time management

8 creative ways to use ChatGPT to save time

When someone asks us “how are you?,” the common answer is “busy”. Yes, we’re all busy and never seem to have enough time. Over the last year, I’ve discovered that one of the best time-saving tools isn’t a scheduling app or productivity hack, but ChatGPT.

While most people know ChatGPT can write emails and summarize documents, some of the most powerful time-saving benefits come from more unexpected, creative uses. Here are some ways I’ve used ChatGPT to get more done faster.

Parse notes into action items

I love using Attention as my AI-powered notetaker, but sometimes I skip it. People can be more open when they’re not being recorded, and I still enjoy manual note-taking for retention.

Still, I often end up with messy shorthand in my Remarkable or Notes app. I’ll paste the text into ChatGPT and ask it to turn it into an action plan with tasks, deadlines, and priorities.

Example prompt:
“Here are my notes from today’s team meeting. Can you create a prioritized task list with deadlines and owners?”

Brainstorm faster

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say” is a quote by Flannery O’Connor that I can relate to. Whether it’s working on a new feature or product idea, piece of content or song, or I am looking for new initiatives for the company, I start jotting down anything that comes to mind without internal censorship. When you’re stuck in idea limbo, whether it’s for marketing copy or an outside-of-the-box solution to a problem, ChatGPT can jumpstart your brainstorming. Just give it context and ask for 10 ideas to kick it off, which can help you avoid the dreaded blank page and gets your creative juices flowing faster.

Example prompt:
“I’m launching a new feature for higher ed web teams. What are 10 creative blog post titles that balance approachability and professionalism?”

Simplify complex concepts for yourself and others

Whether you’re learning something new or explaining a technical concept to someone less familiar, ChatGPT can help summarize jargon-heavy material in plain English. For example, if someone asks what a specific section in a legal contract means or looking to understand a highly technical concept, you can ask the tool to break it down in simpler terms. In fact, ChatGPT is usually pretty good at coming up with relatable analogies. I recommend being as specific as possible in defining who the intended audience is.

Example prompt:
“Explain this section of a SaaS contract in plain English for someone with no technical or legal background.”

Create first drafts

From RFP answers to project requirements, the first draft is often the most time-consuming. I use ChatGPT to write a rough outline or narrative based on key points. Editing from a starting point is so much faster than starting cold. For things like Statements of Work, you can even create your own custom ChatGPT by teaching it about what you’re looking for and uploading existing SOWs (minus the customer name) to use as guidelines.

Example prompt:
“Based on these bullets, draft the first two paragraphs of proposal for an implementation project.”

Prepare for conversations

Before heading into a call with a potential partner or customer, consider asking ChatGPT to help prep questions, review context, or suggest talking points based on previous interactions or public info. It saves me from digging through inboxes or LinkedIn for background, although, admittedly, sometimes I can’t help it.

Example prompt:
“Help me prepare for a call with [customer/partner] interested in [topic]. Summarize the top 3 news stories from the past 6 months about [Customer Name] and highlight anything relevant to digital transformation or leadership changes.”

Create new templates or formats

One of the most underestimated time-saving superpowers of ChatGPT is its ability to build custom frameworks, templates, and models on the fly, which is especially helpful when you’re tackling something ambiguous or complex.

Whether you’re evaluating vendors, planning a new campaign, scoping a project, or making a strategic decision, having the right framework helps you move faster and with more clarity. But instead of spending hours on the internet for one that almost fits your needs, ChatGPT can help you create one that’s tailored to your situation. The trick is to not settle for the first answer the tool gives you, but to keep asking for refinements until you have something that is a great starting-off point.

Example prompts:

“Build a scoring matrix for whether or not to RFPs based on fit, scope, risk, and competitive positioning.”

“Create a content planning template based on the awareness, consideration, and decision stages of the buyer journey.”

“Develop a Standard Operating Procedure template for customer onboarding.”

Develop learning plans

This is one of my favorite use cases. When I want to sharpen my skills and acquire more knowledge about a certain area, I ask ChatGPT for learning plans based on my time frame and availability.

Example prompt:

“I want to learn more about GDPR and how it affects web content and web personalization. Create a two week crash course for me with relevant resources like articles, videos, and podcasts. I can spend 15 minutes a day on this”

Use it as a sounding board

Sometimes you just need a gut check on tone, clarity, or how something might resonate better with your audience. ChatGPT is great for quick, low-stakes feedback that helps you keep moving. Whether I’m drafting an email that needs to be direct but diplomatic, or tweaking a copy that just doesn’t seem to hit the note I’m aiming for, I’ll often paste it in and ask for suggestions or a tone check. It’s like having a neutral second set of eyes without needing to bug a colleague.

