7 ways to reinvest the time AI saves you at work

As recently as a year ago, AI tools were seen as a “nice to have.” Now, AI is emerging as a strategic partner. According to new research from Atlassian, the number of knowledge workers using AI tools on a regular basis doubled from 2024 to 2025, with those who use them saving a little over an hour each day. 

This begs the question: what to do with all that newly freed-up time? Some of the most popular options from our survey include:

• Skill-building and training
• Brainstorming, prototyping, or spinning up a side project
• Clearing out bottlenecks and improving processes that slow the team down

All of which are perfectly solid ways to invest the time you’re saving. That said, there are also options that tap into specific skill sets and may prove more exciting. 

Although AI is dramatically changing the landscape, creativity, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills are still in high demand by employers, as are traits like empathy and adaptability. With that in mind, here are seven ways to invest the time you’re saving that will help position you as both a leader and super-star collaborator. 

1.  Amp up your team’s AI enablement 

AI systems are only as helpful as the data available to them. So let’s start with a few ways to improve the quantity and quality of information your system works with: 

• Look through your team’s documents and Confluence pages to see what could be unlocked so AI is free to access and reason on it.
• Experiment with ways to further digitize knowledge so you’re adding context to the company’s overall knowledge base. For example, turn on AI note-taking in your team’s meetings and encourage people to default to public channels rather than direct messages. 
• Document your team’s goals, then make sure project plans and tasks link out to the corresponding goal(s). This adds helpful context for AI. 

In concert, explicitly define the role AI will play in each of your projects. Will it analyze data? Build the project roadmap? Draft an announcement? Thinking about AI’s role proactively helps you use it strategically, especially when you’re using it in new ways. More details are in the Atlassian Team Playbook. 

2. Kick off an initiative to improve something (anything!)

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Seize the opportunity to be the change you seek, whether that means converting an under-used conference room into bike storage to encourage carbon-free commuting or finding new formats for your team’s retrospectives that will keep things fresh and tease out new insights. Even better, take a cue from Atlassian’s ShipIt Days and form a “tiger team” to revamp a cross-team workflow or implement a long-standing enhancement request that will surprise and delight your customers.

3. Invest in personal enrichment

While I don’t suggest you use all your reclaimed time this way, picking up a new hobby can translate into professional development. Take my friend and fellow storyteller Ashley Faus. Along with being Head of Lifecycle Marketing at Atlassian, she’s an avid baker who turns lessons learned in the kitchen into tangible, bite-sized bits of wisdom for other marketers. By sharing them on LinkedIn along with drool-inducing photos of her cakes, Ashley has grown into a leading voice in marketing and a familiar face on the conference circuit. Or, my pal who works with technical teams in Ukraine and Georgia. Time spent on Duolingo is more than just fun and games for him. If nothing else, a new personal pursuit might simply recharge your batteries so you can take on the next challenge, as I found for myself when I took up skating. 

4. Be a multiplier

If you’re mid- or late-career, spend more time mentoring. Coaching someone within your craft is a great way to pass down the tricks and techniques you’ve refined over the years, saving them time and frustration. You can also be a resource for junior colleagues outside your discipline when it comes to navigating career advancement and “how things work around here.” 

Even if you’re fresh out of school, you probably have knowledge to share. Consider becoming a reverse mentor to more senior teammates who may not be up to speed on the AI time-savers you use every day. You could also strengthen cross-team relationships with a workshop that gives others a deeper understanding of your team’s work and a chance to brainstorm ways to work together more effectively.

5. Develop a talk to deliver at industry conferences

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Speaking at conferences is a terrific way to network, talk shop, enhance your company’s reputation, and travel to new places. And while it’s not required, it’s customary for your employer to cover your travel costs, which might enable you to stay an extra day or two at your expense and explore. Bonus!

6. Learn to think like a gamer

Logic puzzles like Sudoku or Pips, strategy games, and chess make you think on your feet in much the same way you do at work: read a situation, identify the possible paths forward, assess them, and choose the best option. 

Multi-player games like the Catan series or chess also help develop adaptability because you’re responding to other players’ actions. Even simple games like Qwirkle (for ages 6 and up!) build analytical skills. Form a lunchtime gaming group, or take 15-20 minutes for solo games and puzzles as a mid-afternoon break.  

7. Volunteer in your community

A growing number of employers offer paid time off for volunteering as part of their benefits package – typically around 20 hours per year, but sometimes as much as 40. Don’t sleep on this! Look for a recurring volunteer opportunity where you’ll be working with people you probably wouldn’t meet otherwise. Over time, you’ll have a chance to hear new perspectives and learn about others’ life experiences, both of which help with creative thinking and problem solving. Besides: it feels good to contribute in this way. 

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