Hi Reader,
Over the past month, we've explored how AI can become a thinking partner. It can help you ask better questions, work through decisions, and cut through the mental noise that often gets in the way.
This month, I'd like to shift the conversation.
Instead of focusing on better thinking, let's focus on making work a little easier.
THE OPENING SIGNAL
I think one of the biggest reasons business owners get stuck with AI is that they're looking for the perfect place to start.
They assume they need to choose the right tool, learn the right prompts, or understand all the latest features before they can really use it.
I don't think that's true.
I think you need to start by looking at your own work.
One of the questions I hear most often is, "Where should I start?"
It's a fair question. Between the constant stream of new tools, updates, and advice online, it can feel like you're supposed to understand everything before you can use any of it well.
But I think that's backwards.
The best place to begin usually isn't with a new tool, a new prompt, or the latest AI feature.
It's with the work that's already part of your business.
WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERS
One reason AI feels overwhelming is that we often begin with the technology instead of the work.
We ask questions like:
- Which AI tool should I use?
- Is ChatGPT better than Claude?
- Should I be using Perplexity instead?
Those questions aren't wrong, but they can send you down a rabbit hole of comparing features, watching videos, and trying to keep up with every new announcement.
I think the reason we get stuck is that we assume using AI starts with learning a new technology.
Most of the time, it doesn't.
The best AI opportunities usually aren't hiding inside a new tool. They're hiding inside work you've stopped noticing because you've done it so many times.
Once you look at it that way, there's a much simpler place to begin.
Instead of asking what AI can do, start by looking at what you keep doing.
Every business has tasks you find yourself doing over and over. They may be a weekly update, a recurring client email, or the notes you create after every meeting. Whatever it is, it's work you've already solved dozens of times.
That's why repetitive work is such a good place to begin. You're improving something that's already part of your business instead of inventing a brand-new use for AI.
Don't begin by asking what AI can do. Begin by looking at the work you already do.
That one shift changes the conversation.
Instead of trying to learn everything AI is capable of, you're simply looking for one place where it might make work you already understand a little easier.
That's a much more manageable way to begin.
ONE SMALL MOVE
This week, don't start by opening ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or whatever AI tool you prefer. Start by paying attention to your own work.
Make a quick list of three tasks you find yourself doing over and over. They don't have to be the biggest or most important tasks. You're simply looking for work that keeps showing up on your desk.
Now ask yourself one question: Which task do I never want to start from scratch again?
Don't worry about solving it today. The goal isn't to build the perfect workflow. It's to start recognizing where AI might make a recurring task just a little easier.
WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO
I recently read an email from Michael Hyatt with the subject line "12 Routine Tasks Every CEO Should Delegate to AI."
Many of the examples were written for larger organizations using more advanced AI workflows than most small business owners need today. But I don't think that's the real takeaway.
What stood out to me wasn't his list of tasks. It was the reminder that every business, regardless of size, has work that repeats.
In a larger company, those tasks might be delegated to a team member. In a small business, they're often still sitting on your desk.
That's where AI starts earning its place.
It can help with the repetitive work surrounding your expertise. Creating a first draft. Organizing information. Summarizing a meeting. Giving you a starting point instead of a blank page.
You don't need twelve new AI workflows to see the value. If this week's exercise helps you make one recurring task a little easier, that's a great place to start.
And if you downloaded last week's AI Fit Framework, you'll have another chance to put it to work next week.
You don't need to figure out your entire AI strategy this week.
Just notice the work you find yourself doing over and over.
Hit reply and tell me the one task you never want to start from scratch again. If I have an idea for how AI might help, I'll share it with you.
Talk soon,
Lucy
P.S. I already have a few tasks on my own list that make me think, "Why am I still doing this the same way?" I have a feeling this month's theme is going to challenge me just as much as it challenges you.