August Bradley

Life Design Letter

Hello Life Designers!

I'm so happy to be back in the rhythm of writing this newsletter. It's said that "writing is thinking," and I certainly find that my thinking becomes clearer as I put it into words here. In this issue, that's particularly true in the “Tech Roundup” section.

Let's dive in!

Announcements

Launching This Week

This Thursday we're launching our new Notion Life Design Pro masterclass and membership – I'll be sending details to the "New Programs" email list (join below).

Then early next year, we'll be announcing some all new programs: the long-awaited Notion for Teams, and a non-Notion program (applicable to any digital platform of your choice).

INSIGHTS

3 Favorite Finds

Three insights I've come across recently that really put a fine point on powerful ideas.

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Transformational Life Change

Your entire life can change in one year.

One year of focused daily effort. One year of asking the right questions. One year of being misunderstood. One year of living differently.

You’re one year away from people calling you lucky. -Sahil Bloom
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Counter-intuitive Path to Freedom

Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.

-Eliud Kipchoge (Kenyon long-distance runner and Marathon World Record Holder)
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What do your aspirations require of you?

There are two types of aspirations:

• Those fitting who you are now.
• Those that force you to become someone defferent – better and more capable.

People typically choose the first. Champions choose the second.

Aspirations aren't just targets. They're DEMANDS for transformation. The bigger your Aspiration, the more unrecognizable you must become.

Most people obsess over rewards: "When I 10x my business, I'll be rich and free!"

They miss the crucial point.

I came across this framing from Tom Bilyeu, then rewrote parts to tighten and convey the idea more directly.

TECH ROUNDUP

Learnings from developing an AI Coach trained on all my work

I've been developing two AI Coaches to help our members instantly, 24/7 in our NLD Pro program and membership. I've trained them extensively on all my content, my private notes, our training sessions, our courses, and our ongoing community discussions.

One of the coaches teaches Notion, and the other teaches business and life enhancement (Life Design).

I'm astonished at how good they are. There are limitations in how far we can train them because they can't yet see into videos, and much of my work has been video-based. So far, the training has been entirely on transcripts and written content.

Despite that limitation, they are remarkably good at giving answers.

As our community has more discussion, and I post more training sessions, and I write more, and I share more on YouTube and elsewhere, these coaches continually improve.

Our members use them daily, getting immediate valuable responses.

Afterward, I read the questions and answers. If the answer is off, I add to the AI chat thread and correct any errors or differences based on my knowledge or perspective. I arrive in the conversation as needed.

And when the AI coach's reply is lacking, I go to the AI training sources and update, modify, or add so that it will do better in the future. It's continually improving.
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AI vs Human Teachers: The Future of Education

I believe there will always be value in learning from real people directly and authentically. But the ideas and insights stand on their own. If you can get them on-demand through an AI custom-trained from the people you trust and whose perspectives you value, this is a breakthrough learning technology – beyond the standard generic AI chatbots.

In the future, a lot of education will come from teachers developing their personalized AI algorithms that can custom answer questions and develop personalized learning paths for students.

It's still the same perspective from the person you've come to trust, but always there – and able to discuss more deeply in any direction of interest. It's still filtered from that trusted teacher's life experience and hard-earned wisdom, but it's tailor-made for each reader at whatever stage of the journey they're on.

But I also think a teacher who only guides from behind an AI will lose the connection they need to be a great teacher. Perhaps in the future, it’s the teacher who will need direct live communication more than the students – so that the teacher can stay connected, to remain empathetic, and to understand how to stay relevant.

I believe the students will need that connection too – to feel heard, to feel understood, and to feel valued.

I would never want my thoughts and ideas to be conveyed entirely through an AI or through an algorithm. I need that connection to my community. Though the immediacy and personalization at scale of the AI Coach is undeniably valuable. The two approaches together make a powerful combination.

This is the first of a three-part series (at least) where we'll expand on these ideas and their potential impact on society.