Your First Week With AI | Carrie Explains AI

If you've been meaning to "figure out AI" for months and it keeps sliding down the list, this is for you.

You don't need a course. You don't need to understand how it works. You just need five small wins, and I've picked them for you. Each one takes about ten minutes. Do one a day, in order, and don't skip ahead.

Day 1: Ask it something you'd normally Google

Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini (any of them, the free version is fine) and ask a real question you actually have. Not a test question. A real one.

Try this

"Explain [something you've been meaning to look up] like I'm smart but busy. Keep it short, and tell me the one thing that matters most."

Notice what's different from Google: no ads, no twelve open tabs, and you can ask a follow-up question like you're talking to a person. That's the whole trick. It's a conversation, not a search box.

Day 2: Have it write something small

Pick an email or a message you've been putting off. The awkward reply, the follow-up you keep meaning to send.

Try this

"Help me write a short, friendly email. Here's the situation: [two or three sentences about it]. I want to sound warm but clear. Give me two versions."

Don't send the first draft as-is. Tell it what to fix: "warmer," "shorter," "less formal." It doesn't get offended. That back-and-forth is where the good things happen.

Day 3: Hand it something messy

Find something rough you've written: a rambling voice-note transcript, a messy paragraph, notes from a call. Paste it in.

Try this

"Here's something I wrote fast and messy: [paste it]. Clean it up, keep my voice, and don't make it sound corporate."

This is the moment most people get hooked. Turning messy into clear is the thing AI is genuinely great at.

Day 4: Show it something instead of typing

Most people don't know you can hand AI a file or a photo. Snap a picture of a confusing letter, a form, a label, or upload a PDF.

Try this

"Here's a photo of [the thing]. Explain what it says in plain English and tell me if there's anything I should pay attention to."

Once you realize you can show it things instead of describing them, a whole category of annoying tasks gets easier.

Day 5: Let it plan your week

Friday is planning day. Brain-dump everything on your plate for next week, in whatever order it falls out of your head.

Try this

"Here's everything on my plate next week: [brain-dump]. Sort it into a realistic plan. Flag the three things that matter most, and tell me what I could drop or delay."

You'll disagree with some of it. Good. Tell it why, and watch it adjust. You're not looking for a boss, you're looking for a first draft of your week.

That's it. You did the week.

You asked it a real question. Conversation, not search.

You wrote with it. Drafts in seconds, then you make them yours.

You cleaned something up. Messy in, clear out.

You showed it something. Photos and files, not just typing.

You planned with it. A thinking partner, not just a writing tool.

None of that required a single technical skill. If you want to get better from here, the next step is learning to give it context. My guide on how to talk to AI picks up right where this leaves off.

Want the head start in one place?

The free Non-Techie Starter Kit has 10 copy-and-paste prompts and a plain-English walkthrough.

Get the Starter Kit →

When you're ready for more

If you'd rather do this with a real person walking you through it live, that's exactly what my workshop is for. See the next workshop →