It’s the time of year when you’re probably making big plans to change your life — and we’re no exception. But our new year’s resolution doesn’t require you to overhaul your morning routine or purchase a gym membership. Instead, this year, we’re resolving to work smarter with the tools we already have.
That’s where Generative AI @ Pitt can help. Generative AI is great at helping you through the parts of your day that take up more mental energy than they’re worth. As part of your new year self-reflection, identify the parts of your day that drain your energy. Then, try out our tips to reclaim your time to do the work that matters most.
What Brings You Joy?
Before AI changes your life, you need to figure out what’s worth changing in the first place. Remember when everyone was raving about Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? The idea was simple: hold each item in your hands and ask, “Does this spark joy?” If not, thank it and let it go.
You can bring some of that magic into your workday with the help of generative AI. This time, instead of tidying your closet, you're tidying your to-do list. Take a moment to think about your typical day. Which tasks energize you? Which ones make you feel like you're doing your best work? Now, which tasks make you want to hide under your desk?
Maybe you agonize over writing the perfect email. Or organizing your meeting notes really gets you down. Perhaps your administrative tasks eat up your morning and leave you exhausted before you get to the work that only you can do.
Of course, GenAI can’t make any task disappear entirely, and it shouldn't. You're still the one who understands the nuances of your work, your colleagues, and your field. But GenAI can act as a thought partner that helps you move through administrative burdens faster so you can spend more time on the work that brings you joy — whether that's teaching, research, strategic thinking, or building relationships with your colleagues and students.
Small, Meaningful Changes Go a Long Way
If you’re setting your sights on reclaiming your time with GenAI, you don't have to change everything at once. Small, meaningful shifts in how you approach repetitive tasks can add up quickly.
If You Loathe Writing Emails
Open Google Gemini and describe what you need to communicate. Let it structure your main points, then edit the draft to match your voice and add the personal touches that matter. That way, you conquer the blank page without outsourcing your thinking.
If You Struggle to Remember Excel Formulas
Instead of Googling syntax or digging through old spreadsheets, open Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and describe what you need in plain language, like: “I need to calculate the average of cells B2 through B50, but only for values greater than 100.” Copilot can point you in the right direction, and you can adjust from there.
You can use GenAI without switching tabs! Check out our tips for using built-in GenAI assistants.
If You're Working on a Long-Term Project
Create a Project in Claude for Education and add your key documents and custom instructions. Claude will remember the context across all your conversations, so you're not re-explaining your research question, your committee's feedback, or your project goals every single time you need help. It's like having a colleague who remembers what you talked about last week — and all the weeks before that.
Iterate and Refine Your Approach
It’s okay if your first attempt to work with a GenAI tool isn’t perfect. If you’ve read our secrets for powerful prompts, you know that adjustments are part of the process. That means iteration is key to using these tools effectively.
Think of your conversation with a GenAI tool like a back-and-forth with a colleague. You start with a request, see what you get, and then refine. Maybe your first email draft is too formal, so you ask it to make the tone friendlier. Or maybe the formula Copilot suggested is close but not quite right for your specific dataset, so you describe what needs to change.
The same goes for more complex tasks. If you're using NotebookLM to synthesize research articles, your first summary might be too broad. Follow up with, “Focus more on the methodology section,” or “How does this connect to my research question about X?” Each iteration gets you closer to exactly what you need.
Iteration lets you stay in control of the outcome. Rather than accepting the first try (which might not be exactly what you’re looking for), you can build upon what you have and refine until you arrive at the right result. This process can take practice, but once you get the hang of it, you might find yourself surprised with how much time you’ve reclaimed from the small, sustainable ways you’ve reduced friction in your work.
Make This Year Yours
The Generative AI @ Pitt tools can help to give you back the time and energy for the work you enjoy the most. So, as you think about your goals for the new year, consider this: What would you do with an extra hour a week? What meaningful work could you accomplish if the busywork didn't take up so much space? With a boost from GenAI, you just might be able to make it happen.
— Pitt Digital
