Q&A
How to find the best repetitive tasks to automate at work?
Short answer
Look for tasks that make you feel like a robot while doing them. If a task has a clear pattern, requires clicking the same buttons every day, and needs zero deep thinking, it is your prime target. Do not start with AI tools. Start by auditing your daily habits and frustrations.
I will be honest, most people approach this from the wrong direction. They open ChatGPT and stare at a blank screen, wondering what to command. The real key lies in auditing your own work habits.
Tasks worth automating share three main traits. First, they are repetitive. Second, their input and output formats are crystal clear. Third, if you handed the task to an intern, they could do it just by following a written guide without making any strategic decisions.
People often get distracted looking for the most advanced tools. Meanwhile, the real problem is manual processes piling up in plain sight.
Saving companies money is an old habit of mine, from well before AI was trendy. As a product leader, I drove more than 4 million US dollars in yearly savings through a range of initiatives: process improvements, cost optimization, and more efficient product decisions. Automation was just one of those levers. Back then, that kind of leverage required a senior seat, an engineering team, and expensive systems. Today, AI is the sharpest tool for that exact same habit, and it can be trained into everyone on your team.
To find your first automation target, keep an activity log for three working days. Write down everything you do every thirty minutes. On the third day, highlight the tasks that make you feel bored or mentally drained. That is your gold mine. Start small. Target things like moving data between applications, summarizing meeting notes, or classifying client emails.
The proof is in how I work today. I built and run an eight channel content distribution system all by myself. I also manage the Applied-AI Certification program and the AI Circle community effectively. I can do all this because I know exactly which mechanical tasks belong to AI, and which strategic work requires my own brain.
Once you experience the extra free time from automating just one small task, your instinct for finding other opportunities will sharpen. You will automatically ask yourself every time a new task lands on your desk: can a machine do this, or do I need to step in?
If you need more guidance on applying this mindset to your daily work, you can discuss and learn alongside other practitioners at AI Circle.