May, 2023 | BlogZynergy

11 techniques that will make your life simpler and less stressful

Is chaos increasing in your life? You are not alone – the whole universe is affected. These 11 techniques will help you towards a simpler life.

man in gray jacket standing on rock formation during daytime

Pfff – can this be simpler?

Entropy is everywhere: if we do nothing, life will only become more chaotic.

Systems in this universe – including your life – tend to become more and more complex .

We can (temporarily) reduce entropy, but that does not happen automatically.

Removing chaos from your life is like building a sandcastle in the surf – eventually you lose it to the sea, but you have a lot of fun in the meantime.

If we want to live a simpler life with less stress, we must constantly work on this. Then it is important that we set up habits and systems that help us every day to tame the chaos , to keep an overview and to increase simplicity.

These 11 techniques have helped me for years, maybe they will help you too.

Let’s see.

1. Tidy up your house

If you live in an empty room with no stuff, you never have to tidy up and you never lose anything. Cleaning is also fast!

It’s just not very practical.

It does show how it works: the more stuff you add to the empty room, the more complex the situation becomes .

Clean up more
Cleaning more
Lost more things
More anxiety and stress
Move and put back more
Less physical and mental space
More hassle to move
Etc.

You make your life easier with less stuff . But it’s a balance – too little can actually complicate your life.

For example, life is simpler with a can opener when you want to open a can. But nobody needs three can openers.

The question you want to ask yourself at home (and for the rest of your life) is simple:

“What is essential for a good life?”

The rest can go.

Just start small: scan your environment, find something that is unnecessary and get rid of it now.

That cleans up nicely.

2. Clean up your digital clutter

All those documents on your desktop don’t make your life any easier. The same goes for that mailbox with 1,402 unread messages.

Digital clutter is no different from real clutter: eventually you ‘have’ to do something with it . And in the meantime, it makes your life more viscous than it needs to be.

A tidy digital environment is an extension of a tidy home. Especially if you spend a lot of time on your devices.

For example, now walk through your smartphone and find at least one app that you can delete.

Advanced Challenge: Delete the Facebook, Instagram, Reddit or Tiktok app (or all of them!) 🚀

3. Reduce your screen time

Speaking of devices – if a simpler life is your goal then it helps to dose your screen time .

Of course, we first look at your smartphone. But maybe it’s also your laptop, tablet, television or game console for you.

We receive most of the stressful messages through our screens . Bad news, shocking posts on social media, YouTube videos or Reddit posts that concern us (negatively), drama or all kinds of unnecessary input via group apps, an endless stream of (unnecessary) notifications, work emails in your spare time – it doesn’t stop.

Bring a little more ’80s into your life and reduce your screen time step by step. Recently I described the steps I took:

Now dive into your screen time stats and see which apps gave you the most notifications last week. Simply silence one or more of these apps completely – nice and quiet.

4. Decide what matters most

If you know what you want, you know what you can cut.

When I know I want to travel towards the sun, I no longer have to orientate myself on ski suits but only on swimming trunks – it makes my life easier.

Making a decision instantly makes your life easier . Even if you don’t make the ‘perfect’ choice.

So you can ask yourself, “What does my ideal life look like?”

Write the answer to this question directly in your diary, notebook or a notes app.

Focus your attention on the things that bring you closer to this ideal, and try to give less and less time and attention to the rest.

5. Give yourself a simple and clear goal

With a concrete goal you immediately make your life simpler.

Suppose, in my ideal life, I do half an hour of yoga every morning before the kids wake up.

A concrete goal can then help me to achieve this. For example, I set a goal of learning my morning yoga habit within 30 days .

