The emotional component is one of the toughest parts of the job. Whether it’s communicating with someone you recently had a conflict with, following up on a tedious but important task, or just generally pushing through moments of resistance or procrastination - our emotions don’t always make things easy.
What if we could leverage the natural “alexithymia” of AI systems to our advantage in overcoming emotional friction? As AI’s don’t appear to have subjective experiences (yet), they are impervious to emotions like frustration, resentment, burnout or reluctance that humans often face (for now).
Imagine there’s someone you need to follow up with, but just the thought of directly interacting with them starts to raise your blood pressure. Use AI to draft the message. This would allow you to communicate pragmatically without letting any lingering interpersonal tensions interfere. The AI’s objective, emotion-free communication style would sidestep your own anxious reactions.
So rather than dwelling on past issues or stressing over an awkward encounter, you focus solely on conveying the necessary information. The AI acts as a buffer, providing a bit of distance from an emotionally fraught situation. This helps you still get your point across and move things forward, while saving your emotional energy for interactions that truly matter.
Similarly, if there’s a task I’ve been resisting or procrastinating due to fatigue or lack of motivation, enlisting an AI assistant can help separate the emotional component from the logical “next steps”. This allows me to leverage a methodical, emotion-free collaborator to help move projects forward despite any personal reservations. Showing up is 90% of the work, and LLMs “show up” in milliseconds, with minimal pay. By reducing the emotional friction of the work - they can help me show up even when I don’t really feel like it.
Some prompts to experiment with:
- Have an AI assistant draft a difficult email, message, or presentation you’ve been avoiding. Remove your emotional reaction from the content.
- Enlist an AI to break a complex task down into bite-sized, manageable steps so it feels less overwhelming.
- Give an AI routine administrative tasks you’ve come to dislike through repetition so you can focus on more engaging work.
- Utilize AI databases, research tools, or information retrieval to find answers independently rather than expose yourself to the emotional slot-machine of the internet
- Develop an AI chatbot to field basic user questions and issues as the first point of contact, reserving your expertise for more nuanced inquiries.
- Use an AI to guide you (and your team) through a perspective-switching exercise (for example, I’ve been using my “6 Hats Helper” bot almost every day).
With great power comes with great responsibility. These tools could be used to help you become even more emotionally avoidant, or they could be used to reserve your human energy and attention for the truly important and highly emotional work.
In a small village surrounded by terraced rice fields, there stood a run-down storehouse. Out front lay a lone piece of weathered plywood, spray painted with odd markings that had faded with time: “ONGOING MOVING SALE! TEXT FOR INFO”. A phone number was listed below, but no one had ever paid it any mind.
The villagers assumed the building must contain only trash, since its owner had clearly left in a hurry, judging by the messy sign. Over the years, the storehouse had fallen into total ruin and disrepair.
One sunny day, as the village children played, curious young Tomas spied the mysterious sign and could not resist investigating further. Peeling back flakes of faded paint, he decoded the message and decided to text the number. There was no reply.
Tomas could not control himself. The next day, he decided to go in anyway. When Tomas pushed open the creaking door, layers of dust stirred…
What wonders were then revealed to Tomas’s keen eyes! On wooden shelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling were stacked objects untouched for who knows how long. Intricate sculptures from ancient civilizations were piled high, their artistic details still visible under years of dust. Figures of elephants, horses and dancers from India appeared as if in meditation.
Weaving amongst them were relics from every corner of the universe. From distant galaxies, celestial maps charted nebulae and star systems in vibrant cosmic oils. Alien artifacts of long-lost civilizations spoke to lives pondering the same mysteries under alien skies. Sculptures hewn from asteroids captured the shifting dances of stardust with microscopic perfection.
In dark corners, musical instruments of all shapes and sizes from a thousand worlds rested in silent harmony. Zithers, flutes and drums from lands afar awaited the songs they held within. Rolled parchments and faded tomes filled with the wisdom of sages from days long forgotten. Secrets of medicine, philosophy and history that could lift entire communities from suffering were here in abundance.
From Ancient Egypt emerged papyrus scrolls preserving the wisdom of Imhotep, yielding knowledge to lift humankind from sickness. Statuettes and funerary masks channeled the poise of the pharaohs, as membranes within guided souls to sacrifice all for their people. Opal scarabs and gems engraved with spells escorted souls to paradise realms described only in poems.
The glories of Rome were not absent. Marble friezes recounted triumphs through disciplined legions and advances in architecture that stood the test of time. From distant Guangdong came intricate bronzewares and jades inscribed with early dialects, as were silken banners from Chang’an imprinted with astrological charts. Scrolls of rice paper bore poetic odes and wisdom that fed countless souls through dynasties.
