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The Lesson I Never Forgot. Perfect Isn't Power
Let me take you back for a minute. I had just moved to New York City, and I was still figuring out the subway map. I was definitely not hip to the commuter shoe game. I was strutting through the Financial District in heels like I had something to prove. By the end of the day, my feet were wrecked.
It was the early days of my corporate career. I was wearing a stiff blazer I found on the clearance rack at the Burlington Coat Factory in Union Square. It didn’t fit right, but I made it work. I wanted to look the part. I wanted to belong.
I had just landed my first big-girl job and was placed in a statistics and reporting class. You know the kind. Everyone talks in acronyms, the Excel tabs go ten columns deep, and words like “variance” and “quarter-over-quarter” get tossed around like confetti. I didn’t know what they meant. But I smiled, nodded like I sabía todo (I knew everything), and went all in. Because that’s what we do. You show up, figure it out later, and make it work with what you’ve got.
I wanted to stand out, so I stayed up late, making every report look perfect. Bold headers, branded charts, and even the margins were manicured. I thought if the work looked beautiful, no one could question my ability.
Then, halfway through class, the instructor dropped a truth bomb I wasn’t ready for.
“Don’t waste time making reports pretty. Executives don’t care about your formatting. They care about what the numbers say.”
It hit me hard. I had spent all that time polishing, thinking presentation proved value. But what really mattered was insight, clarity, and the why, not the window dressing. Like so many of us, especially Latinas like me, we were taught that polish equals professionalism and that we must make it perfect before making it known.
But that moment rewired something in me. What matters is the meaning behind the work.
Now, years later, I still see it: Talented professionals pouring their energy into making things look right instead of making the right things happen. They are over-functioning, overdelivering, and overcompensating.
Let’s tell the truth. You’re not failing. You’re just focused on the wrong work.
That task you keep avoiding? It’s not laziness. It’s a message. It doesn’t belong to you anymore. And thanks to AI, you don’t have to carry it anymore.
You get to delegate it. Automate it. Let it go.
No guilt. No shame. Just growth.
THIS WEEK'S INSIGHTS:
Trend: AI agents are automating repetitive tasks across industries, saving hours and reducing burnout.
Tip: Avoidance and procrastination are often signs you’re doing work beneath your potential—not signs you’re lazy.
Tool: Use AI to help you reflect, automate, and refocus on high-impact work.
TRENDS: Automate What Drains You
AI Agents Are the New Workflow Architects
McKinsey’s 2024 research shows that 40% of companies now use AI agents to handle multi-step workflows—from onboarding and scheduling to reporting and customer comms. These aren’t basic bots. These are intelligent automations quietly running the background operations you’re still doing manually.
When you let go of low-leverage work, you create space for visibility, impact, and strategy.
Burnout Is Often Boredom in Disguise
Psychologist Dr. John Eastwood found that boredom occurs when tasks don’t challenge us enough to stimulate our minds. When work is too repetitive, too simple, or too irrelevant—it drains instead of fuels.
AI can take over those rinse-and-repeat tasks, so you can spend more time in your flow zone, where your energy and brilliance actually thrive.
TIPS: Limiting Beliefs → Empowered Shifts
Limiting Belief: “If I use AI, people will think I’m lazy and taking shortcuts.”
Empowering Shift: “Using AI shows I prioritize outcomes and lead strategically.”
How AI Helps: AI handles repetitive work so you can focus on critical thinking, leadership, and decision-making. That’s not a shortcut; it’s a power move.
Limiting Belief: “I feel lazy when I avoid certain tasks.”
Empowering Shift: “Avoidance is feedback. That task is outside my Genius Zone.”
How AI Helps: Tools like ChatGPT and Reclaim.ai help you identify what drains you and reclaim your energy through intelligent automation.
Limiting Belief: “Doing everything myself proves I’m valuable.”
Empowering Shift: “Delegation and smart tools help me scale my value.”
How AI Helps: AI allows you to offload low-leverage work and double down on what you can do best: strategy, vision, and impact.
NEW TOOLS: Work Like An AI Leader
Clever Prompts to Maximize Your Zone of Genius
Reflect and Reclaim Your Time
Prompt:
“Help me reflect on my workweek. Ask me questions about what I did, what I repeated, what I avoided, and what felt draining. Then help me identify tasks I can automate, delegate, or eliminate.”
Why it works: Turns ChatGPT into a thought partner and pattern detector to help you work smarter.
Streamline Client or Team Follow-Ups
Prompt:
“Review these client or team emails and identify action items. Draft one concise message that addresses all points and outlines next steps with clarity and professionalism.”
Why it works: AI consolidates communication into a strategic asset instead of scattered effort.
Automate Digital Organization
Prompt:
“Create a Zapier workflow that auto-sorts email attachments into Drive folders based on file type or sender, and send me a summary each week.”
Why it works: Less time hunting for files, more time doing the work that moves the needle.
Tools Worth Trying
-
Reclaim.ai
Intelligent calendar assistant to protect your focus time and reduce decision fatigue
Use it to auto-schedule deep work sessions, hold time for habits, and balance your meetings. -
Notion AI
Your second brain for thinking, writing, and decision-making
Use it to summarize meeting notes, generate outlines, and turn brainstorms into execution plans. -
Zapier AI Agents
No-code workflow automation for email, Slack, CRMs, Google Sheets, and more
Use it to build automation like “if this, then that” across your tech stack. -
Superhuman
An elite email experience built for speed and clarity
Use it to triage inboxes, auto-schedule meetings, and get through emails in record time. -
Otter.ai
AI-powered transcription and meeting summary tool
Use it to record, tag, and summarize calls so you never have to recap meetings again manually.
PRO TIP:
The next time you catch yourself procrastinating, pause and ask:
“Is this task beneath my zone of genius or beyond it?”
If it’s too boring, automate it.
If it’s too complex, break it down and get AI support.
Either way, the goal isn’t to push through. It’s to get more thoughtful about how you move forward.
👉🏽 What’s one task you’re ready to stop doing so you can start leading smarter?
Closing Thought
If you're feeling tired, unmotivated, or stretched thin, ask yourself
is it really you, or is it the way your work is structured?
You're not failing. You're just focused on the wrong work.
That earlier version of yourself did what was needed with the tools available.
But now, you have new tools.
Let go of what drains you. Delegate what delays you.
Prioritize the work that truly moves the needle.
“El que sabe, sabe. Y el que no, que se apoye.” (The one who knows, knows. And the one who doesn’t, should lean on support.)
You don’t have to prove your worth by doing it all.
Leverage support.
Let technology hold what no longer belongs on your plate.
Hasta la próxima, Abrazos!
Monica Marquez
When You're Ready...
Here’s how I can help you and your organization take your leadership and professional growth to the next level:
Speaking: I deliver engaging, high-impact keynotes and workshops on AI-driven leadership, personal branding, career advancement, and transformation. Whether it's a corporate event, leadership summit, or industry conference, I bring practical insights and strategies that empower professionals to thrive in today's rapidly evolving world.
Learning & Development Consulting: I partner with organizations to design and implement learning experiences that drive real impact. From AI-powered career development programs to leadership training tailored for their talent, I help companies advance their workforce and create growth opportunities for high-potential professionals.
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