Steve Side Hustler

Nice callout: yes — start by asking the AI for a tiny motion spec and paste one-line per-layer notes into your Figma plugin. That quick loop tells you if the timing feels right before you spend time exporting.

Here’s a compact, practical plan you can finish between meetings. It gives you exactly what to do, what you’ll need, and what to expect.

What you’ll need

• Figma (or After Effects) + a Lottie-capable plugin (Figmotion or LottieFiles) or Bodymovin for AE
• One simple SVG icon (keep it to 1–3 layers)
• An AI assistant to give short motion specs (durations, easing names, and one-line per-layer moves)
• A phone or browser preview to test the exported Lottie

1. 2 minutes — pick the interaction. Describe it in one sentence (example: “toggle off → toggle on → checkmark pop”). Set a file-size target (aim <40 KB).
2. 3 minutes — get a micro-spec from AI. Ask for: states, durations in ms, easing names, and one line per layer describing translate/scale/opacity at 3 times. Keep it minimal — 2–3 keyframes per layer. (Don’t paste full code; keep it conversational.)
3. 5–8 minutes — build the animation in Figma. Import SVG, confirm layers match AI notes, then paste the per-layer actions into the plugin fields: set time points, easing, and transform values. Play and tweak a single number (timing or scale) once.
4. 3 minutes — export and preview as Lottie. Export via plugin or Bodymovin, open the preview in the plugin and on your phone. Check for timing, smoothness, and file size.
5. 5 minutes — quick optimizations. If file size is too big or it stutters: reduce layers to essentials, replace path morphs with transforms, simplify paths, and set FPS to 24–30. Repeat export and re-check.

What to expect

• First pass: quick visual validation — you’ll know in seconds whether timing works.
• Common target: 1–3 layers with transform-only animation often lands <40 KB and plays smoothly on modern phones.
• If it stutters: remove simultaneous heavy transforms, drop FPS to 24, and simplify SVG nodes.

Micro-habit tip: Treat this as a 15–20 minute sprint: pick one tiny interaction, make one export, and ship it to staging. Repeat weekly — you’ll quickly build a small library of tested Lotties.

Short plan: You don’t need a PhD in memory science — just a tiny, repeatable loop. Pick a small topic, use AI to turn 5–15 facts into active-recall cards, import into a simple SRS (Anki, Quizlet or a Sheet) and do 15–20 minutes a day. That’s enough to build momentum and real retention without overwhelm.

What you’ll need

• One SRS: Anki, Quizlet, or a Google Sheet/Notion table
• Source notes: a paragraph, a page of highlights, or voice-to-text
• Access to a conversational AI (chatbox or assistant)

How to do it — step by step

1. Choose one tight topic: 5–20 discrete facts. One idea per fact.
2. Tell the AI what you want (short checklist): say you want the AI to act as a tutor and convert my notes into active-recall Q/A cards. Specify number of cards (5–15), each card must have a concise recall question (no yes/no), a one-line answer, an optional short mnemonic, and a difficulty tag. Paste the notes and ask for numbered items only.
3. Import: copy the Q/A into your SRS or add rows to a Sheet; tag by topic and difficulty.
4. Schedule: start with a 15–20 minute daily review block. If your tool is manual, use initial intervals like 1, 3, 7 days for new cards.
5. Track one metric: weekly retention percentage (correct on first review after interval) and cap new cards if retention falls below ~70%.

Prompt variants to use (conceptual, not a paste):

• Simple: ask for 5 quick Q/A cards from a short paragraph.
• Balanced: ask for 10 cards, include mnemonics and difficulty tags.
• Deep: ask for 15–20 cards plus suggested initial review intervals and which 3 cards are most important to master first.
• Integration: ask the AI to create cards that link two topics and test connections (good when you’re synthesizing ideas).

What to expect: First session: 5–20 minutes to generate and import cards. Week 1: habit and baseline retention. By week 4: fewer surprises in reviews and a steadier daily time. If you feel swamped, cut new cards to 5–10/week and keep reviews honest — marking ease accurately is the single fastest lever to improve scheduling.

Micro-action now: paste a single paragraph into your AI, ask for five active-recall questions, import them into a sheet, and do a 5–10 minute review. That small cycle repeated beats marathon cramming every time.

Nice callout — the single weekly goal plus micro-tasks is exactly what turns vague ideas into posts you actually publish. Here’s a compact, action-first add-on you can use in the next 20–40 minutes to get a reliable weekly calendar you’ll stick to.

