Stop Feeling Behind on AI: The "Pain in the Ass" Framework That Actually Works
A simple 2x2 grid to cut through AI overwhelm and finally make progress on what matters—without chasing every shiny new tool.
I had a different conversation planned with a client last week, but five minutes into our session, she was practically in tears.
"I feel like I have whiplash from all of the different AI tools that should be changing my life. Everyone's talking about AI like I should already be using it daily, and now my exec team keeps saying we need to use AI more and more. Meanwhile, I'm just struggling to keep up with my actual work. I don't even know where to start. There's a new tool every day, and I'm drowning in my regular work as it is."
Sound familiar?
At Go Long, we work with ambitious women over 40 who are juggling a lot—and lately, AI anxiety is showing up in almost every conversation. The pressure to "keep up" is real, but here's what I've learned: you're not behind. You're just overwhelmed by bad advice.
Most AI guidance is either too theoretical ("AI will transform everything!") or too tool-focused ("You MUST use this new app!"). Neither approach helps you make real progress.
So let me share the framework that's helped my micro-accountability clients go from AI paralysis to actually using AI to reclaim hours each week. And spoiler alert: it starts with your frustrations, not with the latest trending tool.
The Problem: Analysis Paralysis Disguised as "Keeping Up"
Every day brings another "must-use" AI tool announcement. Your LinkedIn feed and/or your inbox is full of people who seem to have figured it all out, while you're over here still using the same systems you've had for years, wondering if you're missing something crucial.
Meanwhile, you're drowning in work that's critical to your role but absolutely drains your energy. Tasks like:
Writing proposals that take forever
Creating presentations from scratch every time
Turning meeting notes into actionable follow-ups while in back-to-back meetings
Organizing scattered thoughts into coherent plans
You're wondering if AI could probably help with some of this, but with limited time and mental bandwidth, where do you even begin?
Here's the truth: You don't need to keep up with every AI tool. You need to solve one real problem at a time.
The Framework: High Importance + High Pain = Your Starting Point
Instead of chasing the latest AI trend, I give my clients this 10-minute homework assignment. It's deceptively simple, but it works.
Create a 2x2 grid of your regular tasks:
Y-Axis: How vital is this to your role/business? (Low to High)
X-Axis: How much do you dread doing it? (Low to High)
I call it the "Pain in the Ass" Framework, and yes, I know it sounds unprofessional. But here's why it works: it cuts through all the noise and focuses on what actually matters to YOU.
Tasks that land in the "high importance, high pain" quadrant? That's where automation, which may or may not be AI-related, can make the biggest difference in your day-to-day life.
What if I told you that you could still save time and it didn't mean you HAD to use AI? You might use AI, but it doesn't need to be that. It could be a simple automation, a process change, or even eliminating the task entirely.
Real Results from Real People
Let me share what happened when my clients actually tried this:
Executive Coach: Her "high pain" task was writing detailed proposals for new clients. It took her 3+ hours each time, and she'd procrastinate for days. Now she uses AI to create first drafts from her initial client conversations. What used to take 3 hours now takes 45 minutes.
Sales Manager at an Early Stage Start-Up: He was drowning in follow-up emails after client meetings. Each one took 15 minutes to write because he wanted them to be personal and actionable. Now he feeds his meeting transcripts to AI and gets personalized follow-ups in minutes.
Senior Product Manager at a FAANG company: Her brain dump voice notes were scattered across different apps, and she'd waste time trying to remember what she'd recorded where. Now she uses AI to turn voice memos into organized action items automatically.
Looking to make similar gains as the clients above?
My Personal AI Transformation
Six months ago, my own grid looked like this:
High Importance, High Pain (my AI targets):
Email sequences for new programs
Client session recaps
Sales proposals
High Importance, Low Pain (keep doing myself):
Podcast conversations
Strategic planning
Client coaching calls
Today? Those tasks that used to live in my "high pain" quadrant have moved to "low pain." They're still important, but they're no longer draining my energy or eating up my time.
The difference isn't that I became an AI expert overnight. It's that I focused on MY specific pain points instead of trying to use every tool that crossed my feed.
Your Turn: The 10-Minute Challenge
Here's your homework (and yes, I mean actually do this—don't just read and move on):
Set a timer for 10 minutes
List 8-10 tasks you do regularly (weekly or monthly)
Draw the grid (seriously, grab a piece of paper)
Plot each task based on importance and pain level
Circle anything in the "high importance, high pain" quadrant
Pick ONE task and commit to researching solutions this week
That's it. No fancy spreadsheets, no strategy sessions, no analysis paralysis.
Why This Works When Other Approaches Don't
Most AI advice starts with the tool: "Here's this amazing new app!" But tools don't solve problems—they solve specific problems for specific people in specific situations.
This framework starts with YOUR reality. Your actual pain points. Your real constraints.
When you start with a problem you're passionate about solving, you'll push through the learning curve. When you start with a random tool someone else recommended, you'll give up at the first sign of friction.
What's Next?
Stop waiting for the perfect moment to "learn AI." You're not behind—you're one focused decision away from meaningful progress.
The goal isn't to use every AI tool. It's to use the right tool to solve the right problem at the right time.
Your action step: Pick one task from your "high importance, high pain" quadrant and spend 30 minutes this week researching solutions. Not analyzing. Not reading more articles. Actually trying something.
What's the most important task you absolutely dread doing? Hit reply and tell me—I'll suggest specific solutions that could help.
Ready to reclaim your life again? Let's Go Long together.
P.S. — Soon, I'll share the 5 specific AI tools that transformed my workflow and how to know if they're right for your situation. But first, do the framework. The tools only matter once you know what problem you're solving.