Work Smarter, Not Harder: 3 Easy Ways AI Can Improve Your Workday

As hard working professionals, it’s clear we are all looking for ways to simplify our work days, right? With the rise of AI (despite the panic headlines), we now have the ability to streamline tasks, save time, and reduce mental load—all by leaning on simple tools and platforms. If you feel like your workdays are filled with endless emails, inefficient meetings, or moments where you’re stuck on a project, your new BFF, AI, can help.

Here are three simple ways to integrate your BFF AI into your daily workflow to be more efficient and productive.

1. Automate Scheduling with a Calendar Link

One of the biggest time-wasters in the workplace? The endless back-and-forth emails trying to schedule a meeting. It’s frustrating and completely unnecessary when there are scheduling tools that exist to make your work day easier.

Using a scheduling link (like Calendly, Google Calendar’s booking feature, or Microsoft Bookings) allows you to:

✅ Set your availability in advance, so people only book when you’re free
✅ Eliminate the back-and-forth of “Does this time work for you?”
✅ Reduce meeting fatigue by keeping a structured schedule

Instead of spending 10-15 minutes coordinating schedules, a simple link lets your colleagues or clients find a time that works for both of you—automatically. I include it in every email I send and as long as my calendar is up to date, it works like a charm!

Action on it today - 

• If you’re in a client-facing role, add your scheduling link to your email signature.

• If you manage internal meetings, drop your link in Slack or Teams when setting up calls.

• Test out different scheduling platforms (Calendly is free!) to see which one works best for your role, industry, and workload

2. Use ChatGPT to Brainstorm and Generate Ideas

Y’all - I consider ChatGPT my coworker. I am constantly asking ChatGPT questions, sending emails to read/review, and I even used ChatGPT to help me write this blog post! 

We all know what it’s like staring at a blank document or an empty spreadsheet trying to figure out where to start. Whether you’re drafting an email, preparing for a presentation, or working on a project, AI tools like ChatGPT can help you jumpstart your thinking.

Instead of struggling with writer’s block, you can use ChatGPT to:
🧠 Brainstorm new ideas for presentations, emails, or reports
✍️ Draft rough outlines for content, so you’re never starting from scratch
🔍 Summarize key points from meetings, articles, or research

Think of ChatGPT as your (less opinionated) coworker — one that is always available to help!

Action on it today - 

• The next time you need a fresh perspective, type a quick prompt into ChatGPT. Example: “Give me five creative ways to introduce a new workplace initiative to my team.”

• If you're working on a tricky email, ask ChatGPT to help with wording. Example: “Draft a friendly follow-up email to a colleague who hasn’t responded to my request.”

• When researching, use AI to summarize long reports or articles so you can extract key insights quickly.

3. Use AI to Record Meetings and Generate Notes

I first started using AI to record and transcribe meeting notes back in 2018 and let me tell you… game changer. As someone who is in back to back meetings all day every day, I can easily forget what I needed to do from the first meeting by the time my fifth meeting of the day has ended. Bonus - if you leave a meeting feeling overwhelmed by all the action items—or worse, unsure what was even decided - AI meeting assistants can help by recording conversations, summarizing key points, and even identifying action items automatically.

Tools like Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, or Zoom AI Companion can:
📝 Transcribe meetings in real time so you don’t have to take frantic notes
📌 Summarize key takeaways and action items so everyone is on the same page
🔄 Integrate with project management tools to assign follow-up tasks automatically

By using AI to handle note-taking, you can stay fully present in conversations without worrying about capturing every detail. Plus, it makes follow-ups a breeze—no more rewatching recordings or sifting through messy handwritten notes!

Action on it today - 

• Use Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai to transcribe meetings and auto-generate summaries.

• If you use Zoom, enable its AI Companion to provide post-meeting recaps.

• Set up an integration with Notion, ClickUp, or Asana to automatically send meeting notes and action items to your team.

Contrary to panic headlines, AI isn’t here to replace your job. AI cannot replicate human capital. It can, however, make your workday more efficient and less stressful. By integrating these tools into your workflow, you can: eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth emails with scheduling links, use ChatGPT to brainstorm and generate ideas faster, record meetings and automatically generate notes with AI and manage your inbox with AI-powered prioritization and smart replies

The best part? You don’t have to change everything at once. Start small. Automate scheduling. Try AI for brainstorming. See how these changes improve your workflow. You might be surprised at how much more productive (and less stressed) you feel!

How are you using AI to streamline your workday? Let’s chat in the comments!