AI: Five Ways It Actually Helps Me Value My Time
You know that feeling when you’re running flat out, firing off emails before you’ve had coffee, or roughing out ideas faster than your brain can catch up? Welcome to my world. I’m Lori. I coach leaders, design programs and curriculum, develop strategic plans and systems, and juggle more projects than I should admit.
I’ve discovered that AI gives me breathing room to think better. Here are five ways it helps me value my time.
1. Rewrite
I draft fast. Really fast. But speed and precision don’t always travel together. I used to spend hours hunting typos, tightening language, and second-guessing tone. Now I write my first draft in a sprint, then ask AI for a clean pass: “Tighten this. Make it conversational. Fix what doesn’t land.”
A few minutes later, I have a stronger draft to review. Proofreading used to be my tax on thinking fast. It doesn’t have to be anymore.
2. Analysis
When I have an idea, I can use AI as a thought partner: “What am I missing? What could go wrong? Run this past a skeptic.” It helps me test assumptions and spot weak points before they cost time or credibility. I still decide what the feedback means and what to do with it.
3. Polish
I often know what I want to build a new program, framework, or system before I know exactly how all the pieces fit. I can sketch the concept, rough out the details, and use AI to help bring structure and flow to my scattered thinking. The idea is mine. AI helps me move it toward a finished product faster.
4. Organization
My memory is good, but it isn’t infinite. Notes and decisions can end up scattered across documents, notebooks, and my head. When I give AI the right context, I can ask: “Here’s what we’ve been working on. Here’s what we decided. What’s next?” It helps me organize the information so I can spend less time reconstructing the past and more time moving forward.
5. Know Who’s Driving
This matters most: I’m responsible for how I use AI. I review the output, make the judgment calls, and decide what to keep, change, or discard. I’m also responsible for the guardrails, including what information I share and whether a use is appropriate under my company’s policies. Human judgment and a high-integrity environment make it possible for me to use the tool with confidence.
For me, AI means less time hunting typos or starting from scratch and more time doing the thinking that matters. What I appreciate most is simple: it helps me value my time.
That question of “How we use AI to create capacity while keeping people and sound judgment at the center?” is also at the heart of our upcoming HR Leadership Forum conversation. On October 14, Alicia Jett will lead “From Cognitive Load to Capacity: Building a Human-Centered AI Ecosystem.” Join us at Liberty Hall in Washington, Missouri. Check-in and breakfast open at 8:00 a.m., and the session runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Register for the HR Leadership Forum
I’d love to hear your perspective before we gather: How does AI help you value your time, and where do you set your guardrails?