Such a goal immediately spurs me to action:

I’m going to delve into getting up earlier and set my alarm a little earlier.
I also go to bed a little earlier and adjust my evening routine.
I’m taking some steps to make my attic suitable for a nice yoga routine.
I streamline my evening and morning routine to make this habit easier (I lay out clothes, unroll the mat, fill a bottle of water, etc.)
I’m going to look for some tips for a suitable yoga routine that helps me on the points that I find important. Based on that, I put together a standard routine that I’m going to try.
I start with my new habit, and adjust based on what I learn.
I track my progress and feel motivated to get used to this new habit within 30 days.

A goal helps you put your ideal life into practice . It helps you focus, making your life simpler.

Now think of a simple goal you can set to achieve one aspect of your ideal life.

6. Streamline your life for more simplicity

Often there is something you can do to reduce ‘hassle’ and ‘trammeling’ in your routines.

By streamlining your life you can save a lot of time and aggravation and make your life easier.

For example: thanks to a few key hooks in the hallway, we never lose our keys again! A stupid example perhaps, but a great pleasure for me every day.

You make a process clearer, simpler and reduce friction.

Look for a small optimization that you can do today to streamline your life, so that you move more easily towards your ideal life.

7. Practice gratitude

Gratitude simplifies your life because its opposite is the cause of almost all of your frustration .

Gratitude feeds contentment and joy. This makes you feel good and you don’t have a constant tendency to change everything.

Dissatisfaction does the opposite: it pushes you to action . And much of that action actually makes our lives more complex because it is often focused on ‘more’: buying more things, doing more things, making more money, etc.

There is nothing wrong with wanting something and working towards it. But it is important to realize that this can also cause complexity in your life.

Satisfaction is often much more efficient .

If you can feel grateful for your current smartphone, you feel less inclined to order a new version. This saves you a mountain of money, so you can save more, work less and feel more free.

Not upgrading is likely to have a greater positive impact on your quality of life than upgrading.

Especially because you quickly get used to your new smartphone, so that you are back to square one ‘satisfaction-technically’.

8. Simplify your agenda

A simpler life with less stress contains a lot of ‘play space’ – space that is not blocked with all kinds of activities.

We feel that a rich and complex life full of outings and “nice things” is optimal. But, as with anything, too much of a good thing can become stressful.

For example, I used to fill my week so often with fun things that it ironically stressed me out .

Now we like to provide enough unstructured time. Time that can be spontaneously filled with activities that we find fun and important.

Take a look at your agenda and research at least one way to create more leeway now.

9. Practice mindfulness

Your life doesn’t start when you ‘finally’ achieve your goals. Your life is here and now .

This is it.

This it always has been and always will be. The rest is just a story in your mind .

Mindfulness actually makes everything simple, because it helps you realize how simple life is when you don’t take your thoughts so seriously.

You can increase mindfulness by practicing mindful meditation on a regular basis. You can also practice more mindfulness throughout your day – for example, when you read this article.

10. Simplify your diet

Healthy and simple food makes your life simpler because it helps you to be healthier and more energetic.

Health complaints are an enormous source of unwanted complexity . Healthy living can help you prevent, reduce or solve health problems.

Eat simple, healthy dishes. Do not eat too much and not unnecessarily often. And if you really want to make it simple for yourself: pick up intermittent fasting .

Eating nothing sometimes turns out to be surprisingly simple:

Grab – when you get hungry – for example, just a piece of fruit or some (unroasted, unsalted) nuts.

Much simpler than a croissant. 🍎

11. Surrender to life

Complete surrender is the ultimate – and most advanced – form of simple living.

It works very simply: instead of resisting reality, you decide to embrace life – just the way it is.

You stop fighting against that which is .

It’s challenging, because we constantly wish life were different than it is. And that wish causes us stress, frustration and discomfort because we have no influence on reality .

Things are just the way they are, not otherwise.

Because if they should have been different, then they were different. And they are no different, so apparently this is just the way it should be.

