november 22, 2023
AI and GPT … are everywhere, marking significant AI trends that can be overwhelming to keep up with!
Your brain is starting to boil from processing all available information! And you know that the information you know is just the tip of the iceberg. Dealing with information overload in the fast-paced world of AI can challenge even the most seasoned professionals. It’s crucial to find strategies that help maintain a healthy work-life balance while navigating the complexities of AI.
Here are some AI productivity tips to manage this overload and utilize technology effectively in your days in product!
AI and GPT … are everywhere, marking significant AI trends that can be overwhelming to keep up with!
Your brain is starting to boil from processing all available information! And you know that the information you know is just the tip of the iceberg. Dealing with information overload in the fast-paced world of AI can challenge even the most seasoned professionals. It’s crucial to find strategies that help maintain a healthy work-life balance while navigating the complexities of AI.
Here are some AI productivity tips to manage this overload and utilize technology effectively in your days in product!
read time - 6 minutes
Curate Your Information Sources
Follow the rule of quality over quantity.
Unless you want to be a main voice and curator in the space – which we don’t expect from people deeply rooted in product – you don’t need to try to get to know and consume everything.
Let others do the hard work!
Quality content creators go through a lot of content and filter the best for you. You don’t have to do it.
Follow creators who resonate with you, inspire you, and provide the value you’re looking for.
But do not forget to regularly review and update your sources.
Once in a while go through the list of authors you following and if you can’t recall any engaging posts from them, don’t hesitate to unfollow.
Simply, choose a few reliable and high-quality sources of information.
This could include select newsletters, podcasts, websites or social media profiles known for their AI insights.
Set Aside Dedicated Learning Time
Allocate specific times in your schedule each week to manage AI learning effectively.
Skim the surface for 15 minutes a day to stay updated, then allocate a 2-3 hour block each week to dive deeper into a topic or learn/test something new.
Allocating time weekly ensures you’re up-to-date with the latest AI technology updates without feeling overwhelmed and it is enough time to learn or improve something.
Put this into your calendar and make it a habit. However, do not treat this time like it’s less important “I can skip this, I have this urgent meeting now”. Postpone, do not skip.
If you skip once, then you will do it for a second time and then your learning time will become just an empty distracting placeholder.
And you do not want this to happen.
It is a meeting with you to meet your learning goals. And it is as important as are the others.
You never know when the time spent with learning can bring you a competitive advantage.
Embrace Continuous Learning
Maybe I mentioned this before, but it’s really crucial. Continuous, incremental learning in AI is more manageable and effective than trying to stay on top of everything simultaneously.
You can always find multiple topics very appealing to you – and it’s perfectly ok.
However, rather than trying to catch too many rabbits, you should set a single measurable goal and only when you achieve it, move to the next one.
This way you will cover more ground with the expected outcome – solid understanding of the given topic.
Enjoy the time offline
Your brain needs a break!
It’s essential to unplug and take a break from technology, AI and all the applications every now and then.
This leads mental rejuvenation and maintains a healthy work-life balance.
As you have scheduled your weekly learning sessions, try to find at least half an hour every day for exercise or a walk.
Try to spend this time with yourself – not plugged in yet another episode of your favorite product podcast (I know, it is hard :D). Avoid other distractions too, it is time for your brain to reconnect with your surroundings.
And it’s definitely worth trying.
Once your brain rests a bit, you usually come up with genial solutions for the problems you previously struggled to solve (expert thinkers will tell you that best ideas happen to surface during a… bathroom break 🙂
So find a time for yourself, exercise and put your phone down when going to the toilet. You can prevent yourself from a next big creative idea to pop up in your mind.
Use Aggregators and Summarization Tools
Tools that aggregate news and summarize key points can save time and help you stay informed without getting bogged down in details.
We are fans of the following apps, you can give them a try too!
