Lesson Objectives

• Recognize how personal roadblocks can limit our potential

• Learn how to use AI prompts to reframe self-limiting beliefs

• Apply strategies for pushing beyond comfort zones to achieve breakthrough moments

Do Now

Before we get started, take a moment to reflect on a recent time when you surprised yourself by doing something you previously thought was impossible or too scary. How did it feel? What changed that made it possible?

What We’re Working with Today

Today we'll explore how to use AI prompts to overcome our inner critic and take on challenges that push us outside our comfort zones. I'm sharing this fresh from my own unexpected journey from "I could never do that" to winning a hackathon. As a solo participant, no less!

I Do, We Do, You Do

I Do: Here’s What I Created

This week, I experienced one of those life-changing sequences that reminds us why pushing beyond comfortable is always worth it. On Monday, I learned that I made the top 7 in the Base44 Base4Good Hackathon. By Tuesday morning, I was presenting my project live to a judging panel on Zoom (something that would have terrified me in the past).

The result? I WON! 🎉

Not only did I receive a cash prize and Google Cloud/AWS credits, but I was also paired with a mentor from the judging panel. We had our first meeting on Friday, and I've spent the weekend improving my app so that I can implement his feedback about user testing and interviews.

Tools I used:

• Base44 to build the app

• Google Gemini 2.5 Pro as my project manager

• Most importantly: the courage to quiet my inner critic

Here is my post about winning:

And here is what the app looks like now. I made some big changes to the UI and I have implemented character descriptions for consistent characters.

We Do: Let’s Build This Together

Follow this step-by-step guide to create your own inner critic hacking prompts. I strongly prefer using ChatGPT because of the chat memory.

1. Identify Your Limiting Voice

   Use this prompt to name and understand your inner critic:

I want to identify and understand my inner critic.

Ask me a series of questions, one after another, to discover the voice of my inner critic. Questions must be specific and take into account my daily day-to-day patterns of unconscious habits and patterns and avoidances. Once you have understood my inner critic, help me explore the following questions:

1. What specific phrases does my inner critic use most often?
2. What situations trigger these thoughts?
3. What evidence exists that contradicts these limiting beliefs?
4. How would I respond if a student expressed these same doubts?

2. Create Your Confidence Blueprint 

   Use this prompt to develop personalized affirmations:

Based on these limiting beliefs:
[Insert 3 limitations you identified above]

Please create:
1. Three evidence-based counter-statements for each
2. A visualization script for imagining success
3. A practical next-step action that would be just uncomfortable enough to challenge this belief

3. Build Your Courage Ladder

   Use this prompt to create incremental challenges:

I want to work toward [your big scary goal].

Please help me create a 10-step courage ladder where:
- Step 1 is something I'm 90% confident I can do today
- Each step increases in difficulty but builds on the previous step
- Step 10 is my ultimate goal
Include specific metrics for success at each level.

Ask me clarifying questions until you are 95% certain you can provide expert-level guidance towards achieving my goal.

4. Develop Your Post-Action Reflection

   Use this prompt after completing any uncomfortable task:

I just completed [action] which pushed me outside my comfort zone.

Help me reflect on:
1. What I learned about my capabilities
2. How my predictions about the difficulty/outcome compared to reality
3. What specific skills I demonstrated that I can apply to future challenges
4. How I want to celebrate this growth

You Do: Your Mini Task for the Week

Now it's your turn! Choose one thing you've been avoiding because it feels too intimidating or outside your comfort zone. It could be applying to present at a conference, submitting work to a competition, or even just sharing your ideas in a meeting.

Use the prompts above to create a personal roadmap for tackling this challenge, and take ONE concrete step forward this week.

Remember my journey: from "I can't code" to winning the hackathon. As I've discovered, I choose to chase the high of doing something difficult, failing through it, and experiencing that final click when it all falls into place. The feeling of overcoming something hard, of accomplishing something new and huge.. it's unlike any other high in the world. And as one of my SLPs said to me this week: it’s probably the healthiest high you can chase.

Think-Pair-Share

• Think of 3 ideas you've shelved because your inner critic said you weren't ready, skilled enough, or deserving.

• Pair up with a colleague to share these ideas and commit to supporting each other in pursuing at least one.

• Share your progress with our community of educators and connect with other Edumators who are transforming their classrooms with AI and automation.

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