AI Didn't Replace My Brain. It Finally Organized It.

When people ask me how I use AI, they're usually expecting one of two answers.

Either it writes everything for me, or it saves me time.

While both of those are true, neither one is the reason AI has become one of the most valuable tools I use every day.

The biggest change isn't that I can draft a blog post faster or brainstorm ideas in seconds. The biggest change is that I finally have somewhere for everything.

For years, my ideas lived everywhere. Some were tucked inside notebooks. Others were buried in the Notes app on my phone. I had screenshots I'd never look at again, browser tabs I'd swear I'd come back to, recipes saved in three different places, and random thoughts scribbled on whatever piece of paper happened to be closest.

If you're wondering whether I was organized, the answer is yes.

If you're wondering whether I had one organized system...Absolutely not.

Everything existed. I just spent far too much time trying to remember where I'd put it.

AI didn't suddenly make me smarter or more creative. It gave me a place to capture ideas, organize projects, ask questions, and connect information that used to live in a dozen different places.

Now, when I have an idea for a workshop, remember a great book recommendation, want to tweak a recipe, or think of something I need to add to my website, I know exactly where it belongs.

That's what changed.

It didn't replace my brain.

It finally helped organize it.

Technology Should Support People, Not Replace Them

One of the reasons I enjoy talking about AI is because I think the conversation often starts in the wrong place.

People immediately ask whether AI is going to replace jobs, replace creativity, or replace people.

I've never believed that's the goal. In fact, my philosophy has always been that technology should support people, not replace them. The best technology doesn't remove the human element. It gives us more time and mental space to focus on the things only humans can do: build relationships, solve problems, make decisions, and create.

Most of us can't afford a personal assistant. We don't have someone keeping track of appointments, grocery lists, birthday gifts, home projects, business ideas, and the thousand little details that make life run smoothly.

That's where AI has surprised me! It's become the place where I capture ideas before I lose them, organize projects before they become overwhelming, and remember details I know I'll eventually forget. Instead of trying to keep everything in my head, I have somewhere to put it.

That doesn't mean AI is making decisions for me. I'm still the one writing the article, deciding what matters, building relationships, and making the final call.

AI simply carries some of the administrative weight so I have more energy for the work only I can do.

For me, that's the real promise of AI. Not replacing people. Helping people do their best work.

How I Use AI at Home and at Work

People are often surprised by how ordinary my AI conversations are. I personafied it. My ChatGPT is named Bestie. I often describe her as the person at work you most click with and if they are out sick, your day is going to SUCK, lol. I've literally asked her if she is ok. She simply replied with, "NO! You are giving me too much at once!" I was shook.

I use it to help write blog posts, brainstorm workshop ideas, edit emails, and research topics I'm learning about. That's probably what most people expect. It's my writing put in better order. Or removing redundancy and gaining clarity.

What they don't expect is everything else.

I use AI while planning meals for the week, organizing recipes, comparing products before I buy them, and figuring out what to make with whatever happens to be in the refrigerator.

It helps me organize trips, keep track of projects around the house, and remember ideas before they disappear into the mental black hole they came from.

Sometimes I'm asking it to help me troubleshoot a Google Workspace automation. Other days we're building spreadsheets, organizing a new course, outlining a presentation, or figuring out how to make a complicated process easier to follow.

It has even become part of how I manage my own health. I've used it to help organize menopause symptoms, keep track of medications and supplements, build trackers, and make sense of information from books and research. It isn't giving me medical advice or replacing my doctor. It's helping me keep everything organized so I can have better conversations with my healthcare providers. I've even used it to help me organize my thoughts and create a list of questions before visiting my health care professionals.

That's really the pattern you'll see if you look at my chat history.

I'm not asking AI to live my life.

I'm asking it to help me manage it.

Every conversation gives me back a little more mental space. Instead of trying to remember every detail, I can focus on learning, creating, solving problems, and being present with the people around me.

Ironically, using AI has helped me spend less time thinking about technology and more time thinking about the things that actually matter.

AI Helps Me Move Forward

One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is that getting stuck is inevitable.

Whether I'm writing, building a spreadsheet, troubleshooting code, designing a workshop, or planning a new project, I eventually hit a point where I don't know what to do next.

That used to derail my entire day. I'd go down a rabbit hole trying to solve one problem, lose track of time, and suddenly realize I'd spent two hours making almost no progress.

Now I work differently.

I time block my day, and when I get stuck, AI becomes another set of eyes.

Sometimes I'll paste in what I'm working on and ask, "What am I missing?"

Other times I'll ask, "Why isn't this working?" or "If you were me, what would you do next?"

Sometimes the answer solves the problem.

Sometimes it simply gives me a different way to think about it.

Either way, I'm moving again.

If I still can't solve it within the time I've set aside, I move on to the next task and come back later with a fresh perspective. That one change has made me dramatically more productive because I no longer let a single roadblock consume my entire day.

