I Will Be Completely Honest With You
For a long time I was addicted to new Artificial Intelligence tools.
Every week another new tool would come out. An image generator, a smarter writing assistant, a new automation platform.
I would see all the hype about it on Twitter watch the demos. I would immediately think: This Artificial Intelligence tool is the one I have been missing.
This Artificial Intelligence tool will finally make everything easier for me.
I spent a lot of money and a lot of time jumping from one Artificial Intelligence tool to another.
I would sign up for the Artificial Intelligence tool try to learn how to use it add it to my work. Then I would start looking for the next new Artificial Intelligence tool.
Of actually building my business I was mostly managing my collection of Artificial Intelligence tool subscriptions and trying to learn how to use all the new interfaces.
Looking back that time was one of the expensive and tiring times for me as a business owner. Not just because of the money I spent but also because of the toll it took on my mind and emotions.
I felt over the place I felt overwhelmed and strangely I was not getting as much work done as I thought I would even though I was using more Artificial Intelligence tools than ever before.
Today I want to share what really happened during that time: the mistakes I made with the Artificial Intelligence tools, what it actually cost me and the lessons I learned from using all those Artificial Intelligence tools.
If you are feeling like you need to try every Artificial Intelligence tool that comes out I hope my experience with the Artificial Intelligence tools can help you save some time, money and stress.
The Cycle That Almost Burned Me Out
It always started with me being really excited about an Artificial Intelligence tool.
I would see someone posting about the results they got with a new Artificial Intelligence tool and I would think, “If I just add this Artificial Intelligence tool to my work everything will finally work out.”
So I would sign up for the Artificial Intelligence tool. Often paying for the year to save money.
The first few days with the Artificial Intelligence tool felt great.
I would play with the Artificial Intelligence tool add it to my work. I would feel like I was getting a lot done.
After a week or two I would realize that the Artificial Intelligence tool was not as perfect as the demos showed.
It needed a lot of tweaking.
It did not work well with my existing systems.
It would solve one small problem but create three new ones.
Of making my life easier I was making it more complicated with all the Artificial Intelligence tools.
I had many accounts to keep track of, too many dashboards to look at too many automations running in the background that were not finished.
My attention was split in different directions and the quality of my work was suffering.
The worst part was that I was not doing work, with all the Artificial Intelligence tools.
I was just using more Artificial Intelligence tools.
What Chasing Tools Really Cost Me
It was not the money that was the problem. Although that added up really fast. In one year I spent over $3,000 on tools and subscriptions that I barely used.
The real cost of Chasing Tools was much deeper and more painful for me:
- Lost time. I was spending all my time learning how to use Chasing Tools instead of creating content or serving my audience.
- Decision fatigue. Having many Chasing Tools to choose from made me feel mentally exhausted and I could not make any progress.
- Scattered energy. My systems were over the place and really hard to maintain because of all the different Chasing Tools I was using.
- burnout. Constantly switching between Chasing Tools made it impossible for me to get any work done.
There was one month that was really bad. I tried out four different AI writing tools in one week. By the end of that week I had not published any content. I was just. Tweaking and jumping between platforms.
That month was a wake-up call, for me.
The Shift That Changed Everything
I sat down. Asked myself a tough question:
“Am I using these Chasing Tools to avoid doing the real work or am I using them to do better work with Chasing Tools?”
The answer was hard to hear.
That is when I made a decision: I would focus on using a few Chasing Tools that really worked for me. I stopped trying every Chasing Tool that came out and started building simple systems with what I already had.
The results were surprising. Happened right away. I was getting a lot more work done. I was feeling less stressed.. Most importantly my work felt like it was mine again.
I still use AI every day. Now I use it in a way that makes sense for me and my use of Chasing Tools. I have a set of Chasing Tools that I know really well. When a new Chasing Tool comes out and everyone is talking about it I ask myself three questions before I even think about trying it:
Does this Chasing Tool solve a problem that I have right now with my Chasing Tools?
Will it replace or improve something I am already using with my Chasing Tools?
Am I willing to integrate this new Chasing Tool and maintain it for a long time with my other Chasing Tools?
Most Chasing Tools do not pass this test. I just ignore them.
What I Use Today. My Simple Tool Set
After trying tools for months I finally found a simple set that works well for me.
- Claude is my partner for thinking and writing. It helps with content, strategy and problem-solving.
- Midjourney is what I use for visuals.
- Make.com helps automate tasks so things run smoothly.
- Notion is my workspace and Second Brain.
That’s it. I used to try different AI tools. Over 15!. Now I use just these few. My work is better I get more done. I feel more at peace. It’s nice to have a simple tool set.
A Reminder
If you’re trying tools don’t worry. This is normal. Many creators and entrepreneurs try tools before finding what works. New technology is exciting. Its easy to feel like you might miss out if you don’t try it.
It’s essential to know when to stop. If tools are taking up much of your time and attention it’s time to simplify. The important thing isn’t having the newest or most popular AI tool. Its using a tools well and being true, to yourself.
AI is great. It works best when it helps you not when it replaces you. I hope my story helps you avoid some of the frustration and wasted time I had. You don’t need every tool. You need a few ones that you understand and use on purpose.
Written by Dhanur