This isn't a list of rules. Nobody changes a habit because someone told them to. Change starts with noticing — and noticing starts with honest observation.
Track before you judge
For one week, simply notice every time you open an AI tool. Don't try to stop. Don't judge yourself. Just notice. Was it necessary? Was it automatic? Did you think before reaching for it, or did your fingers move before your brain did?
Notice the trigger
What makes you open AI? Boredom? Anxiety? A work task you don't feel like starting? An email you don't want to write? Understanding your triggers doesn't require changing them — it just requires seeing them.
Notice the aftermath
After an AI session, how do you feel? More capable? More dependent? Relieved? Empty? The feeling after tells you more than the time spent.
Rediscover friction
Try writing one email without AI. Solve one problem the hard way. Cook without a recipe generator. Not because AI is bad — but because friction is how you stay connected to your own abilities. Difficulty isn't the enemy. It's the exercise.
The goal isn't zero
The goal isn't to stop using AI. It's to use it on purpose instead of on autopilot. It's to choose when to ask a machine and when to trust yourself. It's to find what's still yours.