM. Even just reframing it basically solves the problem, right? I don't know how to do. Of course, you know how to do those two things. Okay. You could start working out at five or 530, pull a Jocko.

And it uses the word that we hate, can't. But then redefine it. Once I redefine it, I say, I don't know how to both work out in the morning and spend time with my kids from 630 to 830 AM. Even just reframing it basically solves the problem, right? I don't know how to do. Of course, you know how to do those two things. Okay. You could start working out at five or 530, pull a Jocko.

Or the solution I ended up on is I'll just work out with my kids either in the backyard or I throw them in a stroller and I push it up a hill and then do some pushups with them on my back. Okay.

Or the solution I ended up on is I'll just work out with my kids either in the backyard or I throw them in a stroller and I push it up a hill and then do some pushups with them on my back. Okay.

So just reframing a problem is I don't know how to X. It puts you in a high agency mindset because, oh, then I could learn to do X. So any problem that you have in your life that hasn't been defined in this way, try doing that. And all of a sudden it becomes a lot easier to find a solution because by reframing it that way, put the onus on yourself to learn and figure out the solution.

So just reframing a problem is I don't know how to X. It puts you in a high agency mindset because, oh, then I could learn to do X. So any problem that you have in your life that hasn't been defined in this way, try doing that. And all of a sudden it becomes a lot easier to find a solution because by reframing it that way, put the onus on yourself to learn and figure out the solution.

Now, of course, sometimes reframing isn't quite as simple. The question itself doesn't recommend an answer. This is true when you have these real big, hairy compounding problems, right? So, for example, think George Washington at the worst moment of the Revolutionary War. He hasn't had a victory in a while. The Americans are out of money. The troops are unhappy because they haven't been paid.

Now, of course, sometimes reframing isn't quite as simple. The question itself doesn't recommend an answer. This is true when you have these real big, hairy compounding problems, right? So, for example, think George Washington at the worst moment of the Revolutionary War. He hasn't had a victory in a while. The Americans are out of money. The troops are unhappy because they haven't been paid.

And it's this circular problem. The troops don't want to fight because they haven't been paid, but you're not winning victories, so you can't raise more money from other European powers. So if you reframe the problem with this one, it's I don't know how to pay my troops to fight for me so we can win battles so we can win this war.

And it's this circular problem. The troops don't want to fight because they haven't been paid, but you're not winning victories, so you can't raise more money from other European powers. So if you reframe the problem with this one, it's I don't know how to pay my troops to fight for me so we can win battles so we can win this war.

Maybe that reframe would help for George Washington, but even when you reframe it, the solution isn't immediately obvious. So these are the sorts of situations that are really difficult, right? You know, when I talked about reframing the problem, that's high agency 101. Okay, now we're onto 201. So the first thing you do is get really clear about the problem. Define it in excruciating detail.