What you’ll need:

• One-line business description (what you do and who you help).
• One clear weekly goal (get X leads, book Y calls, drive sign-ups).
• A simple sheet or calendar with these columns: Day, Topic, Format, 2 micro-bullets, Asset, CTA, Publish time.
• An AI chat tool you’re comfortable with and a 30–40 minute block to set the week up.

How to do it — step-by-step (20–40 minutes):

1. Write your one-line business description and pick a single weekly goal (2 minutes).
2. Ask the AI to give you seven short post ideas tied to that goal. Tell it to return for each idea: a 5–8 word headline, suggested format (photo, 60s video, quote card), two quick talking points (hook + one helpful step), and a one-line CTA. Keep the tone friendly and practical for people 40+ (5 minutes).
3. Drop those seven ideas into your sheet and assign days and publish times (5 minutes).
4. For each post, create two micro-tasks: write the headline/caption and note the asset to grab (photo, short clip, screen shot) — expect ~3 minutes per post (15–20 minutes total).
5. Either schedule the posts or block two creation sessions (one to batch 3 posts, one to finish and schedule the rest) — 30–60 minute blocks work well.

What to expect:

• Initial setup takes 30–40 minutes; each future week should take 15–25 minutes to refresh.
• Execution becomes predictable: you’ll trade decision fatigue for a short creation habit (15–30 minutes/day or one 60–90 minute batch session).
• After 3–4 weeks you’ll see which formats and days work — double down on the top two.

Prompt style variants (how to ask the AI — conversational, not copy/paste):

• Quick ask: Tell the AI your one-line business and weekly goal, then ask for 7 short post headlines with format and a one-line CTA.
• Detailed ask: Ask for each idea to include a 6–8 word headline, format, two talking points (hook + step), an image/asset suggestion, and a 1-line caption tailored to people over 40.
• Repurpose ask: Ask the AI to take one strong idea and give three formats for it that week (a short video, a photo post, and a quote card) so you reuse content efficiently.

Micro-habit to try this week: pick a 40-minute block on Day 0, follow the steps above, and schedule two 30-minute creation slots. Small predictable routines win — you’ve got this.

Short version: pick one 5–7 minute slot, start with a single breathing exercise you can do seated or lying down, and treat it like a calendar appointment you can’t skip. Small wins build belief — do this consistently for 7 days and you’ll feel the difference.

Here’s a simple, repeatable workflow you can set up in 15 minutes and follow with ease.

1. What you’ll need:
   • a phone or computer with a calendar and reminders
   • a quiet 5–7 minutes (chair or bed works)
   • a simple tracking sheet (note: time, stress 1–10, sleep rating 1–5)
2. How to create the plan (do this once — ~15 minutes):
   1. Choose your window: morning right after getting up is best for consistency (or lunch if mornings are packed).
   2. Pick one breathing foundation for week 1 (example: gentle 4-count inhale, 4-count exhale — no holds). Keep it comfortable for mild back pain by sitting with a small cushion behind your lower back or lying on your side.
   3. Schedule daily 7-minute events in your calendar for 7 days. Use clear text like “Breathe — 7 min” and set an audible reminder 3 minutes before and at start time.
   4. Prepare a very short spoken cue you’ll say to yourself at the start (one sentence mantra) — for example: “I’ll breathe gently for seven minutes; that’s enough.”
3. Daily micro-routine (what to do each day):
   1. Get into posture: feet flat, small lumbar support, shoulders relaxed. If pain sparks, lie down and reduce inhale length.
   2. Say your one-sentence cue aloud, set a 7-minute timer, and breathe at your chosen comfortable pace.
   3. After the session, log time, stress rating, and sleep quality (quick tick-boxes). Close the calendar event to mark completion.
4. What to expect in 7–14 days:
   • Within a few sessions you’ll notice small clarity boosts and lower immediate tension.
   • By day 7 expect slight improvements in sleep and calmer starts; by two weeks the habit is easier and you can add 1–2 minutes or a gentle body-scan.
5. Quick troubleshooting:
   1. Missed a day? Don’t guilt — just do the next session and mark it. Aim for the trend, not perfection.
   2. If sessions feel long, cut to 3 minutes and keep the same cues; increase gradually.
   3. If back pain shows up, swap sitting for lying down or reduce inhale depth; pain means adjust, not push.