Feedly This RSS feed aggregator allows you to follow your favorite AI news sources and blogs in one place. It’s great for customizing your newsfeed according to your specific interests in AI. It is also AI driven, so you can train it based on your preferences and filter out the noise. And useful feature – you can share this feed to your colleagues or friends.
Pocket Getting inspired by a lot of articles but saving it randomly like screenshots in your mobile photos, links in notes or sending it to whatsapp conversation with your friends? Then, Pocket might be a solution for you. It is useful for saving articles to read later. It’s not an aggregator per se, but it helps manage your reading list, allowing you to save articles from various sources to consume at your convenience.
Inoreader can be considered like a combination of Feedly and Pocket. It is an RSS feed aggregator that allows you to follow various news sources, blogs, and websites, organizing them into a personalized feed. Similar to Pocket, it also offers functionality to save articles for later reading. However, Inoreader is more focused on content aggregation and real-time monitoring of news and articles, while Pocket is primarily a read-it-later service. Inoreader’s strength lies in its powerful search capabilities, content discovery tools, and the ability to organize and categorize content efficiently.
Secret tip – Flipboard
I discovered this tool while creating this article and fell in love with it immediately. Flipboard is a content aggregation platform where the content is curated both by other users (creators) and by the Flipboard team. You can follow various topics, sources, and other people’s magazines to get a personalized feed of articles, videos, and other content or create your own “magazine”.
Leverage Your Network
Engage with colleagues, attend seminars, or join online forums. Sometimes, collaborative learning and discussions can be more efficient than solo research. It keeps you in the loop, motivates and widens your horizons.
We like to follow these AI gurus:
Ruben Hassid Ruben is AI-obsessed since the first automation hacks. Started by writing poems to my friends with a silly bot, ended up as one of the biggest AI creators. He is doing things that ease your daily life and explains them into detail so everyone is able to follow his guidelines smoothly. And his quote “Master AI before it masters you” is really on point!
Linus Ekenstam Linus is a product and experience designer who seamlessly integrates AI into creative processes. With ventures ranging from an Instagram service to a mental wellness app, his work emphasizes the democratization of design through AI. Ekenstam’s current projects, like bedtimestory.ai, showcase his innovative approach to storytelling and design, making him a go-to source for insights on AI’s role in enhancing creativity and design. His philosophy centers on the transformative potential of AI in design, encouraging a proactive embrace of these technologies in creative fields.
Barsee Barsee, the creator behind AI Valley, focuses on making AI more approachable and understandable. He offers insights into AI developments, tools, and trends, catering to a wide audience, including professionals from top tech companies. His approach simplifies complex AI topics, making them accessible to a broad range of readers interested in staying updated with the fast-evolving AI landscape.
Lex Fridman is a researcher and podcast host known for his deep dives into AI, technology, and human-centric aspects of innovation. With a background in AI research at MIT, his conversations and content demystify complex AI topics, making them accessible to a broad audience. He is a popular figure for those seeking to understand the implications of AI in everyday life.
Bonus tip for AI ambassadors
Organize AI Monday coffee sessions – invite your colleagues and share what interested you in the AI field or more importantly, how AI helped you in your job.
The ideal format is when every colleague shares one thing, but it’s not necessary. We know that not everyone is so pumped about AI topics.
But surely you will be supported by all departments because this activity will help the whole company to be more effective and AI-informed.
Win-win for everyone. Job will be done and you will have real work-life balance.
embrace mindful consumption
I mentioned it before, it is easy to feel fear of missing out (FOMO) of what are the latest trends and try them all when you see “everyone” jumping on a bandwagon.
Be aware of the signs of information fatigue – like feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
When this happens, take a step back. Put yourself and your mental health first and give yourself permission to take a break.
Remember, staying informed is important, but it should not come at the expense of your well-being or personal life.
Let us know how you’re maintaining these practices or how your AI Monday Coffees are going 🙂Can’t wait to hear your stories!
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