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Hey creator friends 💜

Happy new year and a question for you:

When was the last time you actually learned something new?

I mean, really learned it and applied it - not just skimmed an article or watched a YouTube video you forgot about ten minutes later.

I see so many people in their 30s/40s who mistakenly think their education ended when they graduated.

And I knooow… you need to manage a job, kids, friends, chores, get 10,000 steps a day … when the hell is there time to learn?!

But if you're 35+, you can't afford to stop learning.

We talk a lot about future-proofing yourself in this newsletter.

But you can't future-proof yourself if you don't actually understand what the future is built on. And you can't understand it if you're not learning it.

Good news is: traditional learning is dead.

And what's replacing it is FAST, FREE & EFFECTIVE.

So that's what we're diving into today - an AI learning system that turns any topic into 9 interactive learning formats for any way your brain works (in 3 super fast steps). No expensive courses or endless video lectures.

TL;DR - today’s lineup:

1. One Serious Deep Dive 💡: Learn anything FAST using NotebookLM (Google’s free AI tool) in just 3 steps with 9 formats for any learning style.

2. Copy-Paste Prompt 🤖: A copy-paste prompt that creates a custom learning plan for anything (to go along with this week’s deep dive)

3. Piping  Hot  AI  Tea 🫖: 2025 round-up! Authenticity is dead (according to Instagram), using AI to do the impossible + losing jobs to automation

💌 Your say genuinely shapes this newsletter: there’s a one‑click feedback poll at the very end. I genuinely check for feedback like a maniac after I send this out because I really want to know what you honestly think. So thank you!

Before we dive in:

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Sign up to start learning.

How To Learn Anything FAST Using NotebookLM (Google’s free AI learning tool)

NotebookLM is such an underrated and overlooked free AI tool.

It transforms any source material into 9 different learning formats that match exactly how your brain works best.

Just head over to notebooklm.google.com, use your Google account to log in and organise your learning topics by notebooks:

Step 1: Upload Your Source Material (can be literally anything)

NotebookLM accepts up to 300 inputs at once. And I mean anything:

• YouTube videos

• PDFs and books

• Articles and whitepapers

• Audio transcripts

• Website URLs

• Your own notes

Step 2: Enrich It (Optional But Powerful)

NotebookLM can search the web for missing context and fill in gaps and enhance the information you’ve got.

Use "Fast Research" for quick background or "Deep Research" when you need more detail and depth.

Step 3: Choose Your Learning Mode (this is where it gets WILDLY COOL)

Here's can generate your content in 9 different formats, each designed for different contexts and learning styles:

1. Audio Overview - Listen like a podcast while you walk, commute, or train. Perfect for your morning routine when you're not staring at screens.

2. Video Overview - Structured explanation with visuals. Ideal for focused deep-work sessions when you can give it full attention.

3. Mind Map - See the full conceptual structure in seconds. Great for understanding how ideas connect before diving deep.

4. Report - Short answer quiz, essay questions, and key terms. Reinforces learning with clean summaries you can reference later.

5. Flashcards - Active recall beats passive reading every time. Test your memory instantly. (The science backs this up - it's the fastest way to move information from short-term to long-term memory.)

6. Quiz - Get immediate feedback. Find knowledge gaps before they become problems.

7. Infographic - Scan key ideas visually. Perfect for fast refreshes or when you need to explain concepts to others.

8. Slide Deck - One slide per concept. Teaching concepts to someone else is scientifically proven to achieve much deeper learning.

9. Data Table - Extract structured data from your sources. Perfect when you need to compare information, track metrics, or organize research findings.

Create notebooks for the topics you’re learning, keep enriching the information with sources you find online and turn that information into formats that work next for your brain.

Even if you dedicate just 1 hour a week to doing this throughout 2026, by the end of the year you’ll have built a second brain full of knowledge that you’re passionate about and that you can reference and refresh any time.

You're not trying to become a PhD-level expert in AI, blockchain, or whatever's next. You're trying to stay relevant, develop your skills, make informed decisions, and keep your brain active.

Want to learn more about my AI-powered content creation secrets, systems and hacks?

I’m working a done-for-you content ideation, creation, management and publishing system to help you leverage AI to 12x your content creation (without losing your authenticity in the process).

It’s called the AI Content Multiplier and the waitlist is now open - join now and I’ll send you a 30% off early bird discount as soon as it launches (which is soon).

The "Personal Learning Blueprint" Prompt

Along with NotebookLM, you can use ChatGPT or Claude to create a custom learning plan for anything (and give you more direction with building out your notebooks):

I want to learn about [TOPIC]. 

Here's my context:
- Current knowledge level: [beginner/intermediate/advanced]
- Time available: [X minutes/hours per day/week]
- Learning goal: [what I need to be able to DO with this knowledge]
- Learning style preference: [visual/audio/reading/hands-on]

Create a learning blueprint that includes:

1. Core Concepts Roadmap: The 5-7 essential concepts I need to understand, in order of learning priority

2. Best Sources: Recommend 3-5 high-quality sources (books, courses, YouTube channels, articles) that match my knowledge level

3. 30-Day Learning Sprint: Break this into a realistic daily/weekly plan given my time constraints

4. Practical Application: Give me 3 ways to immediately apply this knowledge so it actually sticks

5. Progress Checkpoints: What should I be able to do/explain at the 1-week, 2-week, and 4-week marks?

Make this practical and actionable, not theoretical. I need to actually DO this, not just read about doing it.

1. Instagram Boss: "Authenticity is Infinitely Reproducible"

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, kicked off 2026 with a viral post stating that "authenticity is becoming infinitely reproducible." He argued that because AI can now perfectly mimic any style, the only way for creators to stand out is to focus on being truly human. This is a massive shift in social media strategy, suggesting that the "authentic" look is no longer enough - creators must now deliver genuine, human connection to cut through the AI noise.

Read more →

2. The New Edge: Using AI for the "Previously Impossible"

The biggest secret to success in 2026 isn't using AI to do your current job faster; it's using AI to do work that was previously impossible for one person. This idea, championed by top solopreneurs, suggests that the real edge goes to those who use AI to attempt massive, complex projects - like launching a full-scale research paper, building a custom app, or running a global marketing campaign - that would have required a team of 50 just a year ago.

Read more →

3. AI Job Automation Hits $1.2 Trillion in Wages

A new MIT study revealed a sobering statistic: AI can already automate tasks representing 11.7% of the U.S. workforce, a figure worth approximately $1.2 trillion in wages. This is the clearest signal yet that AI isn't just coming for low-skill jobs; it's coming for high-value, repetitive tasks across every industry. The message is clear: future-proofing your career means making AI your ally, not your enemy.

Read more →

If you enjoyed today's newsletter AND got to the end of it, I’d love a quick click on the poll below to let me know what you think 💜.

See you next YEAR,

Jess xx