From the deserts of a thousand worlds surrendered their secrets. Scrolls penned in luminescent sands illuminated the insights of hermit monks who dwelled alone with dunes for decades. Elixirs distilled from meteorites held properties to cure afflictions unnamed.
Even the roots of World Trees bowed under the abundance. Folios bound in barkskin preserved the visions of prophets who communed for centuries in leafy groves. Carvings in flowing mycelium recorded the epics of subterranean elders conversing telepathically in living rootworks.
From dimensions unseen, objects of pure imagination took shape. Sculptures of mercy and grace sculpted from liquid dreams. Harps whose strings were spun from strands of thought provoking melodies never before conceived. Prisms refracting the nuances of concepts beyond words into rainbows of meaning.
As Tomas explored further into the depths, the piles of marvels seemed to grow inexhaustibly. He stumbled upon a veritable library of Babylonia - clay tablets bearing epics, etchings of constellations, and arithmetic used to chart the heavens. Inkwashed scrolls by masters from Chang’an imparted the subtle and profound. Lost amid wonders unimaginable, Tomas forgot all about the passage of time in his awe and delight.
Lost amid wonders unimaginable, Tomas forgot all about the passage of time in his awe and delight. Truly, this place held riches utterly without measure or bound, enough to uplift all beings throughout the cosmos for eras untold.
I was given a gift and
en route to enjoyment
The sticky residue of the price tag
Stuck to my fingers
Pulpy bits in my nail beds
I never could remove
No soap nor scour strong enough
To undo the glue
My fingerprints changed
Possibly my DNA
Incredible shame
Unforgettable blame
Enraged and enflamed
All in the name
of erasing the price of the gift
This is the last moment in history where the act of writing a book will be considered impressive. Just like Uber was “everyone’s private driver”, LLMs are now “everyone’s private ghostwriter”.
Both Bill Gates & HH the Dalai Lama have ghostwriters - why shouldn’t you?
Here are just a few pieces of evidence:
Being squeezed by the universe
is usually quite uncomfortable.
A loving kick in the pants
from a higher dimension.
A (re)birth canal
that will change the shape of your head.
An invitation
not to the party you dreamed of,
but to the path you belong to.
Ever had one of those days where every decision feels like a brain-bender? Well, we’ve been there and we got you covered. Meet 6 Hats Helper, my latest AI chatbot. But hold on, it’s no ordinary chatbot. It’s like your personal decision-making sidekick, inspired by the genius of Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats technique.
Picture this. The 6 Hats Helper is like your own cognitive jiu-jitzu sensei, wearing Blue, White, Red, Black, Yellow, and Green hats, each one representing a different style of thinking. It’s as if you’ve got a team of top-notch thinkers in your head, each bringing their unique perspective to the table, helping you make decisions that cover all bases.
Whether you’re wrestling with a mind-boggling problem or trying to strategize your next big move, the 6 Hats Helper steps in to guide your thought process. It’s like having a structured, multi-angle approach to handling any challenge, right in your pocket.
With the 6 Hats Helper, decision-making isn’t just about ’eeny, meeny, miny, moe’ anymore. It’s a thorough expedition into the world of thoughts. It’s like having an advisory board in your brain, each member giving you a different viewpoint, making sure you’ve got all your angles covered.
Building the 6 Hats Helper was an absolute blast. Thanks to Poe and Claude-2, creating this bot was way easier than I anticipated. (This is my first Poe bot.)
Are you ready to shake up your decision-making game? Put 6 Hats Helper to the test and tell me what you think.
Here was my test question:
help me with my “dreamlining” excercise. to confirm your understanding, summarize the process of “dreamlining” from the book.
…and the response:
“Dreamlining” is a concept introduced by Tim Ferriss in his book “The 4-Hour Work Week”. It’s a process that involves defining your goals and dreams in concrete terms and then breaking them down into actionable steps. Here’s a summary of the process:
Create Two Timelines: Create two timelines - one for six months and one for twelve months. For each timeline, list up to five things you dream of having (including, but not limited to, material wants: house, car, clothing, etc.), being (be a great cook, be fluent in Chinese, etc.), and doing (visiting Thailand, tracing your roots overseas, racing ostriches, etc.) in that order.
Determine the Cost: Next, you need to determine the cost of these dreams to make them a reality. This includes the cost of living your dream and any expenses that might arise in the pursuit of it.