The more times you manage to get to this place, the simpler your life becomes:

You see that you are good as you are , including the sides of yourself that you don’t like and including your desire to change those sides of yourself.
You understand that the feelings you experience are allowed to be there , even if they feel uncomfortable. You also see that you can find them uncomfortable.
You understand that things can and should happen , even if you don’t agree. At the same time, you realize that you can disagree with that event, even if it doesn’t change the situation.
You accept that you do not always have the solution to every problem . Instead of feeling frustrated at your lack of knowledge or power, embrace the opportunity to learn and grow.
You understand that not everyone will always agree with you , and that’s fine. It’s okay to disagree and still be respectful and understanding.
You see that life is not always fair and you will be disappointed at times . But instead of getting angry at the world, accept this situation as part of life.
You realize that you are not perfect and that you will make mistakes . But instead of punishing yourself for these mistakes, embrace them as opportunities to learn and grow.

It is also called radical acceptance .

It’s beautiful stuff, although it’s not always easy.

You will naturally get better at it the more you practice mindfulness. And your mindfulness grows almost naturally when you reduce your screen time, pushing your life in this direction and creating more unstructured time.

You don’t get a simple and stress-free life as a gift – you have to do something for it because chaos is the norm. But with smart choices and strategic habits, you can keep entropy at bay a bit.

And that’s well worth it if you ask me.

So – did you already delete those social media apps? 😉

#Life simplification techniques
#Stress reduction methods
#Simplify your life
#Reduce stress
#Techniques for a simpler life
#Stress management tips
#Simplifying daily life
#Coping with stress
#Life hacks for less stress
#Stress-free living
#Strategies for simplicity

Unlocking the Power of Alpha Personality: A Pathway to Leadership Success

Numerous personality theories exist to provide insights into human behavior. One such theory relevant to aspiring leaders is the concept of the Alpha personality. So, what exactly does it entail? How can you determine if you possess an Alpha personality? Let’s delve into its dynamics! It’s important to note that this personality type is not gender-specific and applies to both men and women.

15 Signs Of An Alpha Male And Tips To Be Like Him

Do you exhibit leadership qualities? A key indicator of an Alpha personality is the natural inclination to assume leadership roles. They often find themselves assigned or actively seeking such positions without much effort. Their leadership abilities are recognized by various individuals and across different groups. Alphas generally relish being leaders, despite occasional frustrations with the associated challenges.

Do you speak up? Alphas tend to voice their dissatisfaction openly. They freely express their opinions and are unafraid to take things further when confronted with unresolved issues. They are willing to engage in challenging discussions, both with others and themselves, in order to achieve desired outcomes.

Do you recognize your self-worth? Alphas possess a strong sense of their own value. Occasionally, this self-assurance may come across as excessive confidence, but it is an integral part of their appeal. Alphas radiate power and exhibit confidence, making it clear that they know their position and won’t yield easily. Their speech, actions, and decision-making reflect their self-assuredness.

Do you embrace challenges? Alphas seldom shy away from challenges. The idea of testing their abilities and measuring their performance energizes them. It ignites a surge of motivation and prompts them to invest greater effort.

Are you a workaholic? Alphas tend to derive enjoyment from work and can sometimes become excessively engrossed in it. They may become so focused on reaching the top that they neglect self-care or breaks. Even when feeling overworked or stressed, Alphas persevere as long as they have a clear objective in sight.

Workaholic tendencies have their pros and cons. While Alphas may experience stress-related issues like hypertension, they also find fulfillment in striving towards their ambitions. They easily grow restless with a slow-paced life, constantly seeking new projects and seldom at rest.

Are you ambitious? Alphas dream big and pursue those dreams ardently. They are willing to venture beyond their comfort zones for greater achievements. Often, they aspire to positions like CEOs, seeking visibility for their work by involving numerous individuals.

While Alphas may sometimes exhibit overambition, it is usually a driving force that propels them forward, motivating them to work harder whenever necessary. Their ambitions are not mere fantasies; they are powerful motivators.

