Name the repeat task
“Automate my work” is too broad to start with. “Take a weekly export, remove duplicate rows, and create a summary for review” describes an input, a transformation, and an output. The smaller description gives you something to check.
Write down how often the task happens, who owns the input, what a correct result looks like, and who uses it. Include the steps that require judgment. An automation can prepare information for that decision without making the decision itself.
Capture a normal example
Work through one representative example manually and keep a sanitized copy of the input and expected output. Note the awkward cases: missing fields, unexpected dates, duplicate records, and changes in column names. These examples become the checks that distinguish a useful automation from a script that merely runs.
Time the existing task more than once if possible. Then compare the time spent building and maintaining the automation with the work it might save. A task that happens rarely or changes constantly may be better served by a clear checklist.
Describe failure and recovery
Decide what happens if an input is incomplete or a service is unavailable. Prefer an understandable stop and a visible error over silently producing a partial result that looks finished. Record which steps can be repeated safely and which might send a message, create a duplicate, or change an existing record.
For an action that writes to another system, define the allowed destination and the scope of the change. Use disposable examples while developing it. Keep the real action under the same human authority that would apply if the task were performed manually.
A recovery note should tell the next person what completed, what did not, and which action is safe to try next.
Choose a small first step
Start with the least complicated part that produces a useful result. A read-only summary or a file transformation may be enough to validate the idea. Add scheduling and write actions only when the output checks, failure handling, and ownership are clear.
The downloadable checklist includes a place for the task, trigger, input, expected result, review step, failure behavior, and owner. It does not run an automation or connect to your accounts.
Download the automation planning checklist. Use the project estimator if you need to make the setup and maintenance effort visible.