When I went to college in the early 1980s, access to computing was limited to lab time. I was taught Fortran, a programming language; it felt like learning Latin just as its relevance was fading.
Like many in my generation, I never became effective with technology. My discomfort acted as a repellent, and I stepped back from tools that could have expanded my work.
I knew computers could make me more productive, but I wasn’t sure how, and I never made the investment into finding out. Eventually, the gap between my knowledge and technology’s capacity looked like a chasm I could never cross.
Then AI arrived. Its capabilities are often oversold, but for many people it has narrowed that chasm considerably. The interface is simpler, making the technology more universal. This doesn’t mean we can hand off our responsibility to learn. It means the path is more accessible, but the effort still belongs to us.
Health has followed a similar path. For a long time, knowledge about exercise sat with trainers, gyms, and specialists, and most of us had no idea what to ask. Many people decided fitness wasn’t for them, the same way I decided technology wasn’t for me. That is changing. Good information is easier to find than ever, and new medical tools can help with weight and hormones under a physician’s guidance.
Information and skill acquisition is more accessible now than ever before. Whether it's TED Talks or podcasts from experts in their fields, AI fluency courses, workout programs on YouTube, or even beginner instruction in playing an instrument, photography, or any other skill that would enrich your life, now is the time to dive in.
Where do you want to begin?
This Week: Identify something you've avoided because you believed it was beyond your capabilities. Take the first step using a new resource and see where it leads.
Reflection: What have you convinced yourself isn't “for you,” and what might happen if you gave it a try?