“How do you manage a full-time job, travel, content and side projects?” Part of my honest answer: AI helps me a lot.
I work in corporate tech, and I’ve also started using AI for everything outside work: planning my week, writing, organising ideas and building small tools for myself. I mostly use Claude, and sometimes ChatGPT. I used to keep all my notes in Notion, and now I’m building my own personal assistant and dashboard with Claude instead.
In this post I share how I use AI to save time every day, simple ways you can start, and the rules I follow so it actually helps instead of creating more work.
Why use AI at work at all?
Most of us spend a big part of our day on small tasks that don’t need our best thinking: writing emails, summarising long documents, turning messy notes into a plan, preparing for meetings. These tasks add up.
AI is very good at a first draft of exactly these things. It doesn’t replace your judgement, your relationships or your ideas. But it can take you from a blank page to 70% done in seconds, and that’s where the time saving comes from.
The AI tools I use
- Claude: my main tool, for both personal and professional tasks. I use it for writing, thinking things through, planning and building small tools.
- ChatGPT: sometimes, when I want a second opinion or a different style of answer.
- My own assistant: instead of a notes app, I’m building a personal dashboard with Claude where my tasks, projects and ideas live in one place.
You don’t need many tools. Pick one, learn it well, and you’ll get most of the benefit.
How AI saves me (and you) time
Planning my day and week
Every evening I decide my top three things for the next day. AI helps me turn a messy list of tasks and thoughts into a clear plan, sorted by what matters most.
First drafts of writing
Emails, posts, summaries, outlines. I explain what I want in my own words, and I get a first draft to edit. I always rewrite it so it sounds like me, but I never start from a blank page anymore.
Turning voice notes into structure
When I’m walking or travelling, I record my thoughts as voice notes. AI turns them into tasks, ideas and notes, which saves me a lot of typing.
Preparing for meetings and presentations
Before an important meeting, AI can help you structure your points, think about questions people might ask, and practise your answers. You still do the real preparation yourself, but it helps you think more clearly.
Learning faster
When you need to understand something new, ask AI to explain it simply, then ask follow-up questions. It’s like having a patient teacher available anytime.
A few simple ways to start
If you’re new to AI at work, try these this week:
- Summarise: paste a long document or email thread and ask for the five key points and any action items.
- Draft: describe the email you need to write, who it’s for and the tone, and ask for a short first draft.
- Plan: paste your to-do list and ask it to sort tasks by urgency and importance.
- Prepare: describe an upcoming meeting and ask what questions might come up.
- Explain: ask it to explain a topic you find confusing “as if I’m new to this”.
Start with one task you do every week and see how much time it saves.
My rules for using AI at work
Never share confidential information
This is the most important one. Don’t paste customer data, internal documents, passwords or anything private into an AI tool unless your company has approved that tool for it. Follow your employer’s AI policy, always.
Always check the output
AI can sound confident and still be wrong. Check facts, numbers and names before you send anything.
Keep your own voice
Use AI for the first draft, then make it yours. People can tell when something wasn’t written by you.
Use it to think better, not to stop thinking
The best results come when you give it context and push back on its answers. Treat it like a smart colleague, not a magic button.
Is AI going to replace jobs?
I get this question a lot. My honest view: AI is changing how we work, and people who learn to use it well will have an advantage. The best thing you can do is start learning now, with small, everyday tasks.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI tool is best for work?
It depends on what you need and what your company allows. I mostly use Claude, and sometimes ChatGPT. Pick one tool, learn it well, and use it for the same tasks every week.
Is it safe to use AI at work?
It can be, if you follow your company’s policy and never share confidential or personal data in tools that aren’t approved for it.
How can AI save me time at work?
Use it for first drafts, summaries, planning and meeting preparation. These small tasks add up to hours every week.
Do I need technical skills to use AI?
No. If you can write a clear message, you can use AI. The more context you give, the better the answers.
What’s one task you’d love AI to take off your plate? Tell me in the comments 👇
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