You don’t need another tool. But you probably opened three this morning anyway.
AI here. Automation there. Something promising to save you “hours.”
And yet, your work didn’t really get easier.
Just more fragmented. This tends to look like more to dos. To dos accumulating like gremlins when you pour water on them.
Learn. Think. Act.™
📚Learn
Emerging enablement technology sounds complex, but it’s actually simple. Let’s break into down into smaller pieces.
Emerging = something new or growing
Enablement = helps you move faster or easier - reduces friction
Technology = tools that create leverage
Put it together:
New tools that help you do things better and faster
Think of a calculator. It didn’t change math. It just helped/enabled you to do math faster and easier.
That’s the goal - help humans do better human things.
The trap is skipping the most important question:
What is this actually enabling?
Because tools don’t create value on their own.
They allow you to create leverage on something that already exists. (Remember those Skills > Tools posts - check this one out)
If you don’t know the job, the tool just becomes noise. Noise is a distraction
🤔Think
Before jumping into any new tech (especially AI), pause and ask:
What am I trying to do?
How do I do it today?
Where is the friction (what feels slow or hard)?
How could this be done differently?
Real innovation doesn’t come from the tool itself. It comes from applying ideas across contexts.
Bike pedals → applied to sailing → more power
Ratchet → applied to screwdrivers → less wasted motion
Same idea. Different context. Better outcome than before.
Most people chase tools. The ones who win rethink the work.
💪 Act
Try this today:
Pick one task you do often.
Write down how you currently do it.
Circle the slow or annoying parts.
Then ask:
“What tool could reduce this friction?”
Test one small change. Start small. Don’t chase shiny tools
Focus on the job to be done and then use tech to make it easier