Increase Your Productivity with AI: A Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide
If you're like me, you're as intrigued by AI as you’re intimidated. It’s fascinating to see a computer type, talk, and act like a human — it’s also terrifying. What tasks, thoughts, and troubles will be left for us to take care of?
For this article, we’ll stay on the intriguing side of things and deal with the intimidating aspect another day.
The good news is that AI can help increase your productivity without much technological wizardry. The current tools are already sophisticated enough that you can talk to them as you’d talk to anyone else, and they’ll understand what you want to do. (Also see: Prompt templates are overrated.)
Still, there are some fundamentals and practices that will improve your results and productivity:
Invest in the right AI tools.
Choose the AI model that fits your needs.
Treat AI as a conversation partner.
Create a system to store and organize your prompts.
Set aside time for learning and processing.
Curate a reference library.
Prioritize high-impact tasks.
Collaborate with AI to overcome biases and blind spots.
Step 1: Invest in the right AI tools 🛠️
If you're serious about using AI, you must pay for the tools. The difference between the free and paid versions of services like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity is enormous.
By paying, you’ll get access to the latest features, faster processing speed, and, most importantly, the most capable versions of these models. If you stay on the free tiers, you’ll only get a glimpse of what’s possible.
💡 Super simple but effective tip: As soon as you start a subscription, set a reminder in your calendar to cancel a few days before the next billing cycle. That way, you can try out the tool without fear of being charged indefinitely.
Step 2: Choose the AI model that fits your needs 🤖
Choosing the right AI tool is crucial. Here are some options to consider:
ChatGPT: A versatile, jack-of-all-trades assistant that can handle writing, research, data analysis, and more. Perfect for general productivity needs.
Perplexity: A specialized research tool that can dive deep into complex topics and synthesize information quickly. Ideal for academics, analysts, or anyone who needs to do a lot of online research.
Claude: An articulate AI assistant that excels at writing, analysis, coding, and problem-solving. Claude's thoughtful communication makes it an ideal productivity partner.
The key is experimenting and trying different models until you find the perfect fit for your goals and needs.
💡
's Section School has an excellent overview of popular AI models, including use cases, availability, and pricing.Step 3: Treat AI as a conversation partner 💬
Getting the most out of AI requires a mindset shift. Instead of treating your AI like Google, consider it a conversation partner. Take the time to explain your needs, provide context, give feedback, and, most importantly, break complex tasks into multiple steps.
For example, instead of saying, "Write a blog post about productivity," start with something like: "I'm looking to write a blog post about productivity tips for remote workers. My target audience is millennials new to working from home, and I want to focus on practical, actionable advice. What do you think are the most important points to cover?"
Then work on an outline together, and only then start drafting.
By breaking tasks down into subtasks and engaging in a back-and-forth with your AI, you'll get better results that are more relevant to your needs.
If you need help deciding what task to begin with, consider starting with an area where you already have expertise.
, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the Substack , recommends using AI in an area where you have expertise, such as your job or domain, when you start working with it. This approach allows you to understand the AI's capabilities and limitations better, as you can assess its output's quality and accuracy.💡 Check out "AI as a sparring partner for writing" for an example of how I talk to ChatGPT.
Step 4: Create a system to store and organize your prompts 📂
As you start using AI more regularly, you quickly accumulate prompts, templates, and conversation snippets you use repeatedly. But if you don't store what's working, you'll either have to recreate those prompts from scratch each time or waste time searching for them.
The solution? Create a simple system to store and organize your AI prompts. It doesn't have to be fancy — a dedicated folder in a note-taking app (like Notion or Evernote) will do the trick. The key is to make it easy to access and update your prompts whenever inspiration strikes.
🗂️ Here’s a template of the Notion database I use to store my prompts — feel free to make a copy.
Within tools like ChatGPT and Claude, mark conversations you often return to with emojis. That way, you can quickly find them instead of searching through a wall of text.
Step 5: Set aside time for learning and processing 🧪
Integrating AI into your work and life isn't a one-time project. As these tools continue to evolve at a breakneck pace, making time for learning, experimenting, and processing is essential.
Block off 15-30 minutes daily to explore new AI features, test out fresh prompts, and process your experiments and learnings from the previous day. Think of this as a clean desk policy for your AI workspace—you can't always track everything while you're in the middle of it, so reserve some time to tidy up and reflect on what worked well.
