👋 Welcome to the final issue of Bite Sized Bots in 2025!
Right now, a lot of people are planning what to add in 2026.
New tools. New systems. New goals.
The most effective way to use AI starts somewhere unexpected.
It starts with getting clear on what you want to protect.
Because when AI works well, it doesn’t replace your best work — it creates more room for it. And that starts with one simple question.
The Question That Changes Everything
What would I want AI to handle so I can focus on the work only I can do?
This question matters because it flips the script:
It puts your expertise at the center — not the tools
It helps you spot what drains your energy vs. what actually fuels your business
It gives you a clear filter, so AI decisions stop feeling fuzzy
This isn’t about doing more with AI next year.
It’s about using AI to make space for what matters most.
How to Answer It (Without Overthinking)
You don’t need a strategy retreat for this. Just a few honest minutes.
Step 1: Name the work only you can do
This is the work that makes your business yours.
The judgment, relationships, and decisions no tool can replace.
Examples:
Strategy and direction
Client relationships and trust-building
Creative problem-solving
Quality decisions that reflect your standards
Prompt to try (customize this):
I run a [type of business] serving [type of clients].
My clients hire me because they want [specific outcomes you are responsible for — results, transformations, decisions, or experiences].
In my role, list the 3–5 parts of my work that only I can do well, where my experience, judgment, or relationships directly affect client outcomes or business results.
Focus on work that creates trust, quality, or long-term value — not tasks that could be delegated or standardized.
You’re not starting from scratch.
You’re getting clearer about what makes your work matter.
Step 2: Identify what’s getting in the way
Now look at the work that’s necessary — but not energizing.
The friction. The repetitive thinking. The heavy starts.
Examples:
Drafting routine emails or proposals
Organizing scattered notes or information
Reformatting the same types of content
Summarizing meetings, research, or ideas
Prompt to try:
I run a [type of business] serving [type of clients], and I’m responsible for delivering [key outcomes or results].
Below is a list of recurring tasks that slow me down or delay my highest-value work — not because they’re difficult, but because they require repetitive thinking, formatting, or setup before real judgment begins.
For each task, explain:
1. which parts could be drafted, organized, summarized, or prepared by AI without risking quality or trust, and
2. which parts must remain human-led because they affect client outcomes, decisions, or relationships.
The goal is to help me start faster and think better, not to automate the entire task.
Here are the tasks:
[paste your list]
Step 3: Match AI to the gap
This is where AI fits — but only in a supporting role.
Ask yourself:
Where could AI provide a starting structure so I can focus on refinement and decisions?
AI works best as a partner at the edges — helping you get a first draft on the page or polish work at the end.
The judgment, priorities, and final decisions stay with you.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Example 1: Marketing Content Creation
Work only you can do:
Brand voice, positioning, deciding what’s worth saying — and what’s not.Time drain:
Starting from a blank page, repurposing ideas across channels, rewriting drafts that miss the mark.AI role:
Generate first-pass outlines, turn one idea into multiple formats, clean up structure and flow — so you can focus on tone, emphasis, and final judgment.
AI helps you get momentum.
You decide what actually represents your business.
Example 2: Lead Generation Emails
Work only you can do:
Understanding your audience, knowing what objections matter, choosing the right moment to ask for action.Time drain:
Drafting outreach emails, follow-ups, and variations — especially when you know what you want to say but can’t quite get it on the page.AI role:
Draft initial versions, suggest subject line options, and clean up clarity — while you decide the message, timing, and offer.
AI handles the setup.
You handle trust and intent.
Example 3: Identifying Sales Trends
Work only you can do:
Interpreting patterns, deciding what’s meaningful, choosing where to focus next.Time drain:
Pulling numbers from different tools, scanning reports, spotting trends without context.AI role:
Summarize sales data, highlight patterns, flag changes worth attention — so you can apply judgment and decide what action to take.
AI surfaces the signal.
You decide what it means for the business.
A Simple Litmus Test for 2026
Before you use AI for anything next year, ask:
Does this get me closer to the work only I can do — or further from it?
If it pulls you into more tool management, more switching, more maintenance… it’s not helping.
If it gives you a cleaner path to your best thinking — you’re on the right track.
A Better Way to End the Year
2026 doesn’t need to be about using AI more.
It needs to be about using AI to protect what only you can do.
That’s when AI shifts from “one more thing to manage”
to “the reason I finally have space to think.”
Happy New Year. 🎉