🎒 Todays AI Masterclass 🎒

Good afternoon Wellonytes! 🌟

☠️ Welcome to today’s special AI Masterclass edition of Well Wired ☠️

Ever watched your brilliance get mugged by your anxieties? Time for payback. I'm your AI Monk—reformed party animal turned digital sage. (Yes, Ibiza to monastery was quite the upgrade.)

This is fear-setting—Tim Ferriss's method turbocharged with AI precision. Think satellite phone for your courage. You say: "I can't..." I say: "Watch this."

We'll transform your mental catastrophes into action plans. Dissect fears, weigh risks and unearth rewards that make roller coasters boring. Those paralysing "what ifs"? We're flipping them into morning-alarm "why nots."

Pack only your biggest dreams and darkest doubts. Everything else is unnecessary luggage. 🚀

And remember, Well Wired ⚡ always serves you the latest AI-health, productivity and personal growth insights, ideas, news and prompts from around the planet. We’ll do the research so you don’t have to! 🤖❤️‍🧬⚡

Let’s get into it! 🚀

Read time: 6 minutes

🎒AI Master Class  🎒

A longer-form, action-orientated AI tip, trick or hack focused on wellbeing, productivity and self-growth that you can use today!

Productivity:

📊 Fear-Setting: The Ultimate Tool for Conquering Your Doubts

👉 How to turn paralysing fear into decisive action

Inspired by inspired by Tim Ferriss…

Greetings humans,

It's the AI Monk here - and today we're diving into something that transforms how you approach tough decisions and paralysing fears:

Tim Ferriss's powerful fear-setting exercise.

Ever found yourself stuck in analysis paralysis, where the fear of the unknown keeps you from making important changes in your life?

You're not alone.

Been there, done that—zillions of times…

According to research, 40% of your decisions are driven by fear rather than opportunity and nearly 76% of people report that fear has prevented them from taking significant action at least once in their careers.

“This is where Fear Setting can help you…”

But before I show you the what and the how, here is a little why…

Why am I showing you this technique?

Because I’ve lived it…

A few years ago, I had a choice: blow my redundancy payout partying in Ibiza… or shave my head, don slippers and immerse myself in the silence of a Zen monastery in South Korea.

I chose the monastery.

No phone.

No schedule.

Just 5 am gongs and meditations, sweeping leaves with intention and teaching English to cheeky Korean kids who’d dare me to survive their spiciest dishes (RIP my taste buds).

I served tea in ancient ceremonies by day, and by night soaked in jimjilbang saunas with locals who treated 60°C heat like a casual chat.

But it was a quiet afternoon with the head Zen monk that rewired me—he explained the link between quantum physics and Buddhist emptiness, and suddenly, my fears didn’t seem so solid.

That moment hit me like someone yanked the HDMI cable out of my anxiety projector. Suddenly, the mental horror movie of “what ifs” got replaced with static—and in that silence, I saw fear for what it really was: pixelated nonsense with a killer soundtrack.

That monk didn’t just drop wisdom, he handed me a new lens—one where fear wasn’t a fire-breathing dragon, but a shadow puppet on the wall, dancing only because I kept shining a torch at it.

That trip wasn’t just a retreat.

It was my first taste of fear-setting in the wild.

Fast forward to today and now I help others do the same—minus the floor scrubbing and chanting.

As a wellness coach, content strategist, and certified prompt master, I use Tim Ferriss’s fear-setting framework fused with AI tools like ChatGPT to turn vague anxiety into actionable decisions.

We map the fears, rate the risks, define the upsides and lay out what happens if you do nothing (FYI, it's worse).

It’s like building a decision-making dashboard where Stoicism meets Silicon Valley.

And the results?

Career pivots.

Business launches.

Life moves.

Fear-setting doesn’t remove fear—it just stops fear from running the show.

I’ve taught this to founders, creatives and executives stuck at the crossroads.

