Avrum Nadigel, a Toronto-based marriage and family therapist, merges digital tools and analog methods to elevate his productivity. He discusses his creative systems, like a 'virtual board of directors' in ChatGPT that engages with his weekly reflections. Avrum emphasizes starting with curiosity and integrates humor into productivity strategies. He highlights how blending AI with traditional journaling fosters self-awareness and combats writer's block, illustrating a unique approach to personal growth and professional challenges.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Speak to Write Books
To start writing a book, speak your ideas aloud daily without editing for about a week.
This method breaks writer's block and generates raw material to develop your book.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Virtual Board of Directors in ChatGPT
Avrum created a virtual board of directors in ChatGPT with productivity authors debating his weekly review.
This lively, humorous debate gives him insight and keeps his weekly reviews entertaining and engaging.
insights INSIGHT
Breaking Recency Bias with ChatGPT
ChatGPT helps break recency bias by remembering long-term notes and trends.
This extended memory gives a more objective view of progress over time.
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This book, first published in 1989, outlines seven habits that are designed to help individuals become more effective in their personal and professional lives. The habits are grouped into three categories: Private Victory (habits 1-3), Public Victory (habits 4-6), and Renewal (habit 7). The habits include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, thinking win-win, seeking first to understand and then to be understood, synergizing, and sharpening the saw. Covey emphasizes the importance of personal integrity, effective time management, empathetic communication, and continuous self-improvement[2][5][4].
Getting Things Done
David Allen
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity system developed by David Allen. The book provides a detailed methodology for managing tasks, projects, and information, emphasizing the importance of capturing all tasks and ideas, clarifying their meaning, organizing them into actionable lists, reviewing the system regularly, and engaging in the tasks. The GTD method is designed to reduce stress and increase productivity by externalizing tasks and using a trusted system to manage them. The book is divided into three parts, covering the overview of the system, its implementation, and the deeper benefits of integrating GTD into one's work and life[2][3][5].
In this episode, Cary Weston sits down with Avrum Nadigel, a seasoned marriage and family therapist, author, musician, and self-proclaimed productivity nerd from Toronto. Avrum shares how he combines analog and digital tools—particularly ChatGPT—to track, reflect, and improve both his personal and professional life. From crafting a “board of directors” in ChatGPT made up of his favorite productivity thinkers to uploading journal entries and getting tailored weekly reviews, Avrum offers a fascinating, detailed look into a highly personalized system of digital reflection and growth. His enthusiasm for combining technology with introspection shines, making for a lively and thought-provoking conversation.
3 Key Takeaways
Analog + AI = Powerful Reflection Tool: Avrum blends handwritten notes with AI to track patterns, enhance his weekly reviews, and combat recency bias, creating a living system of self-awareness.
Productivity Meets Personality: He built a “virtual board of directors” within ChatGPT—including personas like David Allen and Stephen Covey—that debates his weekly performance, adding humor and insight.
Start with Curiosity: For beginners unsure how to use ChatGPT, Avrum recommends starting with a quirky question or a real-life problem and letting curiosity guide the conversation.
About Avrum Nadigel
Avrum Nadigel is a marriage and family therapist with over 30 years of experience, an author of three books (one co-written with his psychiatrist wife), and a passionate musician and urban sketcher. His deep interest in productivity and systems thinking led him to explore creative ways to use AI to better understand his own patterns and behaviors. Avrum is also a dedicated journaler who uses both analog tools and ChatGPT to keep track of personal growth, ensuring fun is always part of the process.
Avrum's website: https://www.nadigel.com
Cary offers customized one-on-one ChatGPT training in 60 minute sessions. Find out more information on the sessions, answers to frequent questions, and how to register at www.ChatGPTExperiment.com
The ChatGPT Experiment - Simplifying Chat GPT For Curious Beginners 
