I recommend starting AI automation with an analysis: write down every task you do during the day. The easiest processes to automate have simple, clearly defined inputs and outputs
Start by handing AI the simplest routine processes that take up the most time. This frees up resources for more complex tasks. Small steps let you bring artificial intelligence into your business or daily life without building something very complicated that, most likely, will not work
What to look for in your working day
Your list might include sorting email, logging calls and meetings in your calendar, preparing a daily task list, or reviewing incoming enquiries. These are examples of routine work I recommend starting with: there is a clear source, and the data is easy to count
Each process has its own input and result. For email sorting, the source data is the messages in your inbox. The output needs to be a clear result of that review, such as a list of messages that need attention
Logging calls and meetings involves the calendar: the source information is what is scheduled and when. The result is a calendar entry. You can compare the meeting information with the entry to see whether the date and time match
A daily task list is assembled from the tasks for that day. The inputs are the tasks themselves; the output is a list. This is a separate, small process: bringing together what needs to be done today in one place
Incoming enquiries also have a defined source: the enquiries themselves. The output might be a list of reviewed enquiries. You can compare the number of incoming enquiries with the number of entries in that list
How to choose your first task
The choice depends on your day. If email takes up a lot of your time, email sorting belongs on the list. If gathering tasks takes time, consider the daily task list. Among simple routine processes, the first candidate is the one that currently takes the most time
This review of everyday work is a starting point for an AI business audit. Its subject here is concrete: which tasks happen every day, where their data comes from, and what result is needed at the end