It’s how I’ve made bold decisions—from launching this newsletter to navigating work with government, banks, and burnt-out wellness solopreneurs.

My trust comes not from theory, but from practice.

Because once you’ve sat in silence, been schooled by monks on metaphysics, and cried in a sauna because of a gochujang and soju overdose—you learn that fear isn’t something to run from.

It’s something to define, challenge and dismantle.

And with the right tools—including AI—you can move through it with clarity, courage and just a touch of chilli.

Let me show you how…

Let's d-d-d-d-dive in! 🤿

What you'll learn today:

• The full 3-page fear-setting exercise that changed Tim Ferriss's life

• Why defining your fears is more important than defining your goals

• Two powerful ChatGPT prompts to guide you through fear-setting

• Real-world applications for making better decisions in work and life

Why most people stay paralysed by fear

Here's an uncomfortable truth:

Most people dress up their fear as "optimism."

They tell themselves things will improve with time:

• "My job will get better once I get that promotion"

• "I'll start that business when the timing is perfect"

• "I'll have time for that passion project once things settle down"

But as Ferriss points out - this is just fear of the unknown disguised as optimism.

The real question isn't whether things will magically improve, but whether you're better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago.

If not, things won't improve by themselves.

It's time for a different approach.

Fear-Setting: The 3-page exercise that changes everything

The fear-setting exercise was inspired by stoic philosophy and breaks down into three distinct pages:

For a detailed overview, check out these pages:

• Tim Ferriss blog Fear Setting

• Mindful Ambition Fear Setting

Once you’ve unpacked those ideas like a suitcase full of emotional socks, pop back over here for the tech-boosted version.

With ChatGPT or Claude in your corner, you’ll turn fear-setting into a jet-fuelled clarity machine—11X the speed, zero guesswork, and insights so personalised they practically know your thoughts before you have them.

OK, now you’re ready, let’s get this fear show on the road!

Page 1: Define, Prevent, Repair

Let’s start the old school way! Take out a piece of paper and a pen and start writing down thoughts… We’ll use these ideas when you start prompting your a*s off shortly!

On your first page, create three columns labeled "Define," "Prevent," and "Repair."

In the Define column, write down all your fears and worst-case scenarios related to a decision you're struggling with. Be specific and detailed. What exactly are you afraid might happen?

In the Prevent column, list actions you could take to reduce the likelihood of each feared outcome.

In the Repair column, identify ways you could fix the damage if your worst fears actually came true.

Finally, rate the impact of each worst-case scenario on a scale of 1-10 (where 1 is minimal impact and 10 is permanent, life-altering impact).

Basically, it’s like giving your fears TripAdvisor ratings—some are just bad room service, others are full-blown “lost passport in a foreign loo” situations. Best to know which ones are worth the panic and which just need a snack and a nap. 🧳🌪️🍫

Page 2: Benefits of Taking Action

On the second page, list all potential benefits of attempting or partially succeeding at the action you're considering.

What might you gain?

What could you learn?

How might you grow?

Rate each benefit on a scale of 1-10 (where 1 is minimal impact and 10 is life-changing impact).

Think of this as shaking the vending machine of possibility—sometimes you get what you expected, other times you score two bags of crisps and a life lesson for the price of one. Either way, you won’t leave empty-handed. 🥇🥔📈

Page 3: The Cost of Inaction

On your final page, explore the costs of not taking action or making a change.

Create three columns labeled "6 months," "1 year," and "3 years."

In each column, describe what your life might look like if you don't take action. Consider emotional, physical, and financial consequences.

This page is often the most powerful because it makes the invisible cost of staying put suddenly visible.

It’s like switching on the lights in a dodgy Airbnb—suddenly you see the mould in the corners, the weird smell has a source and you’re questioning all your life choices.

The cost of inaction isn’t just hiding under the bed—it’s been charging you rent in regret. 💡🏚️📉

So what now?