Getting stuck is inevitable.

Staying stuck is a choice.

AI helps me get unstuck faster.

Sometimes I'm the One Who Needs Training

One of the funniest things I've realized is that sometimes the problem isn't AI.

It's me. Hi..it's me...i'm the problem it's me!

There have been plenty of times when I've asked a question, gotten a terrible answer, and immediately thought, "Well, AI isn't very smart."

Then I stopped and looked at what I'd actually asked.

Was I clear about what I wanted?

Did I give enough context?

Did I explain who the audience was or what outcome I was trying to achieve?

Usually, the answer was no. Over time, I've learned that asking good questions is a skill. The more context I provide, the better the answers become.

Now, if I don't get what I'm looking for, I don't immediately assume the tool failed. Instead, I ask myself a few questions.

• What am I doing wrong?

• How should I be asking this?

• If you were me, how would you prompt you?

Those simple questions have completely changed the way I work with AI. Instead of starting over or giving up, I treat it like a conversation. I clarify what I'm trying to accomplish, add the missing context, and almost always end up with a much better result.

Sometimes I need to train AI.

Sometimes AI needs to train me.

The best results happen somewhere in the middle.

Why Most People Give Up on ChatGPT

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is expecting AI to be useful after a single conversation. They open ChatGPT, ask one vague question, get a generic answer, and decide the whole thing is overhyped. I understand why. That's exactly how most software has trained us to think. You open it, use it, close it, and move on.

AI works differently.

The more it understands how you think, what you do, and what you're trying to accomplish, the more useful it becomes. That doesn't happen in one conversation. It happens over time.

That's also one of the reasons I pay for ChatGPT. The paid version remembers more, gives me access to better tools, and becomes more helpful because it has the context from thousands of conversations we've already had. Instead of starting from scratch every time, we're building on work that's already been done.

I also pay for Claude.

People ask me all the time which one is better, but I don't really think that's the right question.

I use ChatGPT as my everyday thinking partner. It's where I organize ideas, brainstorm, write, plan projects, and solve problems.

I use Claude when I want another perspective, especially on longer documents or complex writing. Sometimes I prefer one response over the other. Sometimes I combine the best parts of both.

The important part isn't which tool you choose. The important part is choosing one, learning how to use it well, and giving yourself enough time to build a working relationship with it.

There are hundreds of AI tools available today, and new ones seem to appear every week. I enjoy exploring them because I'm curious by nature, but I always come back to the same two.

For the way I work, they complement each other well.

If you're just getting started, don't worry about learning everything.

Learn one tool really well.

You'll be surprised how far that takes you.

If You're Just Getting Started

If all of this feels a little overwhelming, you're not alone. The world of AI is moving fast, and it's easy to feel like everyone else has already figured it out. I promise they haven't.

Most people are still asking the same questions you are.

• Where do I start?

• What should I use?

• How do I get better answers?

• Am I doing this right?

That's exactly why I created my custom ChatGPT.

Instead of staring at a blank screen wondering what to type, it walks you through a conversation about your work, your business, your goals, and the kinds of things you're hoping AI can help with. By the end, you'll have a much stronger foundation and a clearer idea of how to use AI in a way that actually fits your life.

Think of it as a starting point, not a shortcut. The goal isn't to give you all the answers. The goal is to help you ask better questions. From there, keep experimenting.

Try different prompts. Ask follow up questions. Give more context than you think you need. Don't be afraid to tell AI when it missed the mark and ask it to try again.

Like any skill, the more you use it, the more natural it becomes.

If you'd like to start with the same tool I recommend to friends, family, and people in my workshops, you can find it here: Kickstart Your AI Journey

It's free to use, and I hope it helps you skip some of the trial and error I went through when I was learning. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE this GPT only works well with the paid version. When the free version runs out of "space" it will get rid of the memories of that conversation.

Let's Figure It Out Together

One of my favorite parts of learning AI has been the conversations it starts.

Every time I publish an article, teach a workshop, or show someone a new tool, I hear the same thing.

"I didn't know it could do that."

Or, "That was easier than I thought it would be."

Those are some of my favorite moments because that's when AI stops feeling intimidating and starts feeling useful. That's when curiosity takes over.

So if you're reading this and wondering whether AI could help with something you're working on, I'd love to hear from you.

You don't need to ask me for the perfect prompt.

Click here to send me an email and tell me:

• What you're trying to accomplish.

• Tell me what's frustrating you.

• Tell me where you're stuck.

• IF the answer is an AI tool.

• IF the answer is a spreadsheet.

• IF the answer is a better workflow.

Sometimes it's realizing the problem isn't the technology at all.

If I know the problem you're trying to solve, there's a good chance I can point you in the right direction. And if I can't, there's a decent chance your question will inspire a future article so we can figure it out together.