ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Automation can help ease the strain of a busy day.
- There are specific tools and features available for automation.
- Some tools do have a steep learning curve.
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Every day, you perform repetitive tasks that can often take more of your precious time than you want. This has become especially important as our days get filled with more and more, until it seems there’s not enough time in the day to complete everything before it’s time to log off.
How can you ease that burden?
Automation.
Before I continue, this isn’t about automating everything you do such that you’ll be able to sit back and watch every task completed by ghosts in the machine. This is about improving the daily grind, so it’s not as grind-y.
To that end, let’s talk about automation.
1. Macros
Macros have been around for a long time and are sets of instructions that automate a series of actions, typically within a software application. Some applications, such as LibreOffice or MS Office, include built-in macro features, but there are some third-party applications, such as Macro Recorder–>, PyMacro<!–>, and Keyboard Maestro–> that can automate tasks for all types of software.
There are also tools like Google Apps Script that make it possible to automate within the Google Workspace ecosystem. The one thing to keep in mind is that some macro tools (and even the macro features built into software) have a somewhat steep learning curve. In the end, however, it will be worth your time to learn the ins and outs of macros.
2. AI
AI does have its place and can be useful for certain tasks. Remember me talking about macros above? I’ve used AI to write macros for LibreOffice to create resume templates and other handy items. AI is good at helping with boring, repetitive tasks. You could use AI to generate a cover letter based on specific input, help with automating your smart home, analyze patterns of smart devices, help security cameras detect certain people, remind you of maintenance tasks (like replacing furnace filters), automatically move data from a form to a spreadsheet, and so much more.
Also: How I made Perplexity AI the default search engine in my browser
The thing about AI is that, once you get proficient in its usage, there’s no end to what it can help you automate. Yes, you’ll have to spend a good deal of time making this work for you, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find all sorts of handy automations that can help.
3. Password manager browser extension
This one is easy. More than likely, your password manager (such as Bitwarden) offers a web browser extension. Those extensions greatly simplify the login process by auto-filling login credentials for you. For example, using Bitwarden, I can go to a site that requires that I log in, unlock the browser extension, click to autofill, and log in. No more having to open the password manager, copy the password, type my username, paste the password, and then log in. This is one of the simplest automations you can do for yourself.
4. Dedicated automation tools
There are some tools that can automate quite a bit for you. Two such applications are Power Automate<!–> and Robotask–>. Power Automate is capable of automating applications (web and desktop) on your Windows machine by mimicking actions like clicks and keyboard input.
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Robotask allows you to create simple macros and complex automation workflows that include conditional logic, loops, custom variables, and other advanced options to help automate tasks. Both of these tools can be used for free (with limitations), but to get the most out of them, you’ll want to purchase a full license (Power Automate Premium is $15/month/user, and Robotask is a one-time $150 license fee). Both tools are solid options to help automate some of your tasks.
Also: How I feed my files to a local AI for better, more relevant responses
5. Bash scripts and cron
If you’re a Linux user, bash scripts and cron are the best options for automation. With this combination, you can automate a number of tasks, such as backups and updates. The one downfall of the scripts/cron combo is that it won’t help you automate GUI tasks. There is also the xdotool–>, which allows you to simulate keyboard input and mouse activity, move and resize windows, and more. The one drawback of xdotool is that it is a command-line app and has a learning curve (although not nearly as steep as macros).