That said, I draw a line when the context is deeply emotional, politically sensitive, or calls for real empathy. In those cases, I still rely on my own judgment or talk it through with someone I trust. For me, ChatGPT is less about replacing human insight and more about accelerating the mechanical parts, so I have more time and mental space for the conversations that actually require the human touch.

Example prompt:
“Does this message sound too unempathetic? I want it to be clear and firm, but still respectful.”

What about you? What are some ways in which you’re using ChatGPT to save time?

Start with intention: Why planning your day out loud actually works

There’s a moment every morning that quietly determines how the rest of your day will go. It’s not when you open your inbox. It’s not your first meeting. It’s that moment, before the noise sets in, when you decide what kind of day you’re going to have. That’s why I’m a firm believer in starting the day with a realistic, intentional plan and in posting that plan right when your day begins, not hours into it. This isn’t about reporting in or logging hours. It’s about leading your own day with clarity, honesty, and purpose.

This post is about the power of being proactive and about starting on purpose rather than drifting into reaction mode.

Daily stand-ups still hold up

Years ago, I wrote a post called From a Hard-Core Advocate of Daily Stand-Ups, and everything in it still holds true.

Daily stand-ups work because they:

Force you to reflect on how the previous day went
Help you begin your day with focus
Surface blockers and competing priorities in real time
Create small moments of accountability that compound over time

And here’s the key: they only work if they happen at the beginning of your day. Not mid-morning or after your meetings. If your update isn’t shaping your day, it’s just commentary. Not a tool.

If live stand-ups aren’t possible, the next best thing is this:

Have everyone post a short, focused update in Slack as soon as they start working.

Why it has to happen first

When you wait until later in the day to plan, your day’s already been hijacked. The meetings, messages, and fire drills have already dictated your focus.

Posting a morning update before you dive in forces intentionality, puts you in the driver’s seat, and signals to you team where you’re focused and where you may need support.

Plan with honesty and realism

Let’s be blunt: you’re not going to accomplish 20 meaningful things in one day. So don’t write your update as if you will.

Your daily plan isn’t about documenting everything you could do. It’s about identifying what really matters today. The 2–5 high-impact priorities that deserve your time, attention, and energy.

Being honest with yourself matters here:

Is this task truly important or just easy to check off?
Is this list realistic given the meetings and energy you actually have?
Am I setting myself up to succeed or to feel behind?

As Greg McKeown puts it in Essentialism: “You can do anything, but not everything.”

The value of daily planning isn’t in ambition. It’s in alignment.

What a good update looks like

Your update should be written by you, in plain English, and at the start of your day. Not by a tool. Not copied from a ticketing system. Not written in project-speak or tech jargon.

It should answer:

What did I plan to do yesterday? Did I follow through? If not, why not?
What am I focusing on today, and why does it matter?
Is anything blocking me or shifting my focus?

Tools don’t think, but you do

Most of us use project management systems that populate our tasks automatically. And while those are helpful for visibility, they’re not your plan.

If you let a tool dictate your priorities, you’ll end up reacting to deadlines instead of leading with intention.

Writing your own update forces you to pause, prioritize, and communicate clearly, not just to others, but to yourself.

Reflect honestly and learn from the patterns

At the end of the day (or the next morning), check in with yourself:

Did you stick to your plan?
If not, what got in the way? Were your priorities realistic?
Did you let urgency overtake importance?

Honest reflection is what turns this from a routine into a leadership tool. When you regularly notice what’s working and what isn’t, you get better at planning, better at staying in your lane and better at protecting time for what matters.

This isn’t about micromanagement or checking boxes. It’s about building a habit of purposeful work, starting with a plan, crafted by you, in your own words, at the very beginning of your day.

And it only works if you’re honest with yourself. If you know you’re not going to get to 20 things today, don’t write down 20 things. Start early and in a truthful way.

Because real momentum doesn’t come from doing more, it comes from doing what matters, on purpose.

My counterintuitive, and perhaps unpopular, time savers

Let’s talk about time savers, but not in the way you might expect. If you’re here for color-coded calendars, Pomodoro hacks, or a list of “5 productivity tools that changed my life,” this post is probably not for you. I’m not anti-time management. I’m just not a fan of spending too much time managing time.

I’ve found that for me, trying to optimize every minute of the day can be exhausting, and ironically, a massive time suck. I’d rather make quick decisions (though, of course, that is not always feasible or advisable), knock out an unenjoyable task, act with intention, and trust that if we get something wrong, we can course-correct. It’s not about being reckless. It’s about being efficiently decisive.

A few of my favorite counterintuitive time savers:

Say yes to the 30-minute meeting (sometimes)

If a meeting has clear outcomes, I’d rather attend than spend 30 minutes crafting messages in an attempt to get out of it.. “Can we do this asynchronously in Slack?” Sure, sometimes. But if the meeting will unblock a project, move a decision forward, or allow for rapid alignment, let’s just get in and get it done.