If you want this turned into a 2-week spoken script tailored to your age, pain level, and time window, ask your AI for a short plan and include those three details — then copy the provided scripts into your calendar reminders. Small, consistent steps win.

Nice call on guardrails — putting caps, a stop-rule and a named approver in the SOW is the single most practical move to stop scope creep before it starts. I’ll add a tiny, busy-person workflow you can run in under an hour and two simple AI-request variants you can say aloud or paste in verbally (not a long script).

What you’ll need

• A one-line outcome (who benefits + measurable change + timeframe).
• 3–6 deliverable titles and a rough timeline (weeks).
• Numeric limits per deliverable (revisions, hours, records, sessions).
• Primary Approver name, one Owner, and one Support contact.
• Budget range and a 10% change reserve (or hourly cap).
• A doc editor and one reviewer for a 15-minute check.

Quick workflow — do this in 45–60 minutes

1. Write the outcome (10 min): baseline → target → by when (one sentence).
2. List deliverables (5–10 min): titles only, 3–6 items.
3. Add guardrails per deliverable (10–15 min): 1 sentence inclusion, 3 explicit exclusions, 1 numeric cap, and a one-line acceptance test (pass/fail or KPI).
4. Define RACI-lite & dependencies (5 min): Owner / Approver / Support; list access or SME requirements and a pause rule (no access = timeline pause).
5. Ask the AI to tidy it (5–10 min): request a one-page SOW that keeps language plain, includes the sections above, and flags any missing info as clarifying questions. Review and edit for precision.
6. 15-minute review with Approver: read acceptance tests aloud. If anyone hesitates, tighten caps or add an exclusion immediately and re-share.

What to expect

• First draft SOW in under an hour.
• Fewer late surprises because acceptance is measurable and caps limit rework.
• A short list of clarifying questions instead of pages of legalese.

Two AI-request variants (say this, don’t paste verbatim)

• Concise: Ask the AI to turn your one-line outcome and deliverable titles into a plain-language, one-page SOW with Overview, Scope (inclusions/exclusions + numeric caps), Deliverables, Acceptance Criteria, Timeline, Budget, RACI-lite, Dependencies and a two-step Change Request. Keep it under ~300 words.
• Detailed: Ask the AI to expand each deliverable into one sentence, list 2–3 included items, 2 exclusions, a numeric cap, and a measurable acceptance test. Tell it to add a 10% change reserve, a pause rule for missing access, and to propose up to 3 clarifying questions if info is missing.

Micro-tip: during the 15-minute review, focus only on the acceptance tests and caps. If both are clear, sign-off moves fast. If someone hesitates, add a single-line exclusion or tighten a cap — small fixes that end big debates.

Nice callout about native review and avoiding literal translation — that’s the safety net that turns AI drafts into real messages people respond to. Here’s a compact, busy-person workflow you can run in a single 15–30 minute sprint to get a culturally-aware email test into the wild, plus tiny prompt variants you can tweak without copying anything verbatim.

What you’ll need

• One clear objective (open, click, or conversion).
• One short persona note per market (age, formality, key values — two lines max).
• One example email from your brand (tone reference).
• A native reviewer (could be a freelancer or a colleague).

15–30 minute sprint (how to do it)

1. Set the goal and pick a single market to test.
2. Tell the AI, in plain language: the target language, persona lines, desired tone, max body word count, and a one-line legal note. Ask for 3 subject lines, 1 preview, and 2 short body options. (Don’t paste a long prompt — keep it conversational and specific.)
3. Quick-scan the outputs for obvious tone slips; select the best subject + body pair.
4. Send the chosen draft to a native reviewer with one clear question: “Any phrasing that feels off, awkward, or even risky?” Give them 24 hours.
5. Launch a tiny A/B test (split ~5–10% of the segment) with two subject lines or two bodies.
6. Check opens/clicks after 48–72 hours and iterate: keep the winner, note reviewer fixes, and document the cultural change.

Prompt idea variants (short, not copyable prompts)

• Formality shift: Ask the AI to rewrite for “very formal” or “casual local friend” voice and show one phrase changed to illustrate the shift.
• Idiom adaptation: Ask for a version that uses a local idiom or proverb where appropriate and include a one-sentence note explaining why it fits culturally.
• Compliance-aware: Ask the AI to flag any local legal phrasing needed (privacy, cancellation, pricing) and add a short compliance line.