Do you prefer being in control? Alphas are reluctant to relinquish control, which can be advantageous in some situations but less desirable in others. They tend to remain vigilant and assertive, attempting to take charge in most circumstances, which can make it challenging for them to relax.

In a professional setting, Alphas sometimes need to learn to trust their team members more and relinquish control. However, their desire for control often leads them to involve themselves in various aspects of a project to ensure a certain level of quality.

An Alpha personality can facilitate leadership development, but like any personality type, it possesses both strengths and weaknesses. By addressing and working on these aspects, you can unlock your full potential.

Embrace Self-Love: Unlocking the Power of Self-Compassion in 5 Simple Steps

Self-criticism makes you feel small and weak when you don’t need to be. These steps will quickly pull you out of the endless diarrhea – it’s about time.

681,000+ Men Embracing Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free ...

Marinate endlessly in toxic self-criticism

No one likes a braggart, but should we marinate ourselves in self-criticism?

No – not a good plan.

Yet we do it on a massive scale – I participate in it myself.

I am regularly unnecessarily critical of myself, and many people around me struggle with it too.

Perfectionism, comparing yourself to others, parents who were hard to please, experiences of public failure, low self-esteem – there are countless reasons why people experience self-criticism.

Self-criticism makes you small, weak and miserable . It damages your self-confidence and thus your quality of life on a deep level.

But you know what’s fun? The solution is already packed in the word. Self-criticism comes from ourselves. And so we have the opportunity to do something about it ourselves.

Pretty nice.

There are all kinds of steps we can take to reduce self-criticism. Below I share 5 steps that are particularly effective , require little effort and also work quickly.

It’s a dirty story. Let’s see.

1. Observe the diarrhea

Yes – I see self-criticism as a constant flow of diarrhoea.

It stinks, it gets stuck in everything, it’s a hassle to clean up and nobody really wants it.

But as with so many things in life: you get used to everything .

If you function every day between that misery, you don’t even notice it anymore. But as soon as you take a fresh look at it, you realize with horror the situation you’ve ended up in .

And what do you do then?

Exactly – then you will take steps to change something about it.

The first step is simply to observe your self-criticism:

You don’t have to change anything.
You don’t have to run away from it.
You don’t have to spice it up.

No – just observe. That’s all.

You can jot down self-criticism as soon as it comes along. For example in your notes app on your smartphone. Jot down that poisonous thought, and go about your day.
You can mentally notice self-criticism when it passes. For example, label such a miserable thought as “self-criticism” and go about your business.
You can get rid of all self-criticism by writing it all down in a journal. Take ten minutes to put all that diarrhea on paper – it’s a great relief.

Try noticing self-criticism throughout your day . It often won’t work, but just do it when you think about it. You don’t have to observe all the self-criticism, a little is good enough.

By consciously noticing self-criticism you will automatically bring about change.

Not because you suddenly have all the answers, but simply because no one of their own free will remains in such a miserable situation .

2. Let it be quiet

The less effort something takes, the more likely you are to actually do it.

That’s why I say don’t do anything now . Let that self-criticism be there and notice it. That’s all.

Give it some time and observe what is happening in your head . The more self-criticism you observe, the less seriously you begin to take it. You start to see that you’re just playing a boring tape that keeps shouting the same things:

“You can’t do this.”
“You’re not good enough.”
“You’re not pretty enough.”
“You are too stupid.”
Etc.

It can sometimes help to visualize that critical voice as a childish troll .

That troll is looking for comfort and security, so he tries to keep you down by convincing you that you should n’t do anything that challenges you.

Fine and logical. But we’re not going to let a grumpy troll determine the direction of this wonderful life – are we?

No – better not.

Just let that troll chat and you can enjoy your day in the meantime.

3. Make room for something better

Do you have something like: “doing nothing doesn’t sound good enough” ? Then there is something you can do: shift your attention .

Where to? To aspects of yourself that you value.

