7 CRITICAL
7 CRITICAL Action Items for TODAY
Stop Playing with AI Like It’s a Toy – Time to Use the Real Tools
You’ve read the book. You get why this matters. But if you’re still using free ChatGPT like it’s Google, you’re bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.
Here’s exactly what you do TODAY to stop being an AI amateur:
Get the Paid Version NOW
Seriously, pay up and use the big boy/girl models – your payback time will be days if not hours.
Stop being cheap. RIGHT NOW:
- ChatGPT Plus or Team ($20-25/month) or Pro @ $200/month
- Claude Pro ($20/month) or Max @ $100-200/month
- Perplexity Pro ($20/month) if you’re research heavy
- Or all three (because your ROI will still be massively positive!)
The free version? That’s why everyone thinks AI is stupid. The paid version? That’s where the magic happens. GPT-5 Pro, Claude Opus 4.1, the REAL models that actually understand nuance and take time + compute to run.
Your payback time? DAYS if not HOURS. That first proposal that doesn’t need 47 rewrites? Paid for the whole year.
Use Projects for EVERYTHING
Build instructions INTO the project.
Stop having random conversations with AI like you’re texting your nephew. EVERY substantial piece of work needs a PROJECT (or Custom GPT).
Build your instructions right into it:
- Upload your writing style – drop examples of multiple communication types
- Add your industry context that NEVER changes
- Include the “this is how we do things here” rules
- Upload successful examples of whatever you’re creating
You’ll spend much less time rewriting and editing if you start there. One project, properly set up = 30 minutes saved EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Use Emotion in Your Feedback
Be a drill sergeant when it’s bad… be a cheerleader when it’s good… seriously, YOU ARE TRAINING IT!
This isn’t a calculator. It’s a neural network that RESPONDS to emotion. So give it REAL feedback:
When it screws up: “No! That’s completely wrong. That would get me fired. Here’s why that’s garbage in the real world…”
When it nails it: “YES! THAT’S IT! You got the nuance about the politics! This is exactly what I needed!”
When it’s close: “You can do better than this. I know you understand the concept, but you’re missing the human element. Think about why someone would actually care…”
Feel stupid talking to a computer like this? Get over it. The results? NIGHT AND DAY different.
Upload Your Brain
Upload everything relevant you can find that you KNOW to be true for your project.
Your brain shouldn’t live in your head. Upload it:
- Your writing style – multiple communication types
- Every successful proposal you’ve ever written
- The reports that actually got approved
- Industry docs you TRUST (not the garbage everyone posts)
- Your actual work product that WORKED
Pro tip: Upload 10 different examples of your emails. Tell it: “This is how I write. Match this tone, length, and style EXACTLY.” Watch your editing time drop by 80%.
Find Custom GPTs & Tools
Stop using the bare model – someone has already started training that dog.
Before you do ANYTHING, spend 2 minutes looking for:
- Custom GPTs in the GPT Store
- Claude Artifacts for your specific task
- Specialized versions someone with actual experience built
ALSO, a great test to see if you can find the GPT/Artifact that is trained by an intern or an OLD GUY/GAL – trust me, you’ll know pretty quickly. Generic garbage vs. actually useful. When you find a good one, SAVE IT.
This will soon be you (if you’re generous) or you might be selling access or using your custom GPT internally to dominate your competition!
Talk to It (Use Headphones)
You’ll be amazed! Your 30 minute commute X AI = HOURS of gained productivity!
Your commute isn’t dead time anymore. It’s your secret weapon:
- 30-minute drive = Strategic planning session with a partner who never interrupts
- Hour at the gym = Solve three problems while you sweat
- Walking the dog = Brainstorm that presentation
Hit the microphone button. Start talking: “Okay, I need to think through this client situation. Here’s what happened…”
Just TALK. Stream of consciousness. The clarity you’ll get? Better than any $500/hour consultant.
Desktop > Mobile ALWAYS
Better access to models, organization, filters, file uploads, and ACTUAL WORK GETS DONE.
Mobile is for quick questions at Starbucks. Desktop is where you DOMINATE:
- Multiple chats open simultaneously
- Drag and drop file uploads that actually work
- Canvas mode for iterating on documents
- Code interpreter that doesn’t crap out
- Side-by-side windows to compare outputs
- REAL keyboard for REAL prompting
The desktop difference? Like switching from a flip phone to an iPhone. Don’t handicap yourself.
🔥 BONUS ACTION ITEMS 🔥
BONUS #8: Turn EVERYTHING On
Right now, go to settings and TURN ON:
- ✓ Web Search/Browsing
- ✓ Extended Thinking
- ✓ Deep Research
- ✓ Memory
- ✓ Canvas Mode
- ✓ Voice Mode
These aren’t “advanced features” – they’re BASIC TOOLS.
BONUS #9: Use Screenshots!
If you’re building something visual – STOP DESCRIBING IT.
Good: Screenshot → Paste → “Make mine better than this”
Bad: “I want a blue header with…”
Visual feedback = 10X better results. It’s not rocket science.
The Tomorrow Morning Test
Set an alarm for tomorrow at 9 AM. When it goes off, you better have:
If you don’t have all six, you’re still playing amateur hour while the professionals are eating your lunch.
The Revolution Doesn’t Wait
For people who “will start Monday.”
JOIN THE REVOLUTIONP.S. – If $20/month or even $200/month for AI seems expensive, calculate what your time is worth per hour. Now calculate how many hours of frustration you’ll save. Still think it’s expensive? Then you’re not valuing your expertise correctly, and THAT’S a bigger problem than AI.
P.P.S. – Yeah, I gave you 9 instead of 7. Because once you start REALLY using AI, you realize there’s always more gold to mine. Get used to over-delivering. Your competition sure isn’t.