Optimizing AI Workflows for Productivity

The Paradox of Choice

AI is supposed to save time, but often we spend hours tweaking prompts or testing new tools. Productivity comes from integration, not experimentation. Here is how to streamline your AI usage.

1. Define Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Identify repetitive tasks. Email replies? Meeting summaries? Code documentation? Create a "Prompt Library" for these tasks. Don't write a new prompt every time. Save your best prompts in a tool like Notion or a text expander.

2. The "One Tool" Rule

Stop switching between 5 different chatbots. Pick one general-purpose LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) and stick to it. You will learn its quirks and get better results than if you constantly switch.

3. Context is King

When starting a new chat, spend 2 minutes "priming" the AI. "You are an expert senior marketing manager. We are working on a campaign for X. The tone should be Y." This context saves you from 10 rounds of revisions later.

4. Batch Processing

If you need to generate images for a blog, don't do them one by one. Generate them all in a batch. If you need to summarize 5 articles, paste them all into a long-context window model at once and ask for a comparative summary.

5. Know When NOT to Use AI

AI is bad at: recent news (hallucinations), high-stakes factual accuracy without checking, and genuine emotional empathy. Don't force AI into these holes. Use it for the 80% of grunt work, and use your human brain for the final 20% of polish and judgment.