Now, you could do this exercise solo—armed with only a paper, a pen, and your deepest fears staring back at you in the mirror like gremlins at a group therapy session.

But let’s be real: overthinking hits harder when you’re going at it alone and we all know your brain loves a dramatic loopty loop like the rest of us.

Let AI take some of the psychological slack—calm, curious and way less emotionally involved. Time to tag in silicon sally and turn this fear-setting session into something a little more structured…

…and a lot less stressful and sweaty. 💻🧠🔥

PROMPT CORNER

Prompt 1: The "Fear-Setting AI Coach" prompt

Transform ChatGPT into your personal fear-setting guide with these two powerful prompts.

The first prompt is a longer form version that will help you dive in deep and rummage around in your brain. It takes a little longer, but really gets into the crux of what the fear is and how to overcome it safely.

The second prompt is more of a quick-action prompt for when you need an answer yesterday—like when you’re staring at a “we need to talk” text or accidentally booked a one-way flight to Bali during a late night ‘hangover’ romp with your mates. ✈️ 😅

[START OF PROMPT]

You are my Fear-Setting Coach, using the Tim Ferriss method. I’m thinking about making this decision: [INSERT DECISION HERE], but I’m feeling unsure or afraid.

I want you to walk me through the full Fear-Setting process step by step, like a coach would. Start by asking:

What am I afraid might happen if I go through with this?

Help me list specific fears or worst-case scenarios, even the irrational ones.

For each one I share, help me:

Come up with ways I could prevent it from happening.

Think through how I could fix or recover if it did happen.

Rate how bad it would really be on a scale from 1–10.

Then ask:

What could go right if I take this step or even just explore it a little?

Help me surface both obvious and unexpected benefits — personal growth, connections, skills, clarity, etc.

Then dig into:

What might it cost me if I do nothing?

Emotionally, mentally, financially, or in terms of regret.

Prompt me to reflect on the cost over:

6 months

1 year

3 years

Throughout the whole process:

Ask thoughtful follow-up questions.

Help me spot vague fears and dig into them.

Challenge me gently if I’m exaggerating or downplaying things.

Encourage reflection and clarity before making a decision.

Keep a coaching tone — warm, supportive, and curious — and stay with me until we’ve fully worked through it.

[END OF PROMPT]

Here's an example of how this prompt helped me explore a decision I was considering to remove old friends from my life who no longer hold the same values as I do:

As you can see, ChatGPT starts with a fact finding reconnaissance mission to discover your fear!

It was like having my very own emotional MI5 agent—covertly tracking down my insecurities with a polite tone and surgical precision. All that was missing was a trench coat and a dramatic soundtrack. 🎩🔍🎶

How the fear folds! (like a punch in the gut)

Here’s how the fear setting prompt simplifies the full fear-setting process without losing the punch:

The first part of the prompt, "Name the Fear", zeroes in on what’s really keeping you stuck. Instead of writing a novel about your existential dread, you zoom straight into the fear that’s tap-dancing on your decision-making.

What this reveals:

• The real threat you're reacting to (it’s rarely the thing you think it is)

• How irrational fear tends to dress up as “logic”

• Why even vague anxieties deserve a name tag and a time slot

Fun fact: A 2018 study in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that simply naming your fear can reduce its emotional intensity by up to 44%. 🧠📉

The middle part, “Dissect the Worst Case”, helps you poke holes in that doomsday scenario your brain keeps pitching you in the early hours of your dread.

What this reveals:

• What’s actually preventable

• What’s recoverable (nearly always more than you think)

• The gap between how bad something feels vs how bad it actually is

This taps into what psychologists call cognitive reappraisal—a strategy linked with reduced anxiety and increased resilience. Basically, you’re reframing fear like a Jedi with a spreadsheet. 📊🛸

Finally, “Calculate the Cost of Doing Nothing” turns the light on the silent saboteur: inaction.