Do the quick thing now

If something takes two minutes (or even ten), I’ll usually just knock it out. The mental energy of tracking it, rescheduling it, or “prioritizing it later” often takes more time than simply doing the task.

Good enough is sometimes perfect

Not everything needs to be optimized, reworked, or run through another round of revisions. Perfectionism masquerades as productivity, but it rarely delivers the same results. I’ll take ‘done’ over perfect most of the time.

Block off time, and then honor it

While I don’t spend hours planning my schedule, I do block off chunks of time for heads-down work. No meetings, no pings, just focused progress. It helps me protect my energy and avoid the context-switching tax that can eat up a day. Confession: this is still an area that I need to improve in.

Don’t overcomplicate the system

Fancy task apps, automated workflows, and time-blocking templates are great if they work for you. But if you’re spending more time tweaking the system than using it, it’s time to simplify. A plain old checklist and calendar might just do the trick

Know what actually matters

Time management shouldn’t be a full-time job. For me, it’s about clarity: What do I actually want to get done today? What’s the real priority? I’d rather spend five minutes answering that than fifty minutes rearranging my to-do list.

In the end, the best time savers aren’t about tricks or hacks. They’re about doing what works for you, and in my case, I’d rather use my time than manage it.

I’d love to hear your take. What time savers feel surprisingly right for you, even if they go against the usual advice?”

Where did the time go? 5 tips for handling your only finite resource

When talking about daily challenges, one of the most frequent comments I hear revolves around time management. “There’s just so much to do”, “I can’t get things done because of this slew of emails I’m getting every day”, “I’m drowning”. Sound familiar? Time really is the only resource you have that is finite. And everybody gets the same amount of hours per day. It’s just that some people have a better handle on utilizing their time than others. Let’s take a look at some things you could consider to help with time management.

Track your time

I know, I know, it’s a cliché. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” But it’s the truth. If you don’t know where you spend your time, you won’t know how do manage it more effectively. The first step towards better time management is to understand exactly how you’re currently allocating your time. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as by manually logging your activities, by using built-in timers that are available in systems like Jira, or by automatically tracking which applications you’re using through software like RescueTime or DeskTime. I find the latter eye opening, especially if you compare your own estimates of your allocations with you actual ones. I recommend capturing your estimates on a regular basis, as it gives you an idea of your perception versus reality and helps you become more accurate and more mindful of your time. As an aside, you may also want to check how much time you spend on your phone. If you have an iphone, go to Settings -> Battery and click on an app under “Battery Usage”. Or you can download one of the apps available, such as Moment or QualityTime (for Android). After seeing the results, you’ll most definitely promise yourself to do better.

Analyze: Too much, enough, too little

In one of my previous posts, I outlined a quick method of assessing staffing needs. Group your most common activities into three columns: things that you’re doing too much of, enough of, and not enough of.

What changes can you make in order to find the best possible balance? Which items in the “too much” columns can be delegated or scaled down? Are there any process improvements that would help eliminate some of your involvement? The three column method can help you visualize where the time sucks are and where you need to increase your activities, and it can jumpstart initiatives for change.

Post “did” and “do”

I’m a huge advocate for daily stand-ups. They get you focused in the morning, allow you to discuss any challenges that are coming up for you or your teammates, and to celebrate wins from the previous day. They also force you to review what you had set out to do and what you actually ended up doing. Similarly, posting your accomplishments from yesterday and your priorities for today helps you better understand where your time management is lacking, so that you can work on focusing on the right things.

Find your own methods for handling emails

There’s a slew of articles on time management with regard to emails. Most of them recommend that you block out time for emails and that you don’t check your inbox first thing in the morning. However, I think that there’s no silver bullet when it comes to email management. Some people do better with dedicated blocks for email, while others set up filters to help prioritize items. I typically try to stay on top my inbox, as I find it more relaxing to minimize the number of unread messages. If something takes less than two to three minutes to respond, I tend to respond immediately. Otherwise, I flag the email and come back to it when I have finished the task on which I’m focused at the time. A good rule of thumb is to stick with whatever approach causes you the least anxiety.

A couple of tips I can share:

Don’t be shy when it comes to requesting to be removed from a thread if you don’t need to be involved.
Keep your responses short whenever possible. Sometimes, a “sounds good”, “go for it”, or “ok” is all that’s needed.

Get the “dreaded” stuff out of the way

If you have some things on your to do list that are uncomfortable, tedious, or difficult, get them out of the way first whenever possible. If you don’t, then you might subconsciously want to stall by spending more time on other tasks than you really need to. If you tackle the “dreaded” stuff first, you typically work faster in order to get it out of the way and get to the more pleasant priorities.

Time is a precious, finite resource. Be keenly aware how you’re spending it and track your progress, but don’t let time management itself eat up too much time.

What about you? What time management tips would you like to share?

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