The concept of self-agency describes how a person can influence their own thoughts, motivations and actions and act in a self-determined manner. This includes self-reflection, self-regulation and taking responsibility for one's own decisions and their consequences. Self-agency is extremely important for mental well-being, personal growth and the development of a coherent sense of identity and purpose.

What exactly is self-agency?

Self-agency, also known as personal agency or self-efficacy, means believing in your ability to influence your own thoughts, motivations and actions. It's about feeling in control of your life and being able to determine how you deal with your circumstances and the future. Self-agency means reflecting on yourself, regulating yourself and taking responsibility for your own decisions and their consequences. This is important for personal development and achieving goals because it allows you to act proactively and consciously.

Psychological meaning

Self-agency plays a crucial role in psychological well-being and personal growth. It is closely related to intrinsic motivation, as people with a strong sense of self-determination are more likely to participate in activities that are driven by personal interest and values rather than external rewards or pressure. Self-determination is also an important factor in resilience, as people who believe they can influence outcomes cope better with challenges and setbacks.
Furthermore, self-determination is important for the development of a coherent sense of identity and purpose because it enables individuals to actively shape their life story and pursue meaningful goals.

Application in coaching

Self-agency is an important component in coaching and personal development because it empowers clients to take responsibility for their growth and success. Many coaching programs and self-development guides incorporate principles of self-determination to help individuals develop self-awareness, set goals, and take action to achieve desired results. For example, in executive coaching, it is often important that bosses learn to believe in themselves and take responsibility. This is what is expected of successful bosses.
Life coaching and self-help resources are also about helping people learn to free themselves from negative thoughts, make their own decisions and live a fulfilling life according to their own ideas. These approaches show how important it is to empower yourself and actively shape your own life in order to be satisfied and successful in the long term.

Programs and courses

In addition to my consulting and workshops, there are a variety of other coaching programs and courses that focus on promoting self-efficacy and personal responsibility. Here are some examples:

Haufe Academy:

The seminar “Self-efficacy – my path to more self-confidence” helps participants to recognize and use their personal resources to appear more self-confident and achieve their goals. Through practical exercises and reflection, confidence in one’s own abilities is strengthened.
WIFI Vienna: The course “Self-efficacy – design your own life” is about increasing your own self-efficacy, seeing challenges as opportunities, acting proactively and taking responsibility for your own life. Participants develop concrete strategies to achieve their goals and overcome obstacles.

Academy for Executives:

The seminar “Self-efficacy and motivation” is specifically designed for managers and shows them how they can strengthen their self-efficacy and promote it in their employees. The aim is to create an environment in which independent action and intrinsic motivation are encouraged.
There are also numerous online courses and resources to strengthen self-agency. The Udemy platform, for example, offers the course “Boosting Your Self-Efficacy”, which teaches techniques to strengthen belief in one's own abilities and act independently.

Practical exercises to promote self-agency

There are various practical exercises that can specifically strengthen self-efficacy and the feeling of personal ability to act (self-agency):

• Reflection exercises: Take time regularly to reflect on your thoughts, feelings and actions. Challenge limiting beliefs and focus on your strengths and successes. Write a journal to track your progress and gain insights.
• Objective: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-limited (SMART) goals. Break big goals down into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate each success along the way to boost your confidence.
• Positive self-talk: Pay attention to your inner dialogues and replace negative or self-critical thoughts with encouraging and supportive statements. Talk to yourself as you would talk to a good friend.
• Comfort zone exercises: Consciously take small risks and leave your comfort zone. Overcome fears by doing things you would normally avoid. Every challenge you overcome strengthens your belief in yourself.
• Visualization techniques: Vividly imagine yourself achieving your goals and successfully overcoming obstacles. Mental exercises activate similar brain regions as actual actions and can increase your self-confidence and motivation.

By regularly practicing these exercises, you can gradually build your self-efficacy and develop a stronger sense of control over your life. Remember that building self-agency is an ongoing process that requires patience and perseverance.

Also

Journaling

is a powerful tool for increasing self-confidence and self-knowledge. By regularly writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings, you can identify deep-seated patterns, strengths and areas for development. By reflecting on positive and negative experiences, you can identify triggers for mood swings and deal with them better. Journaling also activates mirror neurons in the brain, which are important for empathy and emotion processing. By analyzing experiences from different perspectives, insights are gained and self-understanding is deepened. When writing, it is important to be honest with yourself and to process both facts and feelings. However, writing about negative experiences too often should be avoided in order to avoid falling into brooding. Just a few minutes of journaling per day can improve self-perception and contribute to personal growth.

Overall, it is important to trust yourself and to trust yourself. Because only if you trust yourself can you lead a fulfilled and self-determined life. To do this, you have to learn to trust yourself. You can learn this step by step.