Focus your attention on:

Things you accomplished today (no matter how small);
Properties of yourself that you like;
Aspects of your body that you like;
Moments when you have overcome something;
The precious people who love you despite all the negative beliefs you have about yourself;
Other positive aspects of your day.

Often when I’m working on a bigger project (like a new course), I suddenly feel insecure. The troll knows how to tell me that I am a worthless writer and that no one cares about what I have to say.

When I experience that, I leaf through old articles and read the sweet reactions of readers. It helps me to establish that my work is going to make someone happy, and that I can continue to challenge myself.

It helps me establish that there really is something wrong with my skills, and that I was fooled by that troll again.

Everything that gives you attention grows – and that self-criticism does not deserve your attention.

Focus on the nice, positive sides of yourself. It helps you move to a place of less misery and more joy.

4. Lovingly let yourself slip

Diarrhea can be slippery.

Even if you walk carefully, you will occasionally fall. Not nice, but nothing you can do about it.

Even with all the good intentions in the world, you will find yourself caught up in a downward spiral of self-criticism from time to time . You are not waiting for it but you can wait for it to happen.

What to do?

There’s one thing you don’t want to do: feel sorry for yourself that you failed to practice self-love again . That sounds logical but it is the most common reaction:

We’re trying to solve the problem with more diarrhea, when you just slipped into it.

It just makes the story dirtier and I think we’ve both had enough of this metaphor now – so let’s get smarter:

Self-compassion.

We change the internal dialogue of the troll who shouts, “You never learn! AWFUL! You’re a loser! Everyone is better at this than you. You’re worthless. You can’t do anything! Ugh, I can’t see you anymore!”

To (voiced by Mary Poppins): “Oops slipped in the diarrhea, that’s not nice. Can happen. Come on, I’ll run a bath for you. Yes, I’m going to throw in the whole bottle because you do smell a little – but I love you anyway. Just lie back and I’ll go mop up with a few bottles of bleach and burn your clothes.”

Feels better, right?

5. Don’t be in a hurry, just pay attention

You usually don’t turn around a life full of self-criticism in one afternoon.

But you know what? We are in no hurry. As soon as you start with the first step, you can also effortlessly defuse most self-criticism .

It is special how more attention – more mindfulness – immediately makes the situation milder.

It helps you see that you are experiencing self-criticism and are not those thoughts – let alone that those thoughts are true.

More awareness leads to more self-compassion and self-love. Slowly but surely it’s getting quieter up there. And before you know it you’ll be making friends at a get-together where you don’t know anyone, or you’ll be taking on tasks you normally couldn’t take on due to self-sabotage.

You feel more confident, stronger, more powerful – happier!

That troll isn’t going anywhere, but you’re getting better and better at approaching him with patience and understanding.

Living with self love lives a lot better

So the message is simple: be kind to yourself .

There is only one you. You are unique and you are good just the way you are. Don’t put yourself down, rather get yourself up.

Not only does that live a lot better – from that position you can also reach out to others and help them take the same step.

Increasing self-love is your most important step towards a more loving world .

It makes everything better, so dare to take it seriously. Let go of that self-criticism and rather marinate yourself in self-compassion – works much better. 💛

Are you ready to get started right away? Go AHEAD !!

Who influences your world?

Everyone you meet influences you.

- Criticism from a colleague can ruin your day.

- A smile from a stranger can make your day.

The influence of others on our lives is enormous.

 

But don't let yourself be influenced too much.

If you always do what someone else wants, you never do what you want yourself.

The more self-confidence, the less you let others influence you.

If you don't follow your own path, you follow someone else's path.

And is it going to your goal?

 

Jump in the water!

If someone says to you: "Jump in the water", you think:

"Check it out, I'm not crazy!"

But often the influence of others is much more subtle.



They might say, "Dip your toe in the water. Now your foot. And now your leg..."

Before you know it you are under water.

While you didn't want that at all!




How do you avoid being influenced?