Not sure where to start? Subscribe to some AI-related newsletters, join online communities, and swap tips with colleagues or friends who are also exploring the possibilities of AI. I've included a list of my favorite resources at the end of this article.
💡 Check out AI Transformation: A Soothing Framework for Adapting to the Future for more details on how to build an AI learning rhythm into your days.
Step 6: Curate a reference library 📚
Advanced models like GPT-4 and Claude 3 can process large attachments. This capability means you can include references of the style, approach, or best practices you want the AI to follow for a task you give it. Think:
Examples of entire articles for a writing style you want the AI to mimic.
Operating principles you want the AI to follow or check against.
Metrics you want the AI to analyze to determine the most effective variation or approach for a task.
As you start doing this, you'll quickly accumulate a pile of Word, CSV, and other files, some of which you'll use repeatedly.
I recommend creating a personal reference library with examples of your writing style, communication (e.g., emails), principles, values, and goals.
A swipe file with such references will help you guide the AI to understand your unique voice, work style, and preferences. The more context you provide, the more tailored and effective the output.
By curating your references in one place, you'll spend less time searching for them or pulling the same examples over and over again when you need them.
🗂️ Here’s a template of the Notion database I use to store my reference cards — feel free to make a copy.
Step 7: Prioritize high-impact tasks ⏰
When integrating AI into your workflow, focus on tasks that will give you the highest ROI in time invested vs. time saved. This could be something simple that you do frequently (e.g., a task that takes 10 minutes every day) or a complex, time-consuming activity that happens less often.
For example,
, CEO at Section, recently used AI to prepare for a board meeting. By uploading the board deck to various AI platforms, he was able to get feedback almost as good as his human board — with a lot less friction.The key is to identify the pain points in your workflow and experiment with different AI solutions until you find the ones that make the most significant difference in your productivity.
Step 8: Collaborate with AI to overcome biases and blind spots 🤝
One of the most powerful (and often overlooked) ways to use AI is as a tool for overcoming personal biases and blind spots. By asking your AI to provide alternative perspectives, play devil's advocate, or critique your ideas, you can gain valuable insights you might have missed.
For example, if you're working on a project proposal, ask your AI to poke holes in your arguments or provide counterpoints from different stakeholder perspectives. Or, if you're making a big decision, use AI to generate a list of potential risks and unintended consequences that you might not have considered.
The goal isn't to let AI make decisions for you but to use it as a thought partner to help you see issues from multiple angles and make more informed, well-rounded choices.
Reference files come in handy here, too: keep one or more files with your principles, personal values, and weaknesses. Attach those to a prompt, and the AI will pay extra attention to your priorities and blind spots.
Your AI journey starts today and never ends
Congratulations, you've made it to the end of this guide! By now, you should have a foundation for integrating AI into your work and life. But this isn't the end of your journey — it's the beginning.
AI is constantly evolving, so there's always more to learn. Embrace the mindset of a lifelong learner. Don't be afraid to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from your experiences. Most importantly, iterate on your processes as new AI capabilities emerge.
To help you stay informed and inspired about the latest developments in AI and productivity, I've compiled a list of my favorite resources below.
🌟 Must-Read AI Blogs and Newsletters
One Useful Thing - A newsletter by Professor Ethan Mollick that explores the implications of AI for work, education, and life.
Every - Deep dives and expert perspectives on AI, productivity, and the changing work landscape.
Ben's Bites - A curated collection of the latest AI news, tools, and resources, delivered straight to your inbox.
We Eat Robots - That's us! 😊 A newsletter exploring the intersection of AI, creativity, and the future of work. (Just in case you got this one forwarded.)
🎧 AI Podcasts Worth Listening To
How Do You Use ChatGPT? - Practical tips and real-world examples of how people are using ChatGPT to boost their productivity and creativity.
The AI Podcast - Insights from leading experts on the latest developments in AI, from research to real-world applications.
Practical AI - A show exploring the practical applications of AI in business, productivity, and everyday life.
The Ezra Klein Show - While not exclusively about AI, journalist Ezra Klein often brings on guests to discuss the latest developments in AI. Some notable recent shows I recommend are How Should I be Using A.I. Right Now? and Will A.I. Break the Internet? Or Save It?
Until next time!