Do you feel behind?
Everyone else seems to have it figured out - whether it’s:
A new job
Going viral
Or making an extra $10k a month using AI
It’s that fear of missing out that’s got you tempted to comment “PROMPT” on those IG reels to copy paste AI prompts,
Even if you’re not sure you want to.
Well…today I’m sharing why I believe using AI is actually making us the opposite of productive,
And what I do instead.
From mail to email: the history of “productivity”
I always look to the past to inform the future.
And if AI is anything like email, it just leads to more overwhelm.
Before email, we had mail:
Takes weeks to get a reply
Requires more work (going to the post office)
Full of imperfections - sometimes mail gets lost or stolen
But what happened when the invention of email sped things up?
We got:
Faster communication
Easier communication
Less chances of mistakes (losing stuff in the mail)
But how do you feel about your inbox?
If you’re anything like me with 2,340+ unread emails…
You probably feel more overwhelmed than before:
Pressured to respond fast
Scattered with too much to read
Scared of losing important info in the sea of spam
I think the development of AI follows a similar pattern.
We keep asking “how do we make this faster? How do we make it easier?”
But never stop to ask “when is enough?”
Because yes, email helps a lot…
But increasing the speed and ease of receiving messages just increased the pressure.
Increased capacity = higher expectations for productivity.
If we keep making things faster and easier, when is the right time to stop?
Outsourcing self-trust
If I apply this lens to AI, I have to ask myself: when is enough?
Because if I keep using AI to tell me what to do:
“How do I hit my business goals?”
“What are my content pillars?”
“Plan my quarterly goals for me”
Then eventually, I’ll stop believing I can figure things out myself.
This reliance on external validation is what leads to thoughts like:
“They said I have to do things this way, so if I struggle then I’m broken”
“I just need to grind through this because it’s how everyone else succeeds”
“If I don’t get this many views or have this much money, they’ll see me as a failure and I’ll feel behind”
Living life on someone else’s terms also looks like:
Feeling guilty all the time for not keeping your promises to yourself (“I’ll go to bed early…ugh I say that every time but never do. I can’t trust myself”)
Feeling ashamed for constantly disappointing yourself when you don’t hit goals others set for you (“I’m supposed to have it figured out by now…”)
Feeling scared to admit you don’t feel aligned (“there must be something wrong with me if I don’t do things the way everyone else says to”)
Why are you looking to others for an answer only you can give yourself?
After all, you should know yourself best.
But if you spend your whole life letting others (and AI) tell you what you “should” do,
Do you ever give yourself that chance to know what you truly want?
Because it’s never about shaming yourself into being “productive,”
But more about being daring enough - and trusting yourself enough - to design a system that works best for you.
The most effective coach
That’s why coaching is a huge industry:
We’ve been conditioned to look for answers externally.
Behind every $2,000 you spend, every question you ask AI
Is a plea:
“Tell me what to do, because I don’t trust myself to figure it out”
“Give me insights from your experience, even though I’m a different person with different experiences”
“Let me copy your roadmap to get the same successes you have, because I’m scared to find my own way and fail”
But the best coach is someone who gives you more questions than answers.
Because every teacher knows you learn best through active creation,
Not passive consumption.
The best way to empower you is to give you the belief and tools to forge your own way -
And the self-trust that you’ll be able to continue figuring it out even if you fail.
Especially when you fail.
What happens when you trust yourself?
Life when you focus on external validation:
1 hour of work feels like 10 - you’re struggling to fit someone else’s puzzle piece to yours
You feel behind, comparing yourself to others’ successes
Fear of shame, ridicule, and failure keeps you stuck
Life when you believe in yourself:
10 hours of work in flow state feels like 1 - you’re creatively fulfilled
You’re proud of yourself even if no one else sees what you’ve created
You keep trying because you enjoy it, not because you’re pressured to
Here’s an example:
When I had the idea to learn 1 new skill every month, I was so excited. I loved the concept.
But when I posted about it - 200 views.
No one cared except for me.
But that’s okay. I knew I liked it. It lit me up every time I thought about it.
So I kept posting…
And eventually went viral.
Same thing happened 3 years ago.
I loved my life tracking dashboard. No one else cared.
But I knew there was something there…
So I kept posting because I loved it.
And one day, after 3+ months,
2 million views.
That 1 video changed my life.
But it never would’ve happened if I didn’t trust myself.
And life is more fun that way - when you live life on your own terms.
That’s what true productivity is:
Knowing what’s enough for yourself.
How was today's email?
Til next time,
Jennifer
P.S. if you enjoyed this email, I teach people how to build systems that work with their brain, not against it.
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