2025: The Start of My New Way of Working

How adopting AI in small, practical ways is giving me time back for deep work, strategy, and real human connection

I recently read an article that laid out a likely vision for the future impact of AI. In it, the rise of AI agents changes the course of humanity in many ways. Some good, some not so good. One point really stood out - those working with AI are more protected from these shifts than those who aren't.

Working at Mindstone, where we provide generative AI training to individuals and companies, I know I have proximity bias. I'm close to this subject. But I can’t shake the feeling that many people and organisations are walking around completely unaware of the scale of change already happening around them.

So I wanted to share a few real-life examples from my own work. These are simple ways that AI adoption is already transforming how I operate day to day. My hope is that it helps others start to visualise what’s possible. These changes aren’t just coming. They’re already here.

For context: I only started using AI properly in my workflows this year. I work part-time in a small team, and I’m the only person in Customer Success. I use an enterprise ChatGPT account and other tools when needed.

Here are the AI use cases that support me in my role today:

• Inbox management: I use Fyxer as my virtual email assistant. It categorises my inbox and drafts multiple response options that I can quickly fine-tune.
  Weekly impact: around 2 hours saved

• Automated email sequencing: I use Zapier to automate email sequences based on the status of users of our platform.
  Weekly impact: around 30 minutes saved

• Bespoke GPTs for repeated processes: I’ve created custom GPTs with saved instructions. When I provide a data set, the GPT runs the process for me.
  Weekly impact: around 3 hours saved

• Thinking partner: When I’m working through a tricky problem, I ask ChatGPT to act as a thinking partner by asking me me one question at a time to help structure my thinking.
  Weekly impact: around 1 hour saved

These use cases save me nearly a full day’s work each week. And that doesn’t even include the time saved with automated meeting note takers.

The result? I have more time to spend with the team. Time to strategise, learn from one another, talk through ideas and align on how we work. I also have more time to speak with customers. To understand their goals and to communicate the value and impact of the programmes they’re part of.

For me, this is the real promise of AI. Not to replace what we do, but to give us back time for the work that matters most.