Do I start with the mountain climbing tips or the AI?
Let’s start with the AI thing.
I had been avoiding it (AI) for awhile as I didn’t know much about it, and gave it limited attention as I focused on other things I did know a better.
But recently I decided that I needed to pull my big boy socks up, and have a look into what AI is and isn’t, and how it will affect me personally, and my clients.
Because it aint going away any time soon.
I am working my way through a second book on AI, and I am starting to get a better sense of it.
It has also caused me to think more deeply about interrelationships.
I am passionately interested in what influences our personal psychology, happiness, health and fulfilment, so I was looking at AI through that particular lens.
And here is what I think, when it comes to where the human psyche meets “AI”.
It’s almost unbelievable
When I started reading up on AI – Accelerator by Mike Koenigs – the possibilities he presented were pretty amazing, plus also pretty enticing.
As you know, I write books (6 and counting).
I love writing and teaching so much I also teach others to write books.
And as I was getting ready to take a small group through the writing process, I started reading up on the AI.
I knew that AI could produce online content, like blogs, but I didn’t realise just how far it could go.
For instance, you could actually write a whole book using AI.
Yikes!
It made we wonder if I just pack up my ideas (and program) to help others write a non-fiction book, since I am now redundant?
Interesting…
This guy – Koenigs – was also saying that AI could also record an Audiobook IN YOUR OWN VOICE.
DOUBLE YIKES!!!
Did anyone say freaky?!?!
But then I thought of this…
Why do we do what we do?
If your primary goal is to make money, then I guess it does not matter too much how you do it, providing it stays within the boundaries of your personal values.
Though here is the Mountain Climbing analogy comes in.
To traditionally write a book (with your own fingers tapping away at the keyboard – regardless of how many fingers you use) it is bloody hard work.
It includes creating a solid plan, sticking to the plan, having the discipline to write consistently, questioning your own work and ideas, doubting your own work, going back and fixing things up, cutting away entire bits if it does not fit, figuring out how to get it online for sale, and a bunch of other things.
Not impossible, but not easy.
Also, I have witnessed incredible GROWTH for the writers, as they overcome their own self-imposed limitations, doubts, and stories about how others might be able to do it but not them.
The sense of achievement once someone gets their book published (self-published) is HUGE!
Not only that.
But they have become a different person on the way to achieving their big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) of being the author of their own book.
Their character is molded.
And it is molded deep in their core.
If they can achieve that, what else can they achieve???
They not only climbed the figurative mountain, but have grown into a new version of themselves on the journey.
They also EARNED the rewards of summiting the mountain.
They have also increased their Self Esteem.
Which takes me to my next point.
The thing about effortlessness
Now I am all about finding the ‘easier’ way of doing things.
Most of the time, I am not about doing hard for the sake of it, in order to win some mythical “I did it my way” credit points.
But there is a feeling we get when we achieve something we don’t feel like we have earned.
Have you ever felt ‘imposter syndrome‘?
Where you don’t feel like you deserve to be where you are, or don’t feel like you have earned the right (or have the skills) to play at the table.
My concern with handing too much over the AI, is we may miss the “character building” element.
The bit where the grunting actually leads to growth.
Where the struggle builds resilience.
When the drive to ‘figure something out’ adds numerous credits to your brains knowledge and experience bank.
Where deep thinking leads to insight, ah-hah moments and creative explosions (now and in the future).
So maybe getting choppered onto the mountain top allows you an amazing view, and a tick-in-the-box to say you have been to the summit, but I am tipping that the person who reaches that summit, bloodied and bruised, having done the hard work is going to have a bigger grin on their face, a greater memory, and the ability to summit an even higher mountain (or life challenge) in the future.
Food for thought…
Avoiding all effort and discomfort might not be what life is all about.
Even us performing the mundane tasks (which AI could definitely do for us) can teach us patience, diligence and disciple.
And finally, please don’t see this as rant or an anti-AI thing, but a reminder to zoom out and see all of the moving parts in context (using that beautiful right hemisphere of your brain).
In Summary
If we get the summit of the mountain without effort, we get the views, but not the character building, adventure, growth (physical and mental) or lessons to learn.
AI is cool and has its place.
Just be conscious about what you utilise AI for, and what you choose to do with your personal sweat equity, on your evolutionary path to the highest expression of the unique and quirky genius that is you.
Lasting self esteem is built through lived experience, where it is more influenced by the journey rather than occupying a space at the destination.
My Parting Words
Just to be clear, I am not saying AI is bad or evil.
My thoughts are that Self Esteem is built from doing the work.
If we just focus on getting to the goal and skip too many things along the way, we are missing a big part of the human experience.
I write books to enjoy the process, more so than to produce a ‘product’.
For me, in a lot of things, the product is the by-product of doing something that I love to do and wanting to learn and grow from.
I have done a couple of hikes in Nepal, as well as the 4-day Inca Trail, and as spectacular as the peaks were (or Machu Picchu), it was the laughs, challenges, cold morning starts (or wet starts on the Inca trail) that made it so memorable, insightful and character building.
So take from this conversation what you will.
And I hope that it enhances your relationship with AI in the future, in a way that is mutually beneficial.
Have a super fabulous day, and a week where you embrace the ‘efforting’ that adds character and builds self-esteem.
Take care
Carl
PS: Have you read or listened to this book yet? 18 Ways We Make Life WAY Harder Than It Needs To Be
