I will get it done on Monday

From here on, I will be writing on the application of the Drashta behavior and the experiences coming out of it.

Friday, 5:45 p.m., at the office in India. The MD wants more changes to a 40-second reel before Monday, for an event in Canada. The designer looks at me. He looks exhausted, has no urge to extend beyond 6 p.m., and has a plan to travel for the long weekend.

I lie to the MD: "I will get it done on Monday."

I hid the fact that the designer was traveling. One reason was my commitment to the team: when it comes to pressure, I'll be there. The second was that I was not very confident about using AI for a video which is very important. I did see it then, and it becomes clearer when I tell it here.

Saturday morning, I am on the task. Breakfast, legs stretched on the centre table, a movie playing on the TV. Two prompts on Claude, and the second is satisfactory. The designer, on the road, agrees. I send it to the MD. He says he can't make sense of it.

It was my script. I do not explain. I opt to absorb his feedback and take it into the loop. Finally, it is a 40-second reel.

Curiosity takes me to search, because I am not an editor and this is a professional edit. I come across open-source tools, download them, install them, configure them, and through prompting I get the edit.

It is not that I was not putting in energy or time. I had a very detached view about the whole thing. I knew what was to be done. I was not getting involved.

Here the Drashta, the observer mindset, is helping me watch from outside what is going on inside me.

At 12:30 p.m., before the MD goes to sleep in Canada, I send the video with one line: "I used AI fully since the designer was driving to hills with his friend. :)"

I have gone through similar tasks as a younger self. Twenty years back, fresh out of college, this was all about anxiety and sleepless nights. Then there was a phase when I knew what was to be done. Then a phase when I knew what I was not supposed to do.

With AI, the part of the job I can still do myself has gone from 70% to something like 85%.

This doesn't give me the comfort that I have done the best job. I have covered for my designer. I am still waiting for the final approval.

The key take away is I am the ‘seer’ just there not judgements; no expectations.