Tool, Assistant, or Crutch?
Every tool starts off helpful. Then it gets easy. Then it becomes default. And if you’re not careful, default turns into dependency. That’s the moment to pay attention to.
Post 5 of 5 in Muscle Memory
There’s a line between using tools and depending on them. The difference isn’t in the tool. It’s in how we relate to it.
I’m not anti-tool. I’m pro-awareness.
Every tool becomes a crutch if you stop asking yourself why you’re reaching for it. At first it helps. Then it becomes part of the workflow. Then it is the workflow.
And then one day, you realize: you don’t know how to do it without the tool.
Here’s how I map it:
- Tool: I choose it with intention.
- Assistant: I lean on it, but I still show up.
- Crutch: I avoid doing it myself.
It’s not about guilt. It’s about strength. Use the tool. But don’t give up the muscle that made you good in the first place.