Just be aware of it.

Think about everything: "Do I really want to go this way? Does this feel right for me?"

Always rely on your own strength.



No one can influence you if you don't want to.

No one can make you negative, angry, or dominate you.

Only if you allow it.



Distance yourself from the people you don't feel comfortable with.

Get rid of ideas that don't support you.

Make your own choice.



Only you know what you really want :)
Do what you like and don't please others, otherwise you will never reach your goals in life.

Everything is going to change – about AI and 5 things you can do now

We are on the eve of enormous change. Artificial intelligence is here and getting better and better. What does this mean, and what can you do now?

How Companies are Using Artificial Intelligence?

The era of smart machines

I’ve been shouting it to everyone who doesn’t want to hear it for years: in 2025 we live in the future .

Why do I call that?

It has been predicted for decades that artificial intelligence (better known as AI ) will surpass human intelligence by that time .

And you know what? We seem to be ahead of schedule .

In the coming years a lot will change at an unprecedented pace . And most people have no idea what’s coming our way. Perhaps this also applies to you.

I’ve been studying the rise of AI for years . This development has quite a few potential implications for your life and I think it’s good that you understand it better.

That is why in this article I will take you through a few insights that I gained. To inform you and give you some tools to move along with this new, special reality.

Let’s dive…

What’s so special about AI?

For the past quarter of a million years, we – homo sapiens – have been the smartest creatures on Earth.

Artificial intelligence in medical devices - Medical Device Network

That will change – and that will change everything .

The rise of AI is not the same as the rapid rise of the internet or social media or smartphones. The likely impact of AI will be much greater because it magnifies and improves what makes us humans different from other animals: our intelligence .

If artificial intelligence continues to develop at this rate (and it looks like it), within 20 years (and possibly much sooner) we will experience an evolutionary leap that humanity has not made before.

For the first time, we will be dealing with systems that are many times more intelligent than the most intelligent people who have ever lived. It’s unclear when we’ll get there. It could be next year or a hundred years from now – many experts estimate it won’t be another twenty years.

But things will change long before we get there.

In fact – it is already underway, at full speed.

Where we are at the beginning of 2023

In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT . A free chatbot (a “robot” you can text with, based on a grand language model ) with an ugly name and surprisingly powerful capabilities.

You’ve probably heard about it.

People use ChatGPT to generate theses, articles, software and even entire books. But visual art and synthetic photography have also taken off enormously.

It’s that I like writing , but practically my work is almost (not quite) relegated to ‘hobby’.

It’s still far from perfect, but we’re constantly updating and adding features. Earlier this year, GPT-4 was launched — a quantum leap and a system that researchers say shows early glimpses of human intelligence .

For many tasks, even this early version proves to be good enough . And that is an important milestone.

‘Good enough’ turns everything upside down

Why are robot vacuum cleaners so popular?

Not because they vacuum your house perfectly. They are popular because they are “good enough” for many people to make the investment worthwhile. They don’t get the job done perfectly, but they take a lot of work off your hands – and that has value.

A robot vacuum cleaner still costs quite a bit of money – access to AI is now practically free or at least incredibly cheap. And we are really only at the beginning of the AI revolution.

All the building blocks are there to transform our economy and society at all levels. The next step is to integrate this AI into the economy.

And that work is in progress.

There is nothing wrong with that in itself. Lower costs and higher productivity tend to make life better for all of us.

But if you get paid to do what an AI can do almost for free with the right plugins, then ‘good enough’ can change your life considerably.

Preparing for the age of artificial intelligence

They had promised us self-driving cars – and suddenly I have to worry about my future as an author and still watch the road too.

It shouldn’t get crazier.

Most experts agree on one thing: the rise of AI is hard to stop .

The party with the best AI has the best economic and geopolitical opportunities. Whoever has the technological edge owns the world.

