Stop Doing the Same Thing Twice: How I Automated My Workday

Install free browser extensions to handle repetitive online actions like form filling or data scraping.

1. 1
   Pick a repetitive web task — Identify something you do daily online, like copying prices from a competitor's site or logging into multiple accounts.
2. 2
   Choose an extension like iMacros or Tampermonkey — For Chrome or Firefox, install iMacros for free—it records and replays browser actions without coding.
3. 3
   Record your actions once — Click the record button in iMacros, perform the task manually (e.g., navigate to a site, click elements), then stop recording.
4. 4
   Set triggers or schedules — Save the macro and set it to run on page load or at specific times using the extension's scheduler.
5. 5
   Monitor and adjust for site changes — Websites update layouts; if the macro fails, re-record the changed step—takes 2 minutes versus daily manual work.

Use Python with libraries like pandas to automate spreadsheet work, data cleaning, or file conversions.

1. 1
   Install Python and a code editor — Download Python from python.org and a free editor like VS Code. No prior coding experience needed for basics.
2. 2
   Learn one specific script online — Search 'Python rename files in folder' or 'Python merge CSV files'—copy a tutorial script exactly to start.
3. 3
   Modify the script for your files — Change file paths and names in the script to match your documents. Run it in the terminal to test.
4. 4
   Schedule it with cron or Task Scheduler — On Mac/Linux, use cron to run the script weekly. On Windows, use Task Scheduler to execute the Python file automatically.

Configure your email client to sort, label, and archive messages without manual intervention.

1. 1
   Open settings in Gmail or Outlook — In Gmail, click the gear icon > See all settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses. In Outlook, go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
2. 2
   Create a filter for a common sender or subject — For example, filter emails from 'newsletter@example.com' to skip the inbox and go directly to a 'Read Later' folder.
3. 3
   Apply the rule to existing emails — Check the box to apply the filter to matching conversations already in your inbox—cleans up past clutter too.

Connect different apps (e.g., Google Sheets to Slack) to automate workflows without writing code.

1. 1
   Sign up for a free Zapier account — Zapier offers a free tier for basic automations—no credit card needed to start.
2. 2
   Choose a trigger and action — Pick a trigger like 'New email in Gmail' and an action like 'Add row to Google Sheets' to log emails automatically.
3. 3
   Test the zap with sample data — Zapier will run a test to ensure it works; review the result and adjust if needed.
4. 4
   Turn it on and monitor for a week — Activate the zap and check the first few runs to catch errors, like missing data fields.
5. 5
   Expand to more complex workflows — Once comfortable, create zaps with multiple steps, like saving email attachments to Dropbox and notifying you on Slack.
6. 6
   Review and optimize monthly — Check Zapier's history tab monthly to see which automations are saving the most time, and tweak or add new ones.