Automating My Life with ChatGPT: 5 Everyday Tasks I No Longer Do

AI isn’t just for software developers or tech enthusiasts anymore. With tools like ChatGPT, everyday users like myself can automate routine tasks, enhance productivity, and reclaim valuable time. In this article, I’ll walk you through five real-life ways I’ve automated my day-to-day activities using ChatGPT—saving nearly five hours a week—and how you can do the same starting today.

Why Automate Your Life?

Automation used to mean complex scripts or hiring a virtual assistant. Now, thanks to generative AI, it’s as easy as typing a prompt. The benefits? Less mental fatigue, more consistency, and more time for high-impact work or personal time.

1. Writing Routine Emails

Before AI, I’d spend 20–30 minutes a day replying to repetitive emails—rescheduling meetings, sending follow-ups, or replying to common questions. Now, with ChatGPT, I provide a short context prompt like:

"Write a professional email to reschedule my meeting from Tuesday to Friday, 3 PM."

Within seconds, I get a polished draft that I copy-paste with minor edits. I’ve even set up email templates that I feed into ChatGPT to maintain tone consistency.

Result: ~1.5 hours saved per week.

2. Weekly Meal Planning

I used to spend weekends planning meals and creating shopping lists. With ChatGPT, I now ask:

"Generate a weekly vegetarian meal plan for 2 people under $60 with a shopping list."

Not only does it generate the plan, it also optimizes the ingredient usage across recipes to minimize waste. I've integrated this with a Notion template where I track groceries and modify plans based on dietary preferences.

Result: 1 hour saved weekly.

3. Brainstorming & Outlining Content

As a content creator and side hustler, I often hit creative blocks. ChatGPT helps by:

Generating outlines for articles and newsletters

Suggesting blog titles or social media hooks

Rewriting headlines for SEO

Prompt example:

"Outline a blog post on how freelancers can use Notion for project management."

It generates structured ideas that I can build on. I still write my own content, but the ideation process is now 10x faster.

Result: ~45 minutes saved weekly.

4. Summarizing Lengthy Documents

From research papers to client reports, I used to spend hours extracting key takeaways. Now I paste the content into ChatGPT and ask:

"Summarize the key points from this article in bullet points."

Or

"What are the pros and cons discussed in this 5-page report?"

This is especially useful when evaluating resources for decision-making or creating digestible summaries for meetings.

Result: 30–45 minutes saved per week.

5. Learning New Topics Efficiently

Instead of sifting through multiple YouTube videos or blogs, I now use ChatGPT to create customized study plans.

Prompt:

"Create a 7-day beginner learning plan to understand the basics of SQL."

It outputs a simple curriculum with daily reading, practice exercises, and follow-up questions. It’s like having a personal tutor on-demand. I use this method for upskilling in areas like finance, tech, and marketing.

Result: Time saved varies, but highly impactful.

My AI Workflow (Bonus)

I’ve set up a simple productivity system using:

Notion for task planning

Zapier to connect tools

ChatGPT via browser or API to generate and automate content

Example: When I add a task labeled “email draft” in Notion, Zapier triggers a prompt to ChatGPT, which returns a draft to my Notion workspace.

Things to Keep in Mind

Review everything: AI is helpful, but not always perfect. Always double-check tone, context, and accuracy.

Be specific: The more context you give, the better the output.

Don’t over-rely: Use AI to support your thinking—not replace it.

Final Thoughts

AI has fundamentally changed how I approach productivity. By outsourcing low-value tasks to ChatGPT, I’ve reclaimed hours each week and reduced decision fatigue. It’s not just about efficiency—it’s about designing a life that prioritizes creativity, focus, and well-being.

So, what task do you spend too much time on? Chances are, there’s an AI-powered shortcut waiting to free you up.

Start small. Test a use case. Automate your first hour—and let that success snowball from there.