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Some clients have shared stories about editing emails for hours, deleting and rewriting, smoothing every rough edge, and creating multiple versions. They are trying to sound "professional enough." They are not alone. I hear this story often, the exhausting work of editing yourself just to fit in.
You have probably read countless articles about AI by now. Many people I work with use it daily, and what stands out isn't the technology itself but how to show up authentically while using it. AI is here to stay. Rather than a threat to authenticity, it can be a tool to clarify and express your thoughts, organize your ideas, research topics you're curious about, and reduce overwhelm while keeping your voice and perspective at the center.
Some of my clients use AI to research executive function strategies or go deeper on neuroscience concepts they're curious about. It's a quick way to gather information and understand how their brain works, which can be empowering.
Using AI Without Losing Yourself
The Forbes Career Pulse newsletter recently offered practical guidance that resonates with what I see in my coaching work. Here's how to apply these principles while staying true to who you are:
- Own the Narrative: Frame AI as a tool to help you think, plan, and express ideas more clearly, not as a replacement for your voice. Recent research from Harvard Business School found that companies using AI without grounding it in an authentic purpose put their credibility at risk. The same applies to individuals. AI becomes most valuable when paired with your authentic voice, not when it replaces it.
- Start Small: Begin with one workflow, such as drafting emails, organizing notes, or brainstorming ideas. Use AI to make tasks easier, but keep your thinking and voice at the center.
- Set Guardrails: Decide how and when to use AI, and check the AI's suggestions before acting on them. AI can generate incorrect information, including citations that don't exist. Attorneys, professors, and students writing dissertations or journal articles have discovered this the hard way.
- Focus on Human Work: Let AI handle repetitive or logistical tasks so you can spend more time on the parts of your work that require judgment, creativity, and human connection.
Source: Forbes Career Pulse, "Here's How to Turn AI into a Strategic Advantage," January 2026.
The Human Touch
Musician Charlie Puth offers a useful example. When he records, he listens for the moments most artists would delete: breath sounds, uneven timing, messy live sounds. Instead of hiding them, he highlights and builds with them. A polished, optimized track might avoid every rough edge, but it will not create the same emotional pull as something that sounds alive.
The same is true for your work. Some of my clients use AI to help create content, draft papers, reports, or articles, then deliberately add their own insights, examples, and unique style.
 Your Challenge
As we begin this new year, notice one place where you've been smoothing yourself out to seem more polished or "professional." This week, show up a little closer to your real "self" there. Pay attention to your timing, your quirks, and the parts of you that usually get edited out.
Use AI to make things easier. Use it to organize, clarify, and expand what is possible. But bring yourself back into the work. Add your voice and your timing. Make choices based on your judgment and experience. Let your imperfections show. That is unmistakably human, and that is what leaves a mark people actually remember.
With gratitude,
Ana Isabel Sánchez
A Note on AI and Mental Health
Some people are using AI as a counselor or therapist, turning to it for emotional support and guidance. While AI can provide general information and help organize thoughts, it cannot analyze emotions in context, pick up on subtle cues, or provide the nuanced care that mental health professionals offer. In a recent mindfulness webinar, Brown University announced it is developing trustworthy AI for mental and behavioral health with secure guardrails, recognizing both the potential and the serious limitations of AI in this space.
If you're struggling with mental health concerns, please reach out to a licensed counselor, therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. AI can be a helpful supplemental tool for gathering information or gaining clarity, but it cannot diagnose or provide treatment. It should never replace professional mental health care.
  
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