In this video, Nicolle answers this question from a fellow mom: "I get it, I need to learn this. But I have two kids, a full-time job, and about 20 minutes of free brain space a day. Every course I've looked at is like 40 hours. Is there something I can do in my life that would make a real difference, or do I just accept that I'm going to be behind?"
Transcript:
Hi, I’m Nicolle, and this is Office Hours.
I write a newsletter called Human+AI, and I get a lot of questions from people in my life about AI. They’re usually simple, practical questions and I want to share the answers here, because I know a lot of people are wondering the same things.
This week, I got a question from a fellow mom that really reflects what a lot of people are feeling right now:
“I have two kids, a full-time job, and about 20 minutes of free brain space a day. Do I just accept that I’m going to be behind on AI?”
The first thing I want to say is: You’re not behind. You’re just in time.
The best time to start is now. And honestly, it’s easier than you think.
The biggest barrier is how you think about it
The way you think about AI is going to be your biggest enabler or your biggest barrier.
A lot of people assume: it’s technical, it’s complicated, it’s going to take a huge time investment.
And then there are courses, certifications, and 40-hour programs.
But that’s not the only way in.
I haven’t taken a full AI course myself. I’ve done shorter workshops, listened to podcasts, experimented as I go.
If you have the time for a course, great. But if you don’t, don’t let that stop you.
Learn in the margins, but differently
You can:
Listen to a podcast (I like Hard Fork)
Watch YouTube videos
Read on Substack
Even ask AI to teach you
You can literally go into ChatGPT and say:
“I have five minutes, what’s something useful I can learn?”
That’s one of the best things about AI - it can teach you.
Don’t use your limited time to “learn AI.”
Use it inside things you’re already doing.
Start with your real work
At work, I use Copilot (it’s the only tool I’m allowed to use).
One of the first things I do in the morning is say:
“Look at my emails, my messages, my projects, what should I prioritize today?”
That alone saves me time and mental energy.
You can start small: draft an email, summarize a document, organize your thinking
You don’t need a course to do that.
AI gives you time back (if you use it)
Someone once told me:
“I don’t have time to use AI.”
And I said:
“If you use it, you’ll get time.”
A few weeks later, they came back and said:
“I saved a full workday.”
I’m not hyping this (there are real limitations to AI). But for repetitive, low-value tasks, it can be incredibly effective.
One caution:
Don’t offload all your thinking to it.
You still need to engage your brain.
You don’t need to be an “AI expert”
There are people selling courses promising to make you an AI master.
You don’t need that.
The tools are changing constantly. One month it’s ChatGPT, then Gemini, now I’m using Claude. Next month it’ll be something else
What matters isn’t mastering tools.
It’s figuring out what works for you.
The real goal
The goal isn’t:
“Be good at AI.”
The goal is:
Make your day slightly easier over time.
Think about it like the 1% rule: small improvements, compounded.
Final thought
So no, you don’t have to accept being behind.
But you do have to stop thinking:
“I’ll catch up on this later.”
Start now. Use it in your real work.
Because the reality is people who know how to use AI are more employable, they tend to earn more, and more opportunities are opening up for them.
If you spend 20 minutes a day applying AI to what you already do,
it will take you further than a 40-hour course.
I really enjoyed this, and I love answering real questions.
If you have a question, send it my way. I read all my messages and all the comments on my work. There’s a good chance I’ll answer it in a future Office Hours.
