The 100 Years Club Installment #110: Upskilling

The paper notebook and Rolodex evolved into the Palm Pilot.

And I learned how to use it.

Then, I migrated to a Blackberry and, ultimately, an iPhone and a Galaxy. (Yes, I have both.)

Mainframe computers and punch cards, manual typewriters, rotary dial phones, and card catalogs were all part of my early years.

So, why do many people assume that older people are not tech-savvy?

We’ve seen more changes in gadgetry and technology than our younger counterparts and have adapted quickly and confidently.

This year, I am refining my AI prompting skills and setting up a lead generation system. (I wrote a book about AI back in 2017. Most of it is still true.

Embrace the Machine!

Not only is that the title of the AI book I wrote, but it’s also my philosophy. I recently spoke to my friend and fellow SOS Board member Ashley. Although we are three decades apart, we share the same love to tech and beliefs about the future.

As we discussed AI-assisted creation, she said, “AI will not replace jobs. It will replace the people who don’t know how to use AI.”

I agree 100%! 

We are perfecting our prompting skills and encouraging more women to enter the field. After all, if only young male tutors are programming, AI will never learn a diversity of speech, perspectives, humor, and consumer behaviors.

We’ve also discovered that learning how to prompt and edit the output can save hours of time and free up bandwidth to do things we love. After all, would we want to give up our smartphones, laptops, dishwashers, cars, and other innovations that make us more efficient?

Start upskilling!

Upskilling can be scary and stressful. But think of all the other things you’ve learned how to do throughout your life. Change is inevitable. Technology may feel inhuman, but if designed and used well, it makes us more efficient, smarter, and faster.

If you’re struggling with technology:

• Commit to learning new skills
• Take baby steps
• Find trainers, classes, and videos that work best with your learning style
• Invest in those technologies that have direct application to your business and life needs
• Above all, stop whining about how quickly the world is moving and spend that time and energy upskilling yourself!

For more insights into “DOING THE NEW” (my January theme), please check out the latest episodes on my YouTube channel and subscribe to my newsletter for a big announcement on February 10th!