These Al Prompts Exposed My Biggest Blind Spots

These Al Prompts Exposed My Biggest Blind Spots

Using AI as a Personal Adviser

Introduction to AI Prompts

  • The speaker introduces the concept of using AI not just for mundane tasks but as a tool for personal growth and self-improvement.
  • Viewers are encouraged to follow along with prompts that can be used in ChatGPT or similar tools, with an option to download a PDF containing all prompts.
  • The first prompt is designed to set the stage for deeper introspection by asking the AI to act as a trusted adviser who knows the speaker well.

Engaging with AI: Initial Prompt

  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of candid feedback from the AI, which will provide insights into their life and work based on previous interactions.
  • To receive better answers, users should provide more input about themselves through social media posts or detailed biographies.

Discovering Blind Spots

  • The speaker asks the AI about their blind spots, seeking brutally honest feedback on aspects they may not recognize about themselves.
  • The first insight reveals that charm is used as armor, suggesting that while it helps in social situations, it may hinder receiving genuine feedback from others.

Insights on Depth vs. Breadth

  • Another point raised is that while the speaker excels at opening new opportunities, they sometimes lack depth due to spreading attention too thin across projects.
  • A suggestion is made to focus intensely on one project over 90 days to enhance depth and effectiveness.

Authenticity and Vulnerability

  • The discussion shifts towards showing struggle; revealing vulnerabilities could foster greater connection and authenticity with audiences.
  • The speaker expresses discomfort but acknowledges the value of sharing failures alongside successes in future content.

Understanding Perceptions: What Do People Say Behind My Back?

Exploring Negative Feedback

  • The next prompt seeks insights into negative perceptions others might have about the speaker, starting with a blunt approach from the AI.

Key Critiques Identified

  • One critique suggests that people view the speaker as "more brand than blood," implying a lack of rawness or authenticity in their persona.
  • Another observation indicates that some perceive them as charming yet calculating, raising doubts about whether warmth is genuine or strategic.

Reflection on Feedback Validity

  • Despite some critiques resonating with reality, there are disagreements regarding certain perceptions. This highlights how valuable such prompts can be for self-reflection and understanding public perception.

SWOT Analysis of Life and Work

Introduction to SWOT Analysis

  • The speaker introduces the concept of a SWOT analysis, commonly used in organizations, as a tool for personal reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
  • Emphasizes that individuals can benefit from this analysis just like organizations do, suggesting that tools like ChatGPT can serve as affordable alternatives to professional consultants.

Personal Strengths

  • Identifies personal strengths: being an "idea machine," having a platform and reach, professionalism, versatility, and a strong network/reputation.

Personal Weaknesses

  • Lists weaknesses including using charm as armor, favoring breadth over depth in knowledge or skills, risk aversion, seeking approval from others, and having finite raw material (resources).

Opportunities for Growth

  • Discusses potential opportunities such as engaging in theater/drama projects, contemplating wisdom-related projects, pursuing multimedia growth, adapting to cultural climate changes, and focusing on legacy positioning.

Threats to Consider

  • Highlights threats including complacency in work habits, attention fragmentation due to various media platforms, dependence on specific platforms for success (platform dependence), generational drift where younger audiences may overlook older styles or tones (notably "boomer polished"), and the overarching threat of irrelevance rather than outright failure.

Self-Diagnosis Through Prompt Engineering

Identifying Areas for Improvement

  • The speaker shares a prompt aimed at diagnosing personal shortcomings: identifying what they are doing wrong or avoiding while also seeking clarity on necessary actions for advancement.

Key Insights from Self-Diagnosis

  • Acknowledges that they are polishing content instead of publishing it; defaulting to safe choices rather than taking risks with new ideas.
  • Recognizes underestimating audience appetite for imperfection and controversy; suggests that writing plays could be pivotal for their career's next phase.

Actionable Steps Forward

  • Outlines five critical steps needed to elevate their work:
  • Embrace risk by committing to public experiments each quarter.
  • Build a movement rather than merely an audience.
  • Own a distinct cultural lane within their field.

Confronting Uncomfortable Truths

Facing Personal Lies

  • Engages with prompts about self-deception regarding comfort zones versus actual capabilities; emphasizes the need for regular challenges beyond perceived safety limits.

