Are you doing it all yet?
“Function-Focused Design, as opposed to Human-Focused Design, assumes people have inherent motivation and the system is designed to optimize for efficiency. Human-Focused Design, which I advocate, acknowledges people may not have inherent motivation and aims to create motivation at every step.”
This weekend I read an article in HBR about the top things people are using AI for in 2025.
The second most popular use?
Getting organized.
It reminded me of that quote.
We assume that if we just had the right tool, we’d do it all.
That the calendar, the app, the AI assistant will finally make us do the thing. All of the things we'd always wanted to do.
But is it the real problem?
We’ve had access to everything we need to be healthy and productive for decades - books, routines, tools, expert advice. Now AI that can break the best health advice down better than most of experts.
Still, most people struggle.
This picture from HBR shows just how badly people want to get organized.
We crave order.
Clarity.
Simplicity.
Especially now, when there’s so much more to handle. AI makes it seem like everything should be easier.
But the real bottleneck isn’t knowledge or access.
As Derek Sivers put it,
“If more information was the answer, we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs.”
But are we?
The missing link?
Self-mastery.
If we don’t build the inner architecture, the motivation, emotional regulation, discipline, no tool will save us.
Not even AI.
We don’t need another productivity app.
We need the internal systems that help us show up, even when we don’t feel like it.
That’s the work. That’s the leverage. You can use AI to build it, but will you?
So next time you're looking for the next new tool to get on top of things, ask yourself,
Am I trying to outsource what I actually need to build inside?
Because AI can now give you a perfect fitness plan, a personalized sleep routine, and the top 3 things to prioritize today.
But are you doing it all?