Chapter 206: Make It Fast And Simple

How to Use AI to Make It Fast, Simple, and Actually Worth Doing

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It’s Wednesday. Can You Honestly Say You Remember Last Week Clearly?

Here’s the truth: without regular reviews, weeks blur together. You repeat mistakes. You forget wins. You start each Monday without a clear idea of what’s working and what’s not.

That’s why productivity experts swear by weekly reviews. They’re not just a ritual. They’re a reset.

But most people skip them. Why? Because weekly reviews feel like extra work. Blank documents. Too many notes. No obvious reward.

This is where AI changes everything. It makes reviews faster, easier, and more insightful.

Why AI Is the Missing Piece for Weekly Reviews

AI removes the three biggest barriers:

• Blank page fear. Instead of staring at a cursor, AI gives you smart prompts.
• Time sink. What used to take an hour now takes 15 minutes.
• Low payoff. Instead of a wall of notes, you walk away with patterns, insights, and next week’s plan.

Think of it like having a coach who pulls your data, asks the right questions, and turns the session into action.

Step-by-Step: How to Run Your First AI-Enhanced Weekly Review

Here’s a framework you can try this week.

1. Gather Your Week in One Place

Before you reflect, collect the data. You can do this three ways:

• Beginner: Copy your calendar events and task list into ChatGPT or Notion AI.
• Intermediate: Use tools like Rize or Reclaim that automatically track your time and tasks.
• Advanced: Build an automation with Zapier or Make that feeds your calendar, task app, and notes into one doc every Friday.

2. Paste Into AI and Use These Prompts

Here are three copy-paste prompts you can drop into any AI tool:

Review prompt:

Insight prompt:

Energy prompt:

3. Review the Output (Here’s What It Looks Like)

Example:

• Wins: Finished client proposal early, kept up daily workouts, cleared inbox backlog
• Challenges: Meetings ran over, deep work postponed, constant Slack pings
• Pattern: Focus time pushed to afternoons, leading to lower quality work
• Adjustments: Block mornings for deep work, add Friday inbox-clearing ritual
• Energy: High energy from creative work, drained by status meetings

4. Turn Insights Into Next Week’s Plan

This is where most reviews fail: they stop at reflection. AI makes it easy to carry insights forward.

• Block time: Use Motion or Reclaim to schedule your adjustments.
• Set goals: Ask AI to reframe your notes into 2–3 SMART goals for next week.
• Close loops: Turn flagged action items into calendar events or tasks automatically.

5. Save the Highlights

Ask AI to generate a weekly summary you can store in Notion or Reflect. Over time, you’ll build a library of progress snapshots — proof of your growth and momentum.

Tools You Can Use

• ​Reflect AI – Journaling app with AI prompts for reflection
• ​Notion AI – Templates + AI to summarize tasks and meetings
• ​Reclaim – AI calendar that tracks where your time actually goes
• ​Rize – Focus tracker with insights into productivity patterns
• ​Tana – AI-enhanced notes and task management for structured reviews

A Realistic AI Weekly Review

Human: “I always mean to do a weekly review, but it feels like more work. I never know what to write down.”

AI: “Let’s make it simple. I pulled your calendar and task list. Want me to start with your top wins?”

Human: “Yes, that sounds easier.”

AI: “Here they are: you finished the draft proposal early, you stuck to your workout plan, and you onboarded a new client successfully. Should I log these in your wins tracker?”

Human: “Yes, please.”

AI: “Here are the challenges: three meetings ran long, you rescheduled deep work twice, and you pushed one project task to next week again. Would you like me to suggest adjustments?”

Human: “Yes. That’s probably why I felt behind.”

AI: “Recommendation: block two mornings for deep work, shorten meeting slots to 45 minutes, and set a Friday afternoon inbox wrap-up. Should I schedule these for next week?”

Human: “Yes. This is the first review that actually feels useful.”

Case Study: A Marketing Manager After 3 Weeks of AI Reviews

• Week 1: Overwhelmed, skips reviews, feels reactive.
• Week 2: AI highlights meeting overruns and lack of deep work.
• Week 3: Adjusts schedule, protects mornings, reduces overrun meetings.
• Result: Feels clearer, calmer, and more in control.

AI didn’t just make reviews easier. It made them stick.

Pro Tips for Making This Work Long-Term

1. Pick a set time. Friday afternoon or Sunday evening works best.
2. Limit it to 15 minutes. If it takes longer, you won’t keep the habit.
3. Focus on one adjustment per week. Don’t overhaul everything.
4. Track wins. Seeing growth over time makes reviews rewarding.
5. Let AI do the heavy lifting. You just need to answer prompts and approve changes.

Your Next Step: Try a 15-Minute Review This Week

Don’t overthink it. Just copy your calendar and task list into an AI tool, paste in the review prompt, and see what insights come back.

Next week, adjust one thing. Then repeat. That’s how you make progress stick.

Have a great rest of the week.

Nikola Harper, Editor, Workflow Wednesdays, 10xYOU​

PS: You can always email me directly at nik@10xyou.us​

PPS: Like newsletters? Here are others you might enjoy.

PPPS: If you are interested in reading a book on getting more productive with AI, let me know. Love to hear what's important to you. Drop me a reply.

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