Uncomfortable Truth #1: Polish vs. Authenticity

  • Argues that excessive polish is often more about audience perception than genuine expression; multitasking may serve as an excuse rather than true productivity.

Uncomfortable Truth #2: Risk Aversion Misconceptions

  • Reflective thoughts reveal that choosing wisely does not equate to being risk-averse; provocation can enhance usefulness when done correctly.

Uncomfortable Truth #3: Approval Seeking

  • Acknowledges craving approval might shape decisions more significantly than admitted; recognizing this tendency is crucial for personal growth.

Judgment Towards Others Reflecting Self-Guilt

Self-Judgment Reflection

  • The speaker reflects on judging others' self-promotion efforts while acknowledging similar behaviors in themselves—highlighting hypocrisy in self-perception versus reality.

Exploring Self-Reflection and Future Aspirations

The Nature of Hypocrisy

  • The speaker reflects on their tendency to chase approval, recognizing a potential hypocrisy in criticizing shallow thinking while possibly engaging in it themselves.
  • They express admiration for raw, unfiltered expression but acknowledge their own curated image, suggesting a disconnect between perception and reality.

Self-Inquiry Prompts

  • A prompt encourages self-reflection on personal hypocrisy, inviting individuals to consider what they secretly judge others for that they may also be guilty of.
  • The speaker discusses the discomfort with the common question about future aspirations, prompting a deeper exploration of their own trajectory over the next five years.

Scenarios for Future Growth

  • Three scenarios are presented regarding future paths: remaining comfortable yet stagnant, embracing risk and creativity, or fading into irrelevance.
  • The speaker expresses a desire to be a "reinvented force" rather than settling into complacency or mediocrity.

Confronting Personal Values

  • A challenging prompt asks what the speaker pretends to care about versus what truly matters; they realize it's about creating impactful work rather than conforming to superficial metrics.
  • Another reflection highlights the disparity between teaching purpose and meaning while getting caught up in trivial details like subject lines and emojis.

Vital Questions for Growth

  • The speaker identifies critical questions they should ask themselves: What sacrifices are they willing to make for meaningful work?
  • They emphasize the importance of honesty in answering these questions as pivotal for transitioning from being merely respected to becoming a transformative force.

Actionable Insights from Reflection

  • After this introspective exercise with AI prompts, the speaker plans to save and analyze their reflections more deeply.
  • They outline actionable steps including choosing bold projects, eliminating distractions, seeking feedback from trusted peers, and embracing failure as part of growth.

Recasting Identity and Future Plans

Exploring Personal Growth and Future Vision

  • The speaker discusses a transformative vision for the next three years, emphasizing the need for "ruthless pruning" and "messy shipping" as part of their identity recasting.
  • A 90-day plan is outlined, which includes taking significant risks and establishing a public stake in new projects focused on theater and thought leadership over the next year.
  • The conversation highlights the importance of self-knowledge and planning for the future, with gratitude expressed towards Chat GPT for facilitating meaningful discussions.

Engaging in Candid Conversations

  • The speaker encourages asking hard questions to foster candid conversations that may be uncomfortable but ultimately lead to real insights.
  • There’s an emphasis on sharing prompts that elicit meaningful responses, suggesting that collective experiences can reveal commonalities among individuals regardless of their life circumstances.

Utilizing New Tools for Improvement

  • The speaker reflects on how tools available today can significantly enhance personal growth, noting that such exercises were not possible just three years ago.
  • A call to action is made to play bigger in life and contribute more actively, recognizing hidden tendencies to retreat or hide from opportunities.
Video description

Download the prompts I used, here: https://www.danpink.com/ai-guide/ In this video, I explore a different way to use AI. Not for productivity, but for thinking. I experiment with a set of prompts designed to push past surface-level answers and generate more thoughtful, challenging feedback. I use myself as the example, walk through the prompts in real time, and react to what comes back. The goal isn’t self-exposure. It’s to show how better questions lead to better insight, and how these tools can be used to reflect, clarify priorities, and think more clearly about your work and direction. You can follow along as you watch, pause when needed, and try the prompts yourself. If you don’t want to watch the entire video straight through, all of the prompts are available in a downloadable PDF linked in the description. This is an experiment in using AI less as a shortcut and more as a thinking partner. -- To find out more about Daniel Pink, his books, and view his resources, visit https://danpink.com