When You Fall in Love with AI (And Nobody Gets It)
“You need to get a real job.”
Heard that again this week. Yep, still stings. But honestly, this whole season of building Everyday Mastery is about testing a growth mindset in real life—learning more than I ever have, using tools that genuinely help people, and showing up even when the money hasn’t arrived yet. Still zero. Not even a pity Fiverr gig.
Brutal Honesty Check-In
Quick note: this post’s late. Again.
Lucky for me, no subscribers to let down yet. So for now, it’s just me and the vast void of the internet. Still, I promised myself I’d show up—even if late, even if messy
Week 6 stats:
- Follower count: No clue. Didn’t check. Might peek next week.
- Money made: £0. Still.
- New projects started: One more, of course.
- Hours lost to AI rabbit holes: Let’s just say… it was a lot.
- Family members who think I’m losing it: Pretty much all of them.
- Mushroom photos taken: Embarrassingly many.
- On-time posts: 0 out of 6. A perfect record.
Failure streaks, right? But here’s the thing—they’re also proof I’m still here.
The Mushroom Moment: A Growth Mindset in Action
Last week I saw this random mushroom photo on Facebook. Thought nothing of it.
Next day, my husband and I were out walking and boom—that same mushroom. So naturally, we spent like an hour looking for more to photograph.
Thing is we don’t even care about mushrooms. However, once you notice something new—really notice it—your brain starts spotting it everywhere. Psychologists call this the frequency illusion, and it’s one of the simplest examples of how awareness shapes reality.
That’s what mindfulness and self-compassion feel like in daily life. A small shift in attention that changes how you see the world.
Falling Hard for AI
So yeah, I’ve fully become that person. The one who brings up AI in every conversation.
My brother dropped by this week. His car had some issue and mechanics were quoting hundreds just to look at it. I showed him Perplexity AI—ten minutes later, he figured it out. Boom. Fixed.
That’s the side of AI for daily life that excites me: not coding, not complex research. Instead, it’s everyday problem-solving. Whether it’s meal planning, workouts, or fixing a car, these AI productivity tools are real.
Naturally, I started another blog: Everyday Mastery with AI. This one’s not about me—it’s about regular people figuring out how to use AI without losing their minds.
When Nobody Gets It
Here’s the part nobody tells you when you’re building something new: the loneliness is real. Especially when your family thinks you’ve lost the plot.
“You can’t make money like that.”
“It’s not a real job.”
“Why don’t you just go work at Tesco?”
That’s the “get a real job chorus”—and it’s loud. The harder part? Sometimes my own brain joins in.
This is what I call the invisible founder problem, In other words You’re showing up, creating, failing forward, but it feels like nobody sees you. That’s when overcoming self-doubt becomes the real work.
growth Mindset: Shifted
Even with the doubts, I told my husband something this week that I actually believe:
“Even if this doesn’t lead where I think it will, I’m learning stuff I never imagined. And honestly, I’m enjoying the hell out of it.”
That’s the whole point of a growth mindset, valuing the process, not just the outcome. The failures, the missed posts, the rabbit holes—they’re all part of building personal growth and development that doesn’t fit neatly on a spreadsheet.
What’s Actually Working
Despite the zeroes in my bank account, here’s what is working:
- I helped my brother fix his car problem
- In addition I’m learning like crazy
- Building tools that actually work
- I’m gaining confidence in what I can do
- And I’m enjoying this uncertain path
Those aren’t vanity metrics. They’re invisible wins. And sometimes they matter more than money.
These invisible wins are what a growth mindset is built on—confidence, learning, and small tools that actually help
Why a Growth Mindset Matters More Than Results
When the numbers stay flat, no money, no followers—it’s easy to feel like you’re failing. But a growth mindset flips that story. It shifts the focus from results you can’t fully control to progress you can actually see: learning new skills, spotting hidden opportunities, and showing up even when it’s uncomfortable.
This week I realised that’s what’s been keeping me moving. The mushroom moment, the car fix with AI, even the messy streak of late posts, they’re all proof that I’m growing. In fact a growth mindset isn’t about ignoring failure; it’s about seeing failure as part of the process. And right now, that’s more valuable than any follower count
Final Thought + Poll
If you’re building something and nobody around you gets it—you’re not alone.
The doubt is normal. The fear is too. But the only way forward is to keep going, keep noticing, and keep showing up. That’s what Everyday Mastery is really about: mastering the habits that help you grow even when results don’t show up right away.
Quick poll: Does your family get what you do?
- Totally
- Sort of
- Not a chance
That’s what Everyday Mastery is really about—mastering the habits that help you grow even when results don’t show up right away. If you’re new here, grab my Small Habits Mini Guide for a simple start.
👉 Want to see how this experiment unfolds (and maybe spot your own “mushroom moments”)? Join my newsletter to get these weekly behind-the-scenes updates straight to your inbox.
👉 Want to see where it all started? Go back to Week 1: Growth Mindset + Chaos.
Kel is the writer behind Everyday Mastery, where she shares the real, messy, and meaningful process of building habits, resilience, and self-belief from the ground up. Her writing blends ancient philosophy with modern science, always focused on small, practical steps that lead to lasting