When AI Makes You Too Productive (The Boundary Episode)

Every AI educator (myself included) is out here telling you to save 10 hours a week and automate everything. But nobody talks about what happens after you get those hours back — because most of us don't rest. We just build more.

In this episode, I'm sitting in my bed (on purpose) talking about the thing I've been realising lately: AI can make you too productive. Especially if you're neurodivergent, especially if you tie your identity to output, and especially if you've just discovered Claude Code and can't stop building things.

I'm sharing the signs I missed, what the productivity trap actually looks like, and four things I've changed to stop turning saved time into more work.

In this episode: — The difference between working smarter and working more — Why AI + ADHD creates a dopamine loop nobody warns you about — The signs you're using AI to do more instead of reclaiming your time — How I define "enough" and build off switches into my automations — Why I finally started batching content (never thought I'd say that) — Permission to close the laptop when you're done

Links mentioned: 🔗 Join the Wright Mode Membership: https://www.skool.com/wright-mode-membership

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• Connect with me on Instagram → @wright_mode

Transcript

Speaker 0:23

Welcome back to not another AI girl. If you are watching this on YouTube, you may notice I am chilling out in my bed today. And this, I guess, is a really nice segue into this episode. So today we are talking about what to do when AI makes you too productive. So the boundary episode, because I use AI to. Be more productive and I teach people how to use AI to get hours back. It's literally my job. However, I have recently realised that AI is making a lot of us, or almost too productive, I would say. And what I mean by that is. When we use AI to build shit, we often get addicted to building more shit. So we are going to talk about that today because I don't think enough people are talking about this. Every AI educator and myself included, is out here saying, you know, save 10 hours a week, automate everything, and all of that is true. But nobody kind of talks about what happens after you get those 10 hours back, or what happens when you get stuck in this loop of like AI is helping you and then you're just creating more work for yourself. So that's what this episode is about, and I think a lot of you need to hear it. And I am sitting in my bed because I am. Trying to be a little bit more intentional with my own downtime. And yes, you know, I'm sitting here talking to you on this podcast, but honestly, this to me doesn't feel like work. This is just two mates having a yap about ai. So let me set the scene. So recently I have been diving into Claude Code At the start of the year, I set a challenge to myself too. Learn how to use it. I had actively been avoiding it for about six months and I was like, Nope, let's do this. I wanna learn how to use it. I knew that Claude was about to pop off and I was like, I need to lean into this. And that's where our growth is, right? So what happened was it literally blew my mind. Like Claude code is insane. And a lot of my content on Instagram now is focused on Claude because that's what everyone wants to see. So that's what I'm making content on. And so Claude itself in the chat, like chat GPT, is incredible. Then they've released Claude Cowork too which is kind of the bridge between chat and Claude Code. So it is like the coworker who can go out and do stuff, and then Claude code just. Fucking does everything. Honestly, at this point I am like, if you can think it, you can build it. And so with that you get addicted to that feeling of just being able to build everything. I have built all sorts of crazy stuff and I go through that on a previous episode of all of the things I built with CLA code in 30 days. So I'm talking like I made a customised membership onboarding flow. I have like I created this little slack. Voting feature like really specific things for my business, a full content repurposing system. And so I. Got heaps of time back by doing this stuff. But what actually happened was I didn't rest. I didn't go for more walks or spend time with my family or read a book or do literally anything. That wasn't work. I've just done more work or just built more things, I am starting to feel the I guess effects of that because it's not sustainable. And I've seen these all over social media too, like people going, oh my God, like Claude is insane. I just wanna like lock myself away for a week and learn how to do this or just build stuff. And it is true. I've been there. It is not just me. So here's what I think. Is happening. So we've been sold this idea that the goal of AI is productivity. So, you know, get more done, be faster, optimise everything. And I still believe that I'm not about to stop telling you to use ai. That would be ridiculous. But there's a difference between using AI to work smarter and using AI to work more. And the line between those two is way blurrier than anyone wants to admit. Because when the friction disappears, so when the thing that you to take four hours now takes 30 minutes, your brain doesn't go, great, I'll rest for three and a half hours. Your brain goes. What else can I do? Especially if you're neurodivergent and if you're someone who ties their identity to productivity, which let's be real, that is a lot of founders, then AI doesn't really free you. It just gives you kind of a faster hamster wheel. So let me tell you some of the signs I missed when it came to, I guess. Using AI to just do more rather than claw that tie back. So number one my entire kind of brain became do. So I, instead of being like, cool, I got that thing done, I was like, cool, I've got that thing done. Now, what else can I build? What other problems can I solve? What other solutions can I fix? So I wasn't just curious. I wasn't curious. I was just kind of executing and AI was helping me execute faster, which I love. But it meant that I wasn't slowing down to think, and that is why I am doing things like just sitting in my bed. Recording