{ “title”: “Why You Should Ignore Most AI Tools and the Four I Use Every Day”, “description”: “Navigate the world of AI without getting overwhelmed. Here’s how I stay productive and focused on the AI tools that deliver real value.”, “tags”: “AI tools, productivity, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grammarly, Canva, AI overwhelm, AI FOMO”, “rewritten_content”: “By the time you finish reading this sentence, chances are, several new AI tools have been announced. The big tech companies are constantly making bold claims. Keeping up with all the new developments can quickly become exhausting.
I get it. As someone whose job it is to stay current with this stuff, I find it overwhelming. Keeping abreast of all the new AI tools feels like a Sisyphean task. The constant stream of new announcements can be overwhelming, and honestly, it’s easy to feel like you should just give up.
Instead, I suggest a different approach. Let’s cut through the hype and explore the practical ways AI can drive real value in your life and work.
I’m Lester, feel free to call me Les 👋. I’m fairly busy, so I use AI tools daily to help me work faster and smarter. The challenge is, with so many tools available, it’s tough to know where you should focus your energy. Here’s my advice, based on my own experience, on how to avoid AI overwhelm:
How to Avoid AI Overwhelm
Instead of getting bogged down in the latest tools, focus on the problems you want to solve. 🤓☝️ Ask yourself:
- What challenges are you facing at work or in your personal life that AI could help solve?
- What outcomes do you want to achieve?
Write down tasks you do repeatedly that feel slow or tedious—research, writing, or summarizing information, for example. Then, test two or three AI tools specifically built for those tasks. Use each tool for at least one day to see if it makes your workflow faster or easier. Keep only the tools that save you time or simplify your day. Ignore the rest, no matter how popular they seem. This quick testing process stops overwhelm before it starts. It ensures every tool you use is worth having.
The AI Tools I Use
For my specific workflow, here are the AI tools I rely on:
- ChatGPT – It’s my creative assistant! I primarily use it to generate ideas. I don’t use it for heavy lifting like creating content because I believe the content is not that good… Maybe I’m a creative snob; maybe I’m biased and do not want to be replaced by a machine.😤
- Perplexity – This has largely replaced Google in my research workflow. 👨💻
- Grammarly – For grammar and spelling checks when emailing or creating content. It’s my editor, if I’m being honest (and it hates when I use words like kinda. 🤷♂️)
- Canva – If I need to design a presentation for a client or a meeting…Canva is quick and easy to use. I haven’t found an AI tool that creates presentations as good as Canva — but I’m watching this space, and will keep you posted.
That’s it for my daily workflow. But, as I said, you need to pick what works for you and not blindly follow anyone (including me).
How I Manage AI FOMO
Feeling like you’re missing out isn’t unique to this topic. Whether it’s constantly checking email or social media to ensure you don’t miss anything important, FOMO is real. Here’s how I handle AI FOMO.
- I’m working on accepting that knowing everything is impossible.😔
- I’ve replaced passive learning with immediate action. Since I’m at the age where I don’t learn anything “just ’cause,”, I need to be able to use that information immediately.
- Quality over quantity. I rely on a few trusted sources for AI news and information.
- I actively seek opposing views to avoid confirmation bias.
- I consume information at my own pace, not just because something was announced.
- Thursday morning is my dedicated catch-up day, and I’m pretty strict about sticking to it. There is nothing special about Thursday; I chose it randomly, marked it on my calendar, and now I do my best to stick to it.
I’ll leave you with this checklist:
- Accept you can’t know everything
- Replace passive learning with immediate action
- Prioritize quality over quantity with trusted information sources
- Schedule a dedicated weekly catch-up for consuming updates
- List repetitive or tedious tasks you want to speed up
- Test two or three targeted AI tools for those tasks
- Keep only the AI tools that simplify or speed up your workflow
As for the latest model… I personally don’t care about benchmarks unless something is magnitudes better than what I already use. For example, if it goes from 10 to 50, you’ve got my attention. But from 10 to 11? Nah, I’m good. I’m not learning a whole new thing or getting a new subscription.
I’m not anti-innovation or anti-AI. All I’m saying is, what’s the point of all these tools if you’re spending more time learning how to use them than actually using them?
Hope this helps. I’m rooting for you.
P.S. If you want more easy and helpful AI tips and tricks, sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts.
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