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The AI Work Handbook That Cuts Your Workday in Half
The 8-hour workday is becoming a 4-hour workday for people who know how to use AI.
Everyone else is still catching up.
This AI work playbook shows you exactly how to cut your work hours in half using AI.
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50+ step-by-step AI tutorials to cut your workload in half — covering every part of your workday, from emails to strategy, used by 1M+ professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA
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You sit down to work and spend the first 20 minutes going nowhere. Inbox open, nothing processed. Doc open, nothing written. That foggy stretch where you're technically at your desk but not actually present.
Caffeine helps. But there's another option a lot of people already have sitting in their browser.
Playing Wordle — or any game that mixes language, memory, and problem-solving — can actually wake your brain up before the day's real work starts. Dr. Doug Scharre, director of Cognitive Neurology at Ohio State, calls it "activating the brain." It hits language centers, storage, problem solving. All at once.
The key is the difficulty level.
Too easy, and it's just scrolling with better PR. Too hard and you're frustrated before 9 am.
You want the sweet spot where you're slightly challenged but can still figure it out.
That's what triggers the endorphins.
There's a social layer, too. Researchers at Charles Darwin University found that Wordle talk in the workplace functions a lot like old-school watercooler conversation. It's a shared experience that creates a connection without requiring a meeting.
The self-care move here is small and specific: 5 minutes of Wordle (or a crossword, or Connections) before you start your task list. Not as a procrastination ritual.
As a warm-up. Like stretching before a run.
Your brain will thank you before your second cup of coffee does.
Self-care doesn't always look like a spa day. Sometimes it looks like a word puzzle and two minutes of quiet.
(Share this with someone who could use a gentle pause in their day.)
Until next time,
Matt
P.S. If you enjoyed this, and would like further insights, be sure to check out my parent newsletter, Mitten Dad Minute, where I deep dive once a week into the topics that matter most to you.
Additional Resources
If you’re struggling with getting your email inbox under control, you might also enjoy my free guide here.
If you’re struggling with how to be more authentic in your online content, I have a quick, free PDF that can help with that.
