Everyone's "using" AI. Few are mastering it. The gap between those two is massive.
Using AI: asking ChatGPT a question, copy-pasting the answer, calling it a day.
Mastering AI: giving it the right context upfront. Using it to think through a problem before jumping into execution. Building workflows where AI handles the grunt work so you can focus on what actually matters.
Context is everything. A vague prompt gets you generic output. But when you take the time to explain what you're building, who it's for, and what constraints you're working with—AI becomes a legit thought partner. Garbage in, garbage out. Context in, gold out.
One of the biggest unlocks for me: using AI to map out the work before doing the work. What are the steps? What could go wrong? What's the fastest path? A few minutes of planning with AI saves hours of wasted effort.
Work got fun again. Not because AI does everything—but because it handles the parts that used to drain me. Now I spend more time on the interesting problems.
My advice: stop dabbling. Pick one workflow and go deep. Give it real context. Use it to plan, not just execute. The compound effect is wild.