Why Does Faster Output Still Not Feel Like Enough?

Using AI is making me feel I need to do more. Not less. Today I barely worked, the kids needed me, and it made me anxious.

It is easy though to say AI promised less work, when in the end I do this to myself. Two days of pre-AI work now takes 10 minutes. Instead, I stack ten-minute blocks until the day is full. My output grows, but the day never ends.

I’ve only been doing 2–3 hours of work the last couple of months. And it was not even deep work, as it was mainly entering a command into Codex or Claude Code and then waiting for the work to be done by AI.

While waiting for the response I have been writing replies to posts on X mostly. The habit of writing a response to anything AI related (in the most broad sense) helps me structure my own thinking. Still it feels unproductive to do this while waiting for the next run to finish.

So is the waiting actually serving a purpose? Am I getting better? Or is it me just filling up my time so I have the feeling of being productive?

I don’t know yet. But I suspect it’s both, the ratio matters.

Key Insight:

Two days of work now takes 10 minutes, and I’m still filling a full day. The thing I’m chasing isn’t output. It’s the sensation of having worked. AI gave me the output fast, but left the craving for more intact.

Today the kids needed me and I barely worked. This is exactly what AI was supposed to make possible. It still feels like cheating.