⏱️ Reading Time: 7 Minutes
TL;DR
- Gen AI is rewriting how professionals grow.
- In 10 minutes, you can unlock a performance boost in almost any skill.
- To take advantage of AI, (1) improve your prompting, (2) identify skill growth barriers, and (3) take immediate action.
We are 21 months into the Gen AI experiment.
What started as a curiosity has quickly evolved into a powerful tool shaping industries, workflows, and (yes) professional growth.
But here’s the real question:
Are you using it to unlock your next level?
This week, a simple 10-minute chat with ChatGPT helped me grab a 25% performance upgrade — on the spot.
Along the way, it reminded me:
The power of timely info.
The raw potential of AI.
The value of improving.
Here’s the story.👇
Struggling to breathe
For years, I’ve been casually swimming laps.
I started during the pandemic as a way to get outdoors and stay active. And, at times, swimming has become a central part of my weekly routine.
This is one of those times.
I recently got back into swimming twice a week, brushing off a dusty skillset that’s been dormant. And, as expected, diving back into the pool has been a struggle.
My stamina is gone.
My technique is rusty.
My times are slow.
But more than anything, my breathing is all over the place.
And it’s been seriously holding me back.
Running out the door
This week, I scheduled a Thursday evening swim.
My kids go down at 6:30(ish). And the pool opens at 7:00, with the lanes filling up quickly. So I have a narrow window to grab my bag, sling a towel over my shoulder, and head out.
But this Thursday was different.
Sick and tired of struggling for breath during my swims — to the point where I thought I might pass out — I jumped on my computer as the clock struck 6:40.
I had maybe 10 minutes to find what I needed.
So I opened ChatGPT.
Throwing together the prompt
My fingers typed at full speed, free form.
The writing was choppy, but the ideas were there.
1,173 characters later, I hit “Enter.”
ROLE: You are a legendary swim coach who works with the best swimmers in the world (think Michael Phelps). You are especially skilled at diagnosing challenges swimmers run into and helping them come up with creative solutions. You are operating with an Internet-wide level of knowledge on swimming best practices.
SITUATION: I'm an amateur swimmer looking to improve my form. Right now, I'm swimming freestyle and breaststroke at my local pool twice a week. My current challenge is breathing during freestyle. Specifically, I'm running out of air and feeling desperate to get more. I also feel like I may be holding in too much air, which is slowing me down. Right now, I'm breathing on every third stroke, turning my head up over my shoulder to grab a sip of air as I emerge. I've been experimenting with breathing out while my head is underwater, but need a system for thinking through this. I also occasionally breathe out as my head emerges, which I think is limiting my air and holding me back.
ASK: Please give me specific actions to take during my upcoming swim to improve my breathing during freestyle. Make your suggestions as actionable and descriptive as possible.
Honestly, my expectations were minimal.
Was this really gonna help me?
Wow! Instant insight
I won’t bore you with the full response.
But check out the first part of ChatGPT’s response:
Let’s dive into a system for improving your freestyle breathing. Breathing efficiently during freestyle is all about timing and technique, and it sounds like you're on the right track with breathing every third stroke. Here’s a set of actionable steps to help you fine-tune it:
1. Establish a Relaxed Exhalation Underwater
Focus on a Continuous Exhale: As soon as your face enters the water after breathing, start a slow, controlled exhale through your nose (or mouth if that's more comfortable). It should feel like a gentle "blowing bubbles" sensation. This prevents the buildup of CO2, which causes that panicky feeling.
Drill: Practice standing in the shallow end and submerging your face, focusing on a consistent, gentle exhale. Do this for 5 minutes before swimming to train yourself to release air evenly while underwater.
With this response, ChatGPT:
Got right to the root cause of my breathing problem.
Provided useful examples and actionable tips.
Turned knowledge into a drill to help me improve.
I leaned back in my chair, surprised by just how direct and helpful this response was. Then, realizing the time, I quickly skimmed the response and headed out the door.
Now, the real test
I’d like to say the swim session that followed was amazing.
But it certainly didn’t start that way.
Instead of leaning into my default breathing technique, I started experimenting with this new approach. Sudden breath in, followed by a steady breath out.
It worked great.
Until I swallowed half the pool.
Spluttering, I kept going. Kept trying the new technique. And stroke-by-stroke, breath-by-breath I got better.
Then, I got much better.
By the time my session was over, I’d registered my first full mile in years. And I’d done it about 25% faster than my previous sessions.
Not bad for a 10-minute prompt.
3 actionable takeaways
This is just one skill, one data point.
So, I’m not going to over-inflate the importance. But at the same time, it’d be an oversight not to recognize the simple fact: AI helped me clear a hurdle.
Thinking back on this experience, I see 3 obvious takeaways for any busy professional looking to unlock new performance levels quickly and efficiently.
Here they are:
1. Improve your prompting
Gen AI is a nearly unlimited library of knowledge.
And your library card is your ability to prompt.
I was able to improve my breathing because of months of study and experimentation. When I sat down to prompt ChatGPT, I knew exactly what I wanted and more importantly how to get it from the tool.
Looking to level up your prompting?
I included a bunch of resources in this edition of Develop Daily.
2. Identify skill growth barriers
Skill growth isn’t linear.
Instead, our skills have the nasty habit of plateauing. We reach a point and then struggle to continue improving.
In other words. . . we hit barriers.
An essential step in continuing your skill growth — whether you’re swimming for exercise or learning to code for a pay raise — is to identify your barriers.
Look for:
Knowledge gaps: Missing knowledge that prevents further improvement.
Bad habits: Unproductive patterns that need correcting.
Mental roadblocks: Fear of failure, frustration, or complacency.
3. Take immediate action
My one regret in hindsight:
👉 Not tackling this barrier earlier.
I’d done the hard work. I’d learned prompting and knew how to get good results from ChatGPT. I also analyzed my swimming and identified my barrier.
But I continued to put off action.
Why?
(Probably a combination of competing priorities, hesitation, and a false belief that I could figure it out on my own.)
When you hit a skill growth barrier, don’t wait.
Take action. Move forward.
To Wrap
Gen AI is here. It’s available to all of us.
And I believe making the most of this technology is a powerful step for anyone pursuing career growth and lifelong learning.
A 10-minute chat helped me unlock a serious performance upgrade.
What can AI do for you and your career?
-Stephen
P.S. LinkedIn is a great place to learn more about AI. And the LinkedIn Career Content Library features 390 pieces of curated content. Dive in for prompt examples, AI-powered tools, and much more. Happy learning!