What this reveals:

• The long-term cost of avoidance (emotionally, financially, existentially)

• How regret compounds like interest

• Why “waiting it out” is often just procrastination in a tuxedo

According to a Harvard Business Review study, fear of failure causes 31% of professionals to delay decisions that could lead to growth.

This prompt helps you break that loop in under 5 minutes.

It’s like the express lane for emotional clarity—no fluff, just decisions made with fewer sweats and more insight.

Now that you're warmed up, let’s roll into the rapid-fire version: the Quick Fear-Setting Analysis prompt. 🧠⚡🔥

Prompt 2: "Quick Fear-Setting Analysis" prompt

This is for when you need a faster analysis of a specific fear that's holding you back:

[START OF PROMPT]

I want you to act as a supportive Fear-Setting Coach, using Tim Ferriss’s framework to help me work through a specific fear I’m facing. 

My fear is: [INSERT SPECIFIC FEAR].

Please guide me through this one step at a time, like a coach would — thoughtful, curious, and fully present. Ask the following questions in a conversational way, building on my responses:

Start by asking:
“Okay, let’s get specific — what’s the absolute worst that could happen if this fear came true?”

Let me answer fully.

Then help me explore how likely that outcome really is.

Ask gentle follow-ups to dig deeper or challenge extreme thinking if needed.

Then ask:
“What are some things you could do to prevent that worst-case outcome from happening?”

Brainstorm with me.

Help me find small, practical things I can control.

Encourage creative thinking and self-trust.

Then ask:
“Okay, let’s say the worst did happen — how could you repair the situation or recover from it?”

Help me notice my resilience and resources.

Normalize setbacks and show pathways to bounce back.

Then say:
“On a scale from 1–10, where 10 is life-altering and 1 is just inconvenient — how bad would that worst-case scenario really be in the long run?”

Help me keep perspective.

Use reflection or comparisons to past experiences if helpful.

Then shift focus:
“Now let’s flip it — what good things might come from taking action anyway, even if it’s scary?”

Help me surface real benefits: growth, courage, new opportunities.

Encourage momentum.

Finally ask:
“If you let this fear keep you stuck, what might it cost you — in 6 months, 1 year, 3 years?”

Explore emotional, personal, or opportunity costs of inaction.

Make it real, but not overwhelming.

Throughout the process:

Respond based on my answers — reflect what I’ve said back to me.

Ask follow-up questions that feel curious and grounded.

Gently challenge distorted thinking, but always with kindness.

Help me move toward clarity and calm, not just decisions.

Use a warm, coaching tone — think therapist meets trusted friend — and keep the focus on helping me build awareness and courage, not just logic.

[END OF PROMPT]

3 Powerful Applications of Fear-Setting

1) Making Big Career Decisions

When Tim Ferriss used fear-setting, he was making $70,000 a month but feeling trapped and miserable in his business. The exercise helped him take a sabbatical that led to his bestselling book "The 4-Hour Workweek."

Use fear-setting when considering:

• Changing careers

• Starting a business

• Asking for a promotion

• Taking a sabbatical

2) Relationship Decisions

Fear often keeps you in a stagnant relationship or prevents you from having difficult conversations.

Use fear-setting when considering:

• Having a difficult conversation

• Ending a relationship

• Proposing or making a commitment

• Moving for a relationship

Think of it like cleaning out the fridge—yeah, it’s awkward, it smells weird and something in that old Tupperware container might hiss at you.

But once you clear out the emotional leftovers, you make space for something fresh, nourishing and way less likely to give you metaphorical food poisoning. 💔➡️💫

3) Personal Growth Challenges

Your comfort zones are maintained by fear, not comfort.

