How to Actually Start Using LLMs in Your Workflow (Even If You're Not Technical)
There’s a quiet shift happening in how we work.
There’s a quiet shift happening in how we work.
It’s not flashy. It’s not a headline.
But it’s massive if you know where to look.
It’s the shift from doing everything manually… to co-creating with AI.
You don’t need to know how AI works under the hood.
You just need to know where you’re already wasting time — and how a simple tool can change that.
🔍 What Problem Are We Actually Solving Here?
Most of the work we do every day isn't high-leverage thinking.
It’s formatting. Summarizing. Rewording. Redrafting.
Tasks that are important but tedious.
Before AI, we simply accepted the cost: hours spent polishing an email, structuring a document, brainstorming ideas from scratch.
Now?
You can skip the slog.
LLMs give you a rough draft, a first attempt, a creative push — so you can spend more time editing, refining, and deciding.
The problem isn’t that AI will replace your job.
The problem is holding onto old workflows that waste your time.
❓ Where LLMs Fit (The Opportunity Test)
Here’s a simple way to know if an LLM could help you today:
The LLM Opportunity Test
Am I working with text, ideas, or research?
Am I repeating myself or reformatting a lot?
Is this task tedious but important?
Do I need a good-enough first draft, not a perfect final product?
If you answered yes to even two of these, congratulations.
You’re a prime candidate to use LLMs as a co-pilot.
🚶♀️ A Hypothetical Example Walkthrough
Let’s make this real:
Before:
A solo founder, spent 2–3 hours brainstorming positioning statements for her startup. Endless tweaking. Second-guessing every word.
After:
She used ChatGPT to generate 15 positioning ideas based on a short company description.
She picked the best 2, refined them herself, and finalized the messaging in under 45 minutes.
Result:
Time saved: 75%
Energy redirected: More customer interviews, faster launch.
Confidence: Higher, because she wasn’t stuck in her own head.
Sarah didn’t outsource her thinking.
She supercharged it.
🙌 Benefits and what to watch out for
Where LLMs shine:
Drafting first versions of emails, reports, or blogs
Brainstorming alternative ways to frame an idea
Summarizing research into bullet points
Where do you still need to step in:
Checking facts (LLMs can sound confident even when wrong)
Fine-tuning for emotional nuance or high-stakes communication
Adding your real-world judgment
The real danger isn’t AI doing your work.
It’s assuming AI’s first answer is always the best one.
🔥 What It Means for Your Workflow
Working with AI isn’t about doing less thinking.
It’s about moving your thinking upstream.
Instead of burning energy writing and rewriting, you spend it:
Asking sharper questions
Choosing better ideas
Making faster, more informed decisions
In a world that moves faster every day, that becomes your unfair advantage.
💪 Try It Yourself: Micro Challenges
Here’s your invitation to explore:
Challenge 1:
Take your last 10-line email.
Prompt an LLM: "Rewrite this to sound more confident and action-driven."
Compare the results.
Challenge 2:
Take a messy meeting recording or notes.
Prompt an LLM: "Summarize this in 5 key bullet points with action items."
Challenge 3:
Planning something?
Prompt: "Brainstorm 10 ways to [achieve your goal] with limited resources."
No signups. No setup.
Just open a free ChatGPT or Claude tab — and play.
💭 Final Thought
You have to start treating LLMs like a new kind of teammate — one that’s fast, tireless, and endlessly flexible.
The question is no longer "Will AI change how we work?"
It’s "Are you ready to change how you work — before you have to?"
Next up on LLMentary:
We look at how models like ChatGPT actually try to “understand” you - a peek behind the curtain, all explained in plain English, just for you.
As you tag along in this journey, I’ll show you how to leverage AI with the power of Prompt Engineering — no coding needed in future posts as well!
Stay curious.
Share this with anyone you think will benefit from what you’re reading here. The mission of LLMentary is to help individuals reach their full potential — so help us achieve that mission! :)
I’m trying different styles of writing & understanding — quick & easy; dense & informative; technical & applicative — feel free to leave a comment on how best you prefer your information, and I’ll incorporate your feedback into my writing style as well!