AI saved my relationship with work

As an advisor and coach, I work with successful senior executives who often struggle with a strong inner critic. I’m no exception. I run my own business, and I tend to be hard on myself. That makes solo entrepreneurship tough at times.

Over the past year, I’ve used AI in different parts of my business, but I still relied on a human coach for the bigger, strategic work. Where I struggled most was time and energy management. I was constantly setting unrealistic goals for the year, the month, the week, or even the day.

I would put eight things on my to-do list, complete three, and then beat myself up for not doing more.

I started using AI to better understand what was actually realistic and healthy to expect from myself. I shared details about my work, how I approach it, and how I felt throughout the day.

Then, over a few weeks, I tracked my tasks closely. I checked in daily, sometimes more than once, noting how I felt before and after different activities and what helped or drained my energy.

From that, AI helped me reset how I planned my time. Instead of overloading my days, I focused on a small number of meaningful tasks.

Instead of putting eight things on my list and finishing three, I started putting three things on my list and completing them. That shift alone changed how I felt day to day.

At first, the extra time and mental space felt uncomfortable. I even felt a little bored. But then I started using that space differently. I said yes to events I would have previously avoided. I went to museums, planned a ski trip with my son, and finally handled small tasks I had been putting off.

Two things changed. First, I had the mental freedom to do things that actually fed me. Second, I had more energy for the work that mattered, like outreach to senior leaders and showing up more confidently in my writing and conversations.

Overall, my energy shifted. I feel less depleted and more creative, confident, and steady. I’m still productive, but I’m making better progress toward my long-term goals in a calmer and more sustainable way.