Action Over Activity: What Two Years of Using ChatGPT Taught Me

For nearly two years, ChatGPT has been part of my daily work — not as a novelty and not as a passing trend, but as a serious business tool. I’ve used it in corporate strategy, in field leadership, in launches, in messaging, and in real-time decision-making. I’ve watched it evolve, tested its capabilities, and integrated it into the rhythm of how I work. And while I quickly recognized how powerful it was, I also began noticing something more subtle and more concerning.

AI makes it incredibly easy to create. Suddenly, producing more became effortless. More posts, more drafts, more outlines, more ideas. It felt like momentum. It felt like productivity. But as I paid closer attention, I realized that more output didn’t always translate to more progress. In fact, in many cases, it simply meant more activity.

I began seeing smart, capable professionals spending significant time generating content and refining drafts, yet not necessarily moving their businesses forward. There was planning without prioritizing, drafting without deciding, posting without positioning. AI was multiplying effort, but without clear direction, it was also multiplying noise. And if I’m honest, I saw it in myself at times too — the temptation to tweak one more version or generate one more idea before taking decisive action.

This realization became deeply personal because of the season of life I’m in. As part of the sandwich generation, I’m balancing business, leadership responsibilities, family commitments, and the desire to be fully present for the people I love. My time is not unlimited, and neither is my energy. I don’t have the luxury of busy work disguised as productivity. If I am investing time into planning, creating, or posting, it must serve a clear purpose. It must move something forward.

That necessity forced me to change how I use AI. Instead of asking ChatGPT to create more, I began asking it to help me think better. I used it to clarify strategy, organize scattered ideas, pressure-test decisions, and reduce mental clutter. I stopped treating it like a content generator and started treating it like a thinking partner. The difference was immediate. My work became more focused. My decisions became clearer. My execution became faster. And perhaps most importantly, I reclaimed time — time that could be redirected toward leadership, relationships, and the work that truly matters.

What I’ve learned is simple but powerful: activity feels productive, but aligned action builds momentum. AI is an extraordinary tool, but it will amplify whatever you bring to it. Without intention, it accelerates busyness. With clarity and leadership, it accelerates progress. In this season of life and business, progress — not noise — is what I am after.