this podcast. I've just been out for a walk with my dog. I've got a brick for my phone to brick my phone because I need boundaries. Again, AI and A DHD are incredible, but it is also this dopamine loop number two. So I started, I guess, measuring things by output. And what I mean by that is like how many pieces of content went out. How much am I doing day to day? And so if I wasn't doing enough, then I kind of felt like I was. Wasting time or that I was falling behind. And what I will say to this too is, this is my job to stay across all of this AI stuff and I even feel behind. So if you are feeling behind, mate, let me tell you, that is not just you. We are all feeling it. And this tech is so new. Just take a breath. Honestly, if you need to just like shut off socials for a week, do that. I will say. If you are trying to build a personal brand or grow your business, you still do need to show up online. But just like schedule stuff out for a week, just have a break because it is so, so much and it is so loud. I get that. And look, I'm probably adding to that problem sometimes with my content and I really don't mean to. And I hope that listening to this just gives you that permission slip to be like, okay, I'm not behind. Like we are all feeling like that. This. And so number three, and I guess this is probably the biggest one is, and it kind of just ties all in together. Instead of finishing early, I would feel anxious. So if I got like everything I needed to get done in the morning, then I'd be like, okay, now it's time to build. Instead of being like. Go and like sit and read or do something. I've felt like I had to start something new rather than just like sit. And so that isn't productivity. That is like crazy workaholic with better tools because you get caught in this, again, that dopamine loop of like, this feels really cool. I can build all this stuff. Oh my God, look at me. Go. And then you're like. Shit, if I'm not doing that, then I'm behind. So what do we do about this? And yeah, I'm not just gonna leave you there and be like, Lu cats, we're all feeling like this. Good luck. Let's get some solutions. So first, and this is gonna sound basic but it has really helped so define what enough looks like. Specifically on paper, not just like vibes. Write it down. Write what a good week looks like. You know, how many clients do you wanna serve? How many pieces of content realistically do you want to get out? And then. So what you can do is once you kind of complete those, you can be like, okay enough. I've written this down. Here is what a good week looks like, and I am off now and then, that is the hardest part, but it is also the most worthwhile. Like actually stopping and being like enough, close the laptop, go do something. Go touch grass. Second. Building off switches into your system. So that sounds weird, but hear me out. So I have automation set up that go out on specific days. And so instead of getting a notification every time something completes. Which just triggers my brain to do the next thing. Everything queues up and I deal with it on a scheduled day. So it's like an automation to slow myself down, which is kind of ironic. But it works. So, um. Now I guess as an example, so I used to film content every day. Like every single day I would be making content and then would post, and then my automations would run. And like I did that for 12 months and I knew. That I would do that for that time. But just recently I have started batching content because I needed to have a clear boundary. And so that's what I mean by kind of queuing things up. So now if I'm like, oh, I need to make content on that, I'm just like, sweet, add that to the list. And then on Monday you are filming content. And that has just helped me so much. I never thought I would be someone who batched content. But here we are and it's working. So third, start tracking what you do with your save time. Not in a productivity way, but in an accountability way. So work out how much time AI is saving you. So if AI is saving you three hours today, write that down and then write down what you did with that extra three hours. And if the answer is more work for three days in a row. That you need to check yourself, and that is when you need to start scheduling in some downtime and gave. And fourth is I gave myself permission to be unproductive, which if you have a DHD, you know, that's basically the hardest thing in the world. cause our brains are wired to just be in hyper-focused mode or guilt mode. Like there is no fucking chill mode. But I am working on it and the irony of using AI to learn how to do less is not lost on me. Okay. I get it. Truly, I do. So here's what I want you to leave with from this episode. If you are using AI and you feel like you're getting more done than ever, check in with yourself. Are you actually working less or are you working faster and doing more? Because we need to have these clear boundaries in place. Okay? Because the whole point of right mode, the whole point of everything I teach is to build systems so that you can work less, make more money. But not fill that gap with more work. That is hustle culture. And I am all for working hard. Like I've been balls to the wall for the last 12 months and that has paid off. But also now I'm like, I. Am I, did I create this business for the purpose of working balls to the wall forever? No, I did not. So that is why I'm being very conscious about my offers now. Define your enough. Build your off switches and for the love of baby Jesus, close the laptop when you are done. Yeah, this is probably like a bit of a random episode but I think it's probably one of my important ones. And if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear this. And if you want to build systems and automations and not. Feel behind with ai. Come join the right mode membership. I have over 70 women in there now and honestly, I am so proud of that community. There are women in there doing incredible things. It is so supportive, like it rings me so much joy that I have created that and I would love to see you there. I will drop the link to that in the show notes and I will see you next time.