Though the concept of AI has been around for decades, the first instance we saw of it in action was ChatGPT in late 2022. Being the tech-obsessed person I’ve always been, I didn’t take long to try it out. Though it was impressive, I wasn’t sold on it. Even after months passed, I still couldn’t see the hype around it or AI in general.
The only tool that managed to convince me the hype around AI is very real, and that it can be a true game-changer for productivity is NotebookLM. If you aren’t familiar with it, NotebookLM is Google’s AI-powered personalized research assistant. I’ve been using the tool since Google was testing it in its experimental playground, Labs, back when barely anyone knew about it. As much as I’ve stuck by it since then, there are a few NotebookLM workflows I wish I’d discovered sooner.
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Using it as a personal assistant
Streamlining repetitive everyday tasks
A NotebookLM workflow I’ve rarely heard users talk about is using it as a personal assistant. Sure, NotebookLM’s advertised as a personalized research assistant, but it’s surprisingly good at handling other monotonous tasks you do every day that technically wouldn’t fall under what people often define as traditional “research.”
For instance, how many times have you dug through a 20-page report manually trying to find that single sentence you had in mind? Say you don’t remember the exact wording, CTRL/CMD + F won’t help much unless you nail the phrasing. Similarly, how much time have you spent switching tab after tab trying to compare two slightly different versions of the same doc, or digging through slides to match figures with the write-up? These are just a few examples of the kind of tasks NotebookLM quietly excels at. I know they don’t sound particularly groundbreaking on paper, but when you’re doing them multiple times a day, the time really adds up.
What makes NotebookLM an excellent tool to outsource monotonous tasks to is its source-grounded nature. This means NotebookLM only references information you’ve fed it, whether that’s in the form of a source you’ve added to your notebook or something you mentioned in the notebook’s conversation history. This significantly cuts down the number of hallucinations and saves you the hassle of sending angry prompts begging it to stop making up its own information.
If it can’t find the information you’re requesting within your sources, it won’t bother making it up. It’ll straight up tell you it doesn’t have that data. It won’t bother searching the internet or using its own “intelligence.” And honestly, in a world full of overconfident AI chatbots that’ll convince you they’re right (when they clearly aren’t), that alone makes it more reliable than half the AI tools out there.
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Using it to stay on top of my budget
Actually understanding my finances for once
These simple yet powerful NotebookLM tricks have transformed my workflow.
I know using a tool that’s meant to be a research assistant probably sounds wild, but hear me out. NotebookLM’s combination of being AI-powered yet grounded within the sources you add to your notebooks makes it surprisingly useful for managing your finances. I recently wrote a more in-depth article about using NotebookLM to manage my finances, but the basic gist of it is you can treat it like a second brain for all your money-related stuff.
For instance, what I’ve been doing lately is dropping in my bank statements (after blurring out personal details like my address, account number, etc.) and asking NotebookLM to analyze them and spot patterns. I can even ask it targeted questions about my documents like “What’s the biggest expense I made this month?” and it’ll find the relevant information from my document within seconds.
NotebookLM has a Mind Maps feature that’s been particularly useful when it comes to finances. For example, using the same bank statement, NotebookLM organized the entire thing into an interactive branching diagram with four nodes: Account Holder Information, Statement Details, Balance Summary, and Transactions (June 2025).
I’ve also added my annual statement, credit card and debit card statements, the personal Excel and Notion sheets I use to manage my finances, tax returns, and more to help get a clear overview of my financial situation.
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Enjoy efficient knowledge management
Using NotebookLM to learn passively
Studying without actually studying
I’m the type of person who always wants to be learning something new. But between being a full-time student and working more or less full-time, finding the time to learn stuff beyond what I already need to study for school isn’t always easy. Even during my two-hour commute, I don’t always have the energy to read through the articles and research papers I planned to go over, especially at 7 AM. I usually end up spending that free time listening to music or a podcast.
Recently, it hit me: I spend almost two hours listening to random true-crime podcasts. Why not use that time to listen to a podcast that covers some of the content I actually want to learn? Even better, what if it’s a podcast generated straight from the sources I planned to read in the first place?
That’s exactly what I’ve started using NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews feature for. I’ve been a huge fan of it since it launched, but I’d mainly relied on it for midterm and finals revision, never for actively learning something new. NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews are engaging podcasts hosted by two virtual AI hosts. They’re fun to listen to, the hosts don’t sound AI-fied, and there’s always some witty humor and banter in the mix.
It’s the perfect way to start my day, and it doesn’t leave me with the guilt of wasting two hours on something that didn’t add value. Even outside of my commute, I now listen to Audio Overviews while I’m on my daily walk, doing dishes, working, grocery shopping, and more. It’s honestly one of the most effortless ways I’ve found to keep learning, even when I’m low on time or motivation.
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At this point, I might just owe NotebookLM my degree.
NotebookLM’s the one AI tool that actually fits into my life
When I first started using NotebookLM, I thought it’d be a tool that would merely help me cram for exams better. Over time, I’ve realized NotebookLM is more than just a research assistant. It’s become one of those rare tools that quietly blends into your routine until one day you realize you’ve been relying on it for almost everything.