I did not overcome my limits. I integrated them. AI became a co‑pilot for thinking and making on days when brain fog and progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) would have sidelined me. What began as outsourcing cognition turned into a practice of self‑prompting that reduced friction and restored agency.

Quick Path ⚡

• Voice‑dump the contradiction. Speak one minute into your phone’s recorder. Tag it #fog.
• Paste to AI with a lens. Ask for a Stoic, CBT, IFS, or Existential reframing.
• Keep only what lands. Save two sentences: one insight and one next action.
• Translate to motion. Commit to a single “One Thing” for the next 24–48 hours.
• Sweep later. File to a “Daily Sweep” note for review when energy returns.

Full Path 🛠️

Phase 1 — Set the capture pipeline (10 min, Easy)

• Choose a recorder. Use your phone’s default voice memo app for zero friction.
• Decide a home. Create a note called “Daily Sweep” in your notes app.
• Make a tag. Use #fog or #lowenergy to surface these later.
• Add an AI helper. Prepare a shortcut or template prompt (see Pocket Prompts).

Alt text: Set capture pipeline — recording and note spaces are prepared — phone recorder + notes app.

Phase 2 — Voice‑dump the contradiction (2 min, Easy)

• Say it messy. Speak the block exactly as it feels. No editing while talking.
• Add one example. Name a recent moment that shows the tension.

Alt text: Voice‑dump contradiction — inner conflict is captured — phone microphone.

Phase 3 — Ask an angle (3 min, Easy)

• Paste to AI. Request a lens that fits the day.
• Pick one lens. Stop at the first helpful framing; do not shop for better answers.

Lens prompts you can paste:

• Stoic: “What is in my control vs not? Reframe my focus.”
• CBT: “Spot distorted thoughts and offer testable alternatives.”
• IFS/Parts: “Name the parts speaking and their positive intents.”
• Existential: “Where are freedom and responsibility in this tension?”

Alt text: Ask an angle — reframing options are generated — AI chat window.

Phase 4 — Iterate and journal (4 min, Easy)

• Keep two sentences. One insight you believe. One permission or boundary.
• Record a reaction. Speak a 20‑second response to anchor the learning.
• Save to Sweep. Paste the two sentences at the top of today’s note.

Alt text: Iterate and journal — distilled insight is saved — notes app.

Phase 5 — Translate to action (5 min, Medium)

• Choose the One Thing. Convert the insight to a visible step you will complete.
• Schedule it. Place it on your calendar or today list with a short time box.
• Close the loop. After completion, add one sentence: “What made this easier?”

Alt text: Translate to action — next step is scheduled — calendar app.

Energy Cost Snapshot ⏱️

Why it works: You conserve scarce executive function and motor effort, then spend it where it matters.

Troubleshooting 🧰

1. I resist acceptance and over‑push.

   • Fix: Treat the 30‑second voice step as the win. Momentum > mastery.

2. AI answers feel generic.

   • Fix: Add one concrete example and a constraint: “2 sentences, compassionate tone.”

3. I collect notes but never act.

   • Fix: Force a single “One Thing” with a strict time box. Schedule it immediately.

Friction Fix 🔧

• One automation: Create a shortcut: Record → Transcribe → Paste AI prompt → Append to “Daily Sweep” with #fog.
• One simplification: Limit yourself to one lens per day to prevent decision fatigue.

Next Action ▶️

Start a 30‑second voice‑dump: “I want to be independent, but my body needs help…” Then paste to AI with the Stoic prompt.

Story & Context 📖

From Tools to Practice

Around my diagnosis, I was deep in generative tools and automation. Launchers, voice control, and shortcut layers shifted from convenience to necessity. My scarce moments of clarity demanded a smarter allocation of energy.

At first, AI patched slipping cognition. It drafted code when my hands failed, summarized long reads to conserve focus, and captured ideas via voice when typing cost too much.

Then the relationship changed. I began prompting myself. Prompts written for an AI became prompts for me. Utility evolved into philosophical scaffolding and shadow work. I used to obsess over coding tools. Now I am learning to code myself.

The Dialectic, Lived

• Thesis — Control: Years as a programmer, building systems to secure predictability.
• Antithesis — Breakdown: Progressive MS brought brain fog, lost dexterity, and identity erosion.
• Synthesis — Adaptive Integration: I pivoted to AI and accommodations. I stopped fighting limits and started partnering with them.

A concrete example: generating meaningful code with my voice instead of five minutes of error‑prone mousing and typing. The task finishes faster and with less strain, letting the programmer in me stay engaged on days my hands will not cooperate. AI holds the flashlight while I read the map.

What Failed First: Resisting Acceptance

My first failure was rejecting the antithesis. As a programmer, I was wired for control and fixing. I tried to push through with force and logic. The result was fatigue, frustration, and a narrowing life.

The shift came when I used AI not just to do things, but to examine how I was doing them—and who I was being while I did them. Choosing a 30‑second voice task over five minutes of manual effort was not just efficient. It was an act of acceptance.

I let myself receive instead of achieve. That space, paired with AI‑assisted reflection, became the crucible for this adaptive integration.

The Result: Rebuilding, Not Replacing

AI did not replace me. It provided scaffolding while I rebuilt. It became external memory when mine was foggy and borrowed hands when mine refused. Offloading cognitive and physical burdens created room for integrating my MS story with my identity as a maker and systems thinker.

The lesson is simple and subversive: there is genius in working with limits rather than against them. Tools can be partners. Constraints can be designers. Agency can be reclaimed.

Appendix: Tiny Systems You Can Steal 🧩

Voice Dump to Note (2 minutes)

1. Start phone recorder.
2. Speak the contradiction and one example.
3. Ask AI: “Title, one‑line summary, one next action.”
4. Save note to “Daily Sweep” with #fog or #lowenergy.

Alt text: Voice dump to note — contradiction summarized and stored — phone recorder + AI + notes.

Invoice Mini‑Checklist

• Open the template.
• Fill client, amount, and due date.
• Send and confirm delivery.
• Add a 7‑day follow‑up reminder.

Creative Outline Skeleton

• Write a working title.
• State the problem in one sentence.
• List 3–5 section headers.
• Add one example per section.
• End with a clear CTA.