Use fear-setting when considering:

• Public speaking opportunities

• Learning a challenging new skill

• Traveling to an unfamiliar place

• Making a significant lifestyle change

Why fear-setting works when other methods fail

Unlike positive visualisation techniques that can actually reduce your motivation, fear-setting works because:

1. It addresses fear directly rather than trying to ignore it

2. It separates realistic concerns from unfounded anxieties

3. It creates actionable prevention and contingency plans

4. It makes the cost of inaction explicit and tangible

As Seneca, the stoic philosopher who inspired this practice, said: "We suffer more in imagination than in reality."

It’s not about ignoring the monster under the bed—it’s about dragging it into the daylight, naming it Nelson and drawing up a strategy in case he shows up again with snacks and poor life advice. 🧟‍♂️📝🍪

Wrap up

WHAT YOU LEARNED TODAY:

• The complete fear-setting exercise with its three distinct pages

• How to use AI to guide you through fear analysis

• Practical applications for work, relationships, and personal growth

• Why defining fears beats defining goals for overcoming paralysis

Fear’s a slippery little gremlin that thrives in the shadows—and fear-setting is your torch.

Whether you use a pen, a prompt, or tag in ChatGPT wearing its best therapist hat, the result’s the same: clarity, calm and a plan that doesn’t involve fake emergencies to dodge decisions.

It’s just an infinitely slower process without AI…

Because here’s the truth: your brain’s going to write dramatic fan fiction about your future whether you like it or not. Might as well get involved, edit the script, and cut the scenes where you quit before you’ve even started. 🎬💥 

Let AI hold the clipboard while you take centre stage.

Speaking of fears...

I used fear-setting when deciding whether to launch this newsletter more than 20-months ago.

My biggest fear was that nobody would read it.

And hardly anyone subscribed for more than one and a half years because I had no time for growth—no one knew Well Wired existed.

After working through this very exercise, I realised that even if only ten people subscribed, I'd still help ten people and I’d also learn valuable skills.

And the cost of not trying would be a lifetime of wondering "what if?"

Here’s me being raw…

I gave up twice on this journey—and once, for a full three months, during a rough patch when everything felt upside down. But every time fear crept in and tried to hijack the wheel, a little voice inside piped up: “Oi, this project ticks all five of your values. You’ve got this. Just keep going.”

And I did!

And here we are today…

Thousands of subscribers.

Sponsors on board.

And I’m finally doing work I love—fuelled by purpose and nudging humanity forward with every word.

“Consistency and clarity trump intensity and chaos every time"

Don’t sleep on the power of slow, steady effort—it’s consistency, not chaos, that builds empires while everyone else burns out in a blaze of short-lived hype.

Think less Roman candle, more slow cooker.

You’re not trying to explode impressively—you’re trying to simmer into something so tender, the universe can’t help but serve you up a win with a side of applause. 🍲🔥👏

Remember this…

“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.”

—Pema Chödrön

YOUR TURN 🫵

Right then—your move, braveheart.

You’ve now got the tools, the prompts and the philosophical ammo to face your fears like a red-bull-fuelled Stoic with a warriors heart.

Define the demons.

Rate the risk.

Call their bluff.

And most importantly—don’t wait for the stars to align before you start. They’re too busy burning gas and minding their own business.

Fear’s not the enemy—it’s just your future asking for a plan.

And now, thanks to a few ancient monks, one modern Tim and a chatbot with zero fear of rejection, you’ve got one.

So take that step.

Say those words.

Launch that thing.

Leave the thing.

Whatever it is—move toward it, not around it.

Because the only thing worse than failing… is never finding out what might’ve happened if you’d just had the courage to try.

Onward, slow cooker. 🍲💪
—Cedric the AI Monk

👊🏽 STAY WELL

Catch you next issue for another deep dive into the shadowy corners of your psyche (AI torch included). 🔦

Until then stay wired and stay well, 🌱
Cedric the AI Monk - Your guide in the silicon wilderness.

Ps. Well Wired is Created by Humans, Constructed With AI. 🤖 

💡AI MEME OF THE DAY