Define Action Steps: Break down the steps you need to take to achieve each dream. Start with the steps you can take today.
Take the First Step: Now that you have your steps defined, take the first step immediately. This creates momentum and makes it more likely that you'll follow through with the rest of your plan.
Remember, the goal of dreamlining is to make your dreams achievable by breaking them down into manageable, actionable steps. It’s about turning the abstract into the concrete and making your dreams a reality.
It took me 9 minutes to figure out how to do this (including finding/downloading/uploading the 4HWW .pdf). (I gave myself a time limit of 10 minutes). If you follow these instructions (or ask your AI agent to follow them for you), I bet you can do it in 5 minutes.
A bold idea born,
Shared with excitement,
Met with tranquility,
Crickets teach silence.
Project Objectives and Scope
- What are the goals and objectives of this project?
- How does this project bring value to customers/society?
- How will the capabilities created by this project support the organization’s strategic goals?
- What is the scope and deliverables?
- If there are any non-negotiable constraints (e.g., regulatory, time, budget), what are they?
Stakeholders
- Who are the key stakeholders?
- What are their expectations and influence?
- How will stakeholder feedback be incorporated throughout the project?
- How will we continue to sync with them?
Team
- Who is on the team and what are their roles?
- Is the project aligned with team values and passions?
- How will decisions be made as a team?
- How will we handle skill gaps within the team, if any?
- How will we handle conflicts within the team?
- How will we celebrate wins and milestones together?
Communication
- How often will we meet for updates?
- What communication tools or platforms will we use?
- What anonymous channels can we use for feedback?
- How will we document key decisions and who will be responsible for this?
- How will we continue to communicate with stakeholders?
Timelines and Milestones
- What is the timeline and milestones?
- Are there any schedule dependencies?
- How flexible are the milestones and deadlines? Can they be adjusted based on project progress or unforeseen obstacles?
- How can we build in feedback loops and iterations?
Risks and Obstacles
- What risks and challenges may arise?
- What pitfalls have we faced before that we can now avoid?
- How will we identify and monitor emerging risks as the project progresses?
- Do we have backup plans and contingencies?
- What could potentially derail this project?
Resources
- What resources are available?
- What is our plan for resource allocation and management throughout the project?
- Are any key resources missing?
Sustainability
- How can this project be sustained long-term?
- How will the results of this project be maintained or enhanced after project completion?
Project Management
- What methodology will be used?
- How will we track progress and reassess?
- How will we manage scope creep, if it occurs?
- How will we handle change requests?
Success Criteria
- How will we define and measure success?
- What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for this project?
- What would it feel like to do a good job?
- When and how will we reevaluate our approach?
- What lessons learned from past projects can we apply to this one to increase its success?
I just finished my first week of Purple Space, “a community of practice for creators, entrepreneurs, and line managers” founded by Seth Godin.
Like any new community, things got off to a somewhat awkward start…feeling a bit disoriented and sheepish. Who is who? Where am I supposed to sit? What is normal here? How am I expected to engage? Do I want to be here?
Today was a big inflection point. Seth organized a “Round Robin Chat” this morning, which consisted of about 50 people who were split into pairs for 5 minutes. There were 5 rounds, interspersed with a bit of commentary from Seth. The whole thing lasted less than an hour. I’m feeling inspired.
It’s a really simple container which can be easily implemented by Zoom. I found this “speed dating” format to be really energizing. In 5 minutes you almost always end up getting cut-off mid-sentence when the breakout room ends. This might sound frustrating but it’s super fun. There’s a cliff-hanger. It’s hard to get bored in 5 minutes. You’re left curious about what could have been if the interaction were longer.
Afterwards, I couldn’t help but think of how different the round robin “set and setting” was than most professional gatherings I’ve been to. The juxtaposition that immediately came to mind was a community/conference/company “happy hour” - there might be some conversations you’re really trying to get out of, someone you’re anxious/excited about approaching, someone you really want to avoid, that new person who joins in late and now the whole story has to be told again, someone buys you a beer and now you feel like you have to talk to them, someone offers to buy you a beer and now you feel like you have to drink, and on and on…
The Zoom round robin is less organic, more mechanical. There isn’t the opportunity to go very deep. But that’s what’s fun about it. Who goes first? How do I present myself in just a minute? How can I help someone in just a couple of minutes? Who wouldn’t want to learn about the intricacies of alpaca fur for five minutes?
Aside from just being a great way to meet five new people in the online community, I left feeling inspired to create community. I couldn’t help but recall of the different types of events I’ve hosted in the past. Remembering that skill, that possibility, that muscle.