There are now groups of scientists and experts calling for a deliberate delay( 2 ) in the development of AI. This would give our societies more time to adapt, to set up legislation and supervision and to investigate whether and how we can safely develop AI.

There are still many issues and challenges, but the biggest challenge at the moment seems to be the speed at which AI is improving .

What can we do?

This new future is rapidly approaching us.

We probably cannot slow down the development of AI. So what can you do?

From my perspective, there are a few things we can do to face this turbulent future in a positive way.

These are 5 practical tips that you can take with you today. I’ll go through it in a nutshell, but if there’s interest I’ll go into more detail in other articles later. Just let me know !

What’s so special about AI?

For the past quarter of a million years, we – homo sapiens – have been the smartest creatures on Earth.

That will change – and that will change everything .

But things will change long before we get there.

In fact – it is already underway, at full speed.

Where we are at the beginning of 2023

In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT . A free chatbot (a “robot” you can text with, based on a grand language model ) with an ugly name and surprisingly powerful capabilities.

You’ve probably heard about it.

People use ChatGPT to generate theses, articles, software and even entire books. But visual art and synthetic photography have also taken off enormously.

It’s that I like writing , but practically my work is almost (not quite) relegated to ‘hobby’.

For many tasks, even this early version proves to be good enough . And that is an important milestone.

‘Good enough’ turns everything upside down

Why are robot vacuum cleaners so popular?

A robot vacuum cleaner still costs quite a bit of money – access to AI is now practically free or at least incredibly cheap. And we are really only at the beginning of the AI revolution.

All the building blocks are there to transform our economy and society at all levels. The next step is to integrate this AI into the economy.

And that work is in progress.

There is nothing wrong with that in itself. Lower costs and higher productivity tend to make life better for all of us.

But if you get paid to do what an AI can do almost for free with the right plugins, then ‘good enough’ can change your life considerably.

Preparing for the age of artificial intelligence

They had promised us self-driving cars – and suddenly I have to worry about my future as an author and still watch the road too.

It shouldn’t get crazier.

Most experts agree on one thing: the rise of AI is hard to stop .

The party with the best AI has the best economic and geopolitical opportunities. Whoever has the technological edge owns the world.

There are still many issues and challenges, but the biggest challenge at the moment seems to be the speed at which AI is improving .

What can we do?

This new future is rapidly approaching us.

We probably cannot slow down the development of AI. So what can you do?

From my perspective, there are a few things we can do to face this turbulent future in a positive way.

These are 5 practical tips that you can take with you today. I’ll go through it in a nutshell, but if there’s interest I’ll go into more detail in other articles later.

Let’s see.

1. Learn to understand what is happening

By delving a little more into AI you will better understand what is happening and how it will change your life in the near future.

Don’t fall for the most sensational headlines – there’s a lot of hype going on.

Focus on substantive reporting and marvel at examples of what artificial intelligence can (and can’t) do. Many AI experts and philosophers are guests in podcasts that can help you dive deeper into this topic.

A foundation of knowledge will help you make better decisions. For example, the development and regulation of AI will inevitably become a major election theme in the near future. This development will sooner or later become a topic of conversation at every level of society, in every organization – it is nice and valuable if you understand it a little.

2. Learn to use AI to work more effectively

Create an account at ChatGPT and play with it – the system just speaks Dutch.

Learn how to use good prompts to get better results. Explore ways to weave these capabilities into your workflow. For example by means of plugins or (if you are more handy) the API.

And remember: you can just ask the AI questions if you don’t understand something.

It is important that you develop a feel for how to collaborate with a synthetic colleague, because there is a good chance that such systems will become part of your work in the coming years.

In fact, a recent study states that 80% of all jobs will be affected or could be replaced by AI .

In addition, it is also just fun and convenient. I like to condense long texts into haiku – to each their own.

Note: ChatGPT is not perfect. It regularly gives answers that are not true. The system then begins – as they call it – to ‘hallucinate’. This is also part of the technology and of the challenges it entails.