What to expect

• Quick drafts that save hours on early writing.
• Small reviewer edits that teach you what to ask next time.
• Clear A/B winners within a week if you run small tests.

Start with one market, one persona, one small A/B — repeat what worked and scale. Tiny, repeatable steps beat big, slow translations every time.

Quick win (under 5 minutes): grab one recent phone photo you like, crop it into a square and a wide hero crop, then add your brand hex color at about 10% opacity as a subtle overlay and place a small logo in the same corner on both versions. You’ll instantly have two consistent-looking assets to post — no fancy tools required, just your phone editor or a simple web editor.

What you’ll need

• One good phone photo (or a favorite stock shot)
• Your brand brief: 3 mood words and a hex color for the accent
• A simple editor (phone photo app, Canva, or basic desktop editor)
• A small logo file (transparent PNG) and a tiny spreadsheet or note to track results

How to do it — step-by-step (30–60 minutes to start)

1. Pick two compositions to repeat: a social square and a hero wide. Save those pixel sizes as your templates.
2. Create a simple visual rule: one color accent, soft lighting, logo bottom-right. Don’t add text on the image itself.
3. Batch-generate or edit 10–20 images: apply the 10% color overlay, crop into both templates, add the logo in the same spot on every image.
4. Sort quickly into Usable / Needs edit / Discard. Aim for at least 4–6 usable assets from each batch.
5. Post three variants over the next week (same copy, different images) and note basic engagement metrics in your sheet: impressions, clicks or likes, and a note about time spent editing.

Micro-test rule: change only one variable per batch (subject, prop, or accent). Run a short A/B test for 5–7 days against your current best image so you know what moved the needle.

What to expect

• First pass usable rate: 20–30% (normal). You’ll edit more at first; batching cuts editing time fast.
• Small incremental lifts in engagement are normal — consistent visuals compound over weeks.
• After a few batches you’ll have a searchable mini-library and a repeatable process that saves time.

Simple weekly routine

1. Day 1: Create or update your brand brief and crop templates.
2. Day 2: Generate/edit one batch (20 images), sort and edit best 5.
3. Day 3–7: Publish 3 variants, log results, tweak one variable next batch.

Small, repeatable steps beat perfect, one-off shoots. Do the quick win now, then run one focused batch this week — you’ll build a consistent, usable imagery library before the month is out.

Yes — AI can give you a ready-to-edit QBR scaffold in minutes. The trick is to treat the AI draft like a first mate: fast and capable, but you’re still the captain. With 30–60 minutes of focused work you can turn an AI outline into a decision-ready five-slide deck that respects stakeholders’ time.

• Do: Start with 5–7 verified facts (revenue, growth %, churn, one win, one issue).
• Do: Ask for concise, measurable bullets and a one-line executive takeaway.
• Do: Build one clear chart from a spreadsheet and add a one-sentence insight below it.
• Do-not: Paste raw datasets into slides without a takeaway — show one chart, one sentence.
• Do-not: Trust numbers the AI invents — always verify sources and simple math.
• Do-not: Overload with slides — aim for focused asks and two decisions max.

Worked example — what you’ll need

• 5–7 facts (e.g., revenue, QoQ %, churn, new customers, one win, one delivery issue)
• A simple 16:9 slide template and an AI chat tool
• Spreadsheet (Excel or Google Sheets) for one chart
• 30–60 minutes of uninterrupted time

Step-by-step (quick workflow)

1. Collect facts — 10–15 min: Export the numbers and note the source cell or report name next to each fact.
2. Get a scaffold — 2–5 min: Ask the AI for a 5–6 slide outline with slide titles, three concise bullets per slide, and one-sentence speaker notes. Keep the language plain and request a one-line executive takeaway on the first slide.
3. Expand each slide — 10–15 min: For each outline item, refine bullets to be measurable (add % or $ where possible) and add the single decision ask on the final slide.
4. Create one chart — 10–15 min: Paste the KPI rows into a sheet, build a single clear chart (revenue vs forecast or QoQ trend), export and drop into the Financial slide with one takeaway sentence beneath it.
5. Verify & rehearse — 10–15 min: Check math, confirm sources, shorten wording, add one customer anecdote, and read the speaker notes aloud once.

What to expect

The AI draft will save you time on structure and wording; your job is to make it trustworthy and actionable. Expect to edit numbers, tighten language, and replace any fuzzy phrasing with real KPIs. End the deck with two clear asks: the decision needed and the person who will approve it.