Productivity

I wrote and published a Kindle book in one weekend, with GPT-4.

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Brain Sharpeners book on Amazon

As you can imagine, I’ve been playing with ChatGPT and GPT-4 for a while now.

I’ve been using GPT as a brainstorming buddy, a research assistant, a first draft copy and content writer, a social media writer… and more.

Honestly, it’s incredibly good. Mind-blowing really, when you consider where this technology was just a few months ago.

This time I asked GPT-4 to write me a 40-page Kindle book I could publish on Amazon.

The title of the book is… Brain Sharpeners: 48 Natural Foods That Support Brain Health

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Tap into the power of radical responsibility.

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freelancer in the driver's seat

I’m not the first person to talk about this approach to life and work.

But I have been applying it to my own life and career for longer than most people. Decades. I’ve also been teaching it to my kids from an early age.

What is “radical responsibility”?

At its simplest, it’s about taking responsibility for the circumstances and situations in which you find yourself.

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Focus on long-term goals, and choose some scary ones.

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At this time of year, I always spend a few days reflecting on the year that just passed, and thinking about the year to come.

This year, before thinking too much about what’s to come in 2021, I looked back further than just last year.

In fact, I looked back at the last 10 years.

In particular, I wanted to take a look at the new ventures and projects I had embarked on, and see which of them worked out the best.

Two main takeaways…

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It’s not always easy being upbeat on demand. It may even feel a little fake. But…

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Upbeat group showing forced positivity

Whether I’m speaking on a stage, giving a live webinar or producing video-based training materials, I often encounter the same criticism…

“Nick, you don’t sound upbeat enough!”

And here’s a quote from a review for one of my courses:

“Lots of good stuff worth thinking about. I did find Nicks voice a bit ‘sleep inducing’ but otherwise clear. Thanks.”

Ouch. That’s not good. Feedback like that I take seriously.

In fact, before recording a lesson or lecture, I usually go through a series of physical, voice and mental exercises… all designed to give me a little more of an upbeat feel when I speak.

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Successful people don’t dabble.

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don't dabble, be an expertGenerally, I’m not a big fan of dissecting what “successful people” do.

The promise implicit in “doing what they do” is that you’ll become successful too.

I think the road to success, however you choose to define it, is more complicated than that. A path taken by one person may not be the right path for you.

So let me qualify my headline by saying, “When I find myself dabbling, it’s a sure sign I’ve wandered off my own path to success.”

In other words, this is what’s true for me. It may or may not be true for you. (But I suspect it might be.)

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Take total responsibility for your freelance career.

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No excuses for freelancers.The life of a freelancer isn’t always easy.

We have our ups and downs.

Maybe we lose a big client. Or that big prospect we thought was in the bag slips out of our grasp at the last moment.

Meanwhile we’re complaining about all the new freelancers entering the market, and pushing prices down.

Or we’re moaning about how the companies we’d really like to work with don’t seem to be hiring freelancers.

And then there’s that client who wants to renegotiate our fees, downwards.

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