AI has changed the way we process information — and for a lot of people, that can feel scary.

In Episode 40 of Best Path Forward, Dan sits down with returning guest Tanner to talk about AI, mental calories, and how to use new tools without letting them replace your thinking.

Tanner shares how traditional reading and audiobooks were not always helping information stick, so he built a simple AI-powered morning routine: open AI, say “go,” and receive a short personal development reading with a lesson, a quote, and someone worth learning from.

This episode is not about using AI to avoid effort. It is about using AI to think better, ask better questions, and build a learning system that actually works for your brain.

Dan and Tanner also dive into signal versus noise, focus, fear of failure, perfectionism, morning routines, and why finding your own system matters more than copying someone else’s.

If AI feels overwhelming, this conversation offers a grounded way to look at it: not as a replacement for your mind, but as a personal development ally.

Question of the Week: How could you use AI to support your thinking instead of replacing it?

Recommended next listen: Tanner’s first Best Path Forward episode for the deeper dive into why mental calories matter.