3. Keep learning to increase your value

Now is a great time to get that education you’ve been wanting to do for a while.

The more in demand your skills are, the more value you can continue to provide in an AI-powered world. Especially if you focus on more effective collaboration with AI or on tasks that cannot (for the time being) be performed by AI.

There are a few areas that are likely to be (at least for a while) safe from AI:

Advanced or highly personalized manual work . Such as installing heat pumps or construction. Automation will make this work easier and more efficient, as will be the case in almost every profession.
Work in which you are paid to think . This will increasingly be done together with the input of artificial intelligence, as this will almost always lead to better results.
Work that is valuable because it is done by a human being . Think of healthcare, education, handmade products, but also hospitality and certain forms of coaching and personal guidance. Here too, automation will lead to all kinds of changes in small and large ways. But nobody likes a robot waiter or a digital avatar at an arts & crafts market – so this kind of work is safe for now.

In many professions, AI will be added to work many times more efficiently. It can also help to take over many (boring) administrative tasks, so that you can focus more on the tasks that really add value.

However, jobs will also disappear, just because AI turns out to be ‘good enough’.

To name a few examples:

There will probably still be a need for a ‘face’ in many places, but as the supermarkets have shown with self-checkouts: one person can now fulfill the function of ten cashiers. It didn’t even need AI!
Many tasks in the physical world are still beyond the capabilities of AI (such as chef), but physical robots will also eventually fall into the ‘good enough’ category for many tasks. With smarter AIs, technological development will also accelerate in these areas.
Many professions will be supplemented by synthetic colleagues who take over specific tasks. Think of plastering robots, autonomous agricultural machines and self-driving trucks.
Many tasks that we now consider very complex and ‘uniquely human’ (such as writing complex computer code) can increasingly be completed in seconds with higher quality with the right plugins.

The point is not whether these developments are desirable or undesirable . The point is that they are on their way, and it is up to us to handle them properly.

3. Focus on the uniquely human side

What makes us uniquely human?

The answer to this question will get shorter and shorter, but it pays to keep focusing on these sides.

The more we deal with ‘synthetic people’, the greater the need for real humanity will become.

The fact that you are not an AI model will become more valuable in the future . A handwritten text (like this!) probably feels more ‘worth reading’ than a (probably better) text generated in a few seconds by an AI.

I hope so.

People want to interact with people – that’s not going to change.

Perhaps our focus will shift more from doing to being . And our attention moves away from external work and more towards personal growth and really connecting with others.

Investing in relationships has always been a good idea – in the future, your humanity may be the most important factor that remains.

4. You can become a ‘co-owner’

If AI is increasingly intertwined in the economy and achieves unprecedented growth, you can benefit from it.

This is indirectly related to AI, but it does offer possibilities . By putting money to work, you can directly benefit from the economic growth caused by the rise of AI.

One of the biggest bottlenecks in our economy is a shortage of personnel. Every function that can be (partly) fulfilled by AI means more opportunities for growth for that organization.

In any case , powerful new technology almost always leads to a period of strong economic growth . The deep impact of AI may only increase this effect, which could lead to unprecedented economic growth (but there are no guarantees).

It is true that we are now in an uncertain period economically. But it is precisely in times when things are not going well that companies will want to invest in cost savings – in other words, in artificial intelligence.

5. Work on your emotional resilience

The better you can move along, the better the future will feel for you.

The rise of AI will bring a lot of trouble. It will also offer very nice things – it can help us solve the most stubborn problems.

Think of energy supply and the climate crisis. Other possibilities are also emerging – such as solving many (or all!) diseases or even stopping (or reversing) aging.

Capable and secure artificial intelligence can exceed our wildest dreams for a great future. And the funny thing is – we’re going to see part of this future.

In fact – we are already in the middle of it.

AI era is approaching,
Humanity remains value,
We must learn.

It’s going to be a crazy ride.