This is the part of AI that I struggle with the most [WRAP 223]

Hey Reader, before the WRAP starts I want to let you know that my fall coaching programs are starting to fill up!

The one I want to tell you about today is Inbox to Income, my newsletter coaching program. I've been working in email marketing since 2015 as employee #5 at Kit, then helping clients like Ryan Holiday, Dan Go, Amanda Goetz, Justin Welsh, Susan Cain, Ryder Carroll, and more.

The part people like the most is that I will personally edit your newsletter during the program. That means reviewing your hook, story, structure, and call to action. Here's what a finished edit looks like:

The program is 8 weeks long and we will start in mid-late September so that everything is done by early December. If you're interested, click here to learn more and apply.

💡 One Big Idea: AI is Compressing Time

My friend Kaleigh posted this on X a couple days ago and it got me thinking a thought I've had many times this year about my relationship to time and work in the age of AI.

Earlier this year I had this exact conversation with a friend, and it shook down to the realization that even if I can do 2-3 times the work/output I was doing in the past, how is my brain handling that new "overhead"?

In the past year I've done way more than I ever thought was possible. AI has sped up a lot of the repetitive parts of work, giving me more time to work on creative projects like newsletters and videos. That's good!

But it's also led me to take on more projects because I think I can do more. And there's two parts to this. The first is the time compression Kaleigh is talking about. The second is that even though I'm doing more... I don't know how much of it is better.

Hear me out. I can do 2-3x more than I've done before. But for me, I take on 2-3x more opportunities because I can (theoretically) handle them all—even though my brain is struggling to juggle them all. So output increases, but quality stays the same, or—gulp—decreases 😬

There are real advantages to using AI. For example, writing proposals and contracts for new clients used to take 3-4 hours. Now Claude can do it in 10 minutes. So the question becomes, what do I do with the "extra" time?

For the first half of 2026, the answer has always been "MORE!" But in the second half I'm hoping to be more mindful of my mental energy. That means more time for reading, my journals, making videos, writing, or even just I-don't-know-working-less?!

That was the big idea in the Printer Trick video. If I'm doing twice as much work as before, why not work half as much? Then I'm still doing a "full week's work" in 20-25 hours instead of 40-50 and I have more time to be human.

Anyway, a pretty philosophical "big idea" in this week's WRAP. I do think it's one of the biggest questions we're going to be asking ourselves as humans the next 10-15 years, so I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on it.

Reply and let me know!

📹 One Video to Watch: Rachelle's Mid-Year Reset​

Rachelle in Theory is one of my favorite analog YouTubers, and since last week I shared my mid-year reset system with you—this week I wanted to show you how someone else is doing it. Enjoy the video and let her know in the comments that Matt sent you!

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📖 Article to Read: 9 Things to Write in a Pocket Notebook​

You've seen me talk about my brother Mark's Substack this year—he was in the winter cohort of Inbox to Income. When we started he was at 87 subscribers, and this month he crossed 6,000 subscribers and launched a paid tier, which landed him at the top of the rising chart for Substack Culture writers!

His publication, The Pocket Notebook, will be perfect reading for many you since you found me through YouTube and Bullet Journal tips. Start with 9 Things to Write in a Pocket Notebook and learn more about the paid tier.

Thanks for reading the WRAP! Have a great weekend 👋🏻

Matt Ragland