Why losing agency might be worse than uncertainty

We spend a lot of time talking about uncertainty. But I'm beginning to think loss of agency might be just as bad.

I've got a couple of things going on at the moment that depend entirely on people and processes I can't really control. Until they're resolved, my ability to plan travel, meetings and other commitments is restricted.

When I was employed, those things went with the territory. There was always a risk of holidays being cancelled or your diary being taken over by things beyond your control.

But when you're self-employed, you have much more agency; at least in my model of what that means. And so, as well as having flashbacks to a world I thought I'd left behind, it's reminded me how frustrating it is. Or rather, how lucky I am to mainly not experience that.

And the more I think about it, the more common I've realised it is; visas, property transactions, regulatory approvals and job offers all have the potential for us to temporarily lose autonomy. You've done your bit and now you're waiting for people (or machines) you can't see, working to timescales you don't know. 

What makes it worse is that it's usually when there's a lot a stake; that's when bureaucracy really finds its raison d'être.

The good news is that it's also inspired me; because it reminds me of the very worst of what compliance processes induce and why eradicating this stuff is at the heart of what I do.