AI eliminated all justifications, leaving only consent.

The era of AI has eliminated all excuses for not transforming your life. The only thing left is giving yourself permission to do so. I remember when I was 17 and packed my bags to leave my family home.

I took a train for 24 hours to the other side of the country, excited and terrified at the same time. It was my first step towards college, and little did I know, it would not be the last door I walked through. Throughout my life, I have always found myself leaving rooms that were too small for me.

And as I reflect on this journey, I have come to realize something that took me 50 years to put into words. The room you are given may feel safe because it is familiar, but the door you choose to walk through may seem frightening because it leads to the unknown. However, what I have discovered is that the world on the other side is always bigger.

In the present, AI has opened a door for everyone at once. Yet, almost no one is talking about what awaits on the other side. AI has given us four gifts, but the most significant one is the freedom to start our own adventure.

It is not a skill problem that holds us back, but a permission problem. Everything that stands in our way is within our own minds. These gifts are not just some abstract concept; they are real and measurable.

Researchers have found that AI can increase productivity by 14%, with the most significant impact on those with less experience. It is not just about making the skilled workers more efficient; it is about lifting the beginners to the level of the masters. AI has also eliminated friction and complexity, making tasks that used to require a team, a budget, and years of practice, now achievable in a single afternoon.

However, there is a catch that no one talks about. Everyone received the same gifts on the same day for the same price in 2022. As a result, the room that was once empty is now filled with people.

AI has made it easier for more people to start, and with more people starting, the competition has increased. The villain in this story is not AI, but the difficulty that used to protect our work. When I started my blog in 2009, I was told it was simple, but for me, it was a technical nightmare.

Difficulty was the moat that kept the crowd out, but now AI has drained that moat, and it is both a blessing and a curse. We have the tools, but we also have the traffic, and it takes a lot to stand out in a crowded room. As I think back to the times when I walked through doors, I realize the price I paid.

Leaving home, leaving the religion I was raised in, and leaving my job to become my own boss. Each of these doors came at a cost, fear, anxiety, and years of time and money. But what they bought me was freedom to grow, to learn from my mistakes, and a drive so strong that discipline was never needed to get out of bed.

So, as you stand at the door that AI has opened for you, know that there is a price to pay. But what you gain in return is immeasurable. It is the freedom to start your own adventure and the satisfaction of knowing that you gave yourself permission to walk through that door.

And that is something that no machine can ever do for you. In this new era of artificial intelligence, there are no more excuses to hold us back from transforming our lives. What remains is simply permission to take that leap.

It was at the age of 17 that I made the decision to pack my bags, leave my family home, and embark on a 24-hour train ride to the other side of the country. I was heading off to college, and the mix of fear and excitement I felt was indescribable. It was the first door I ever walked through, but certainly not the last.

Throughout my life, I have constantly found myself leaving rooms that were too small for me. It wasn't until I reached the age of 50 that I was able to put into words what I had learned from this experience. The rooms we are given may feel safe and familiar, but it is the doors we choose to walk through that often bring about fear and uncertainty.

Yet, it is on the other side of those doors where we find the world to be much bigger and full of endless possibilities. At this moment, AI has opened a door for all of us simultaneously. However, what is waiting for us on the other side is rarely discussed.

AI has gifted us with four powerful tools that have the potential to change our lives, but it is up to us to take advantage of them. The first gift is expertise that we never had to work for. Studies have shown that even the least skilled workers saw a 34% improvement in productivity when using an AI assistant, while the most experienced workers barely saw any improvement at all.

The second gift is the elimination of friction. In a recent trial, professionals were given writing tasks and those who used an AI assistant were able to complete their work 40% faster and with 18% higher quality. This has closed the gap between having an idea and bringing it to fruition.

The third gift is the collapse of complexity. Tasks that once required a team and years of practice can now be accomplished in a matter of hours with the help of AI. And finally, the fourth gift is the one that is often overlooked – the freedom to start our own adventures.

In the past, there were many obstacles that prevented people from pursuing their dreams – lack of money, skills, team, time, and the daunting task of knowing where to begin. But with AI, all of these barriers have been removed. What remains is not a lack of skill, but rather a lack of permission.

We are often our own biggest obstacle, and it is up to us to give ourselves the green light to take action. However, there is a catch that no one seems to mention. Everyone has been given the same four gifts, on the same day, for the same price.

This has opened the door for countless individuals to begin their own journeys. In fact, the number of articles written by machines has risen from 2% to nearly 50% in just a few years. This shows that when things become easier, more people are able to start.

The costume of an expert is now available to anyone who wishes to wear it. The real villain in this story is not AI, but rather the difficulty that used to act as a barrier to protect our work. I have personally paid the price of walking through doors three times in my life.

At 17, I left my home. At 27, I left the religion I was raised in. And at 52, I left my job to become my own boss.

Each time, the cost was fear and uncertainty. But what I gained was freedom – freedom to grow, to fall and learn from my mistakes, and a drive so strong that discipline was no longer necessary to get out of bed in the morning. The price may seem high, but the rewards are immeasurable.

So, as I reflect on my journey and the lessons I have learned, I would like to leave you with one final thought. The gate to your dreams has two steps – give yourself permission, and then take action. And while AI may have opened the door for us, it is up to us to walk through it and embrace the unknown.

After all, a good idea that is never acted upon will simply fade away into the darkness.