Club Benefits
There’s never been a better time to start bundling AI tools. A lot of people are finally getting comfortable with AI — and now they’re looking to expand how they use it for both work and everyday life. But most are still doing everything in one place: thinking, organizing and executing inside a single chatbot.
And while that works, it’s not the most efficient way to use AI. There is so much more to explore and gain from doing things a bit differently. Because the people getting the most out of AI right now are the ones moving faster, producing more and actually finishing what they start. If you're wondering how, it's as simple as splitting up the job.
As the AI Editor at Tom’s Guide, I test AI tools every day. And the biggest upgrade I’ve made isn’t switching models — it’s using multiple tools at a time with two clear roles. Here's a look at how I use Google's NotebookLM and ChatGPT together.
Article continues belowStep 1: Use NotebookLM as your idea engine
NotebookLM is one of those AI tools that you simply have to try for yourself. I often hear from friends and even collegaues who are blown away by the tool after one try. As one of the most underrated AI tools using it along with a popular tool like ChatGPT has made a bigger difference than any prompt tweak or feature update.
In this first step, I use NotebookLM as my idea engine. When I start a project, I don't organize my thoughts immediately. In fact, doing so might limit them entirely. Instead, I use NotebookLM to capture everything first. To show what it can do for a small business, professional or personal project, I'll use my pretend ready-to-eat cold pizza company, Crusted.
In NotebookLM, I drop ideas, angles, notes, research, half-formed concepts and anything else worth exploring. There is absolutely no structure to this and it feels like I'm cooking up a mystery casserole. This is where you'd drop in things like your brand book/ideas, editorial calendar, social media links, mood boards, etc.
What I like about using NotebookLM in this way is that it is so good at context. It builds on everything you add, so your ideas don’t reset every time you start a new chat. It's a great tool for this type of thing because it compounds your thinking and turns it all into a presentation, audio overview, infographic, mind map or full data table.
Step 2: Use ChatGPT as your execution engine
Now that my ideas are together and my brand feels more polished than ever, I upload everything into ChatGPT to utilize the chatbot's speed. This is also a great time to use ChatGPT Projects to keep everything organized. Here is where I utilize ChatGPT's speed.
Instead of continuing to think (the ideas are all in place by now), I switch to execution mode and use one simple prompt:
Turn this presentation into a clear, prioritized to-do list. Break it into: (1) must do today, (2) this week, (3) later. Add specific next steps for each.
Within seconds, I get a structured plan, clear priorities and next steps I can act on immediately. For soloprenuers, this method is a gamechanger because there's no second guessing or wasted time deciding what to do next. Your idea begins to have legs and momentum.
Step 3: The workflow top users rely on
NotebookLM won't tell you if your idea is good or bad, but that's not what it's for — it's there to put everything together into a package to present your idea to ChatGPT. Using this system, I capture raw thoughts in NotebookLM (no filtering, no overthinking). Whether you are gathering notes for your next novel or you're gearing up to present to Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, this is your opportunity to just dump and go.
Once you see those ideas in a presentation, hear them in a podcast or see them strung together in a mind map, you can decide if they are ready for ChatGPT. If the answer is yes, then let ChatGPT structure, prioritize and turn them into clear next steps so you can start executing immediately.
That’s it. This method helps eliminate the biggest bottleneck in most workflows: hesitation. Instead of sitting in that loop of “Is this a good idea?” or “Where do I even start?”, you offload the messy thinking first — then use AI to turn it into something actionable.
Why this works (and most people miss it)
Most people are searching for a better tool or prompt, but the top users build better systems. From there, the difference comes down to specialization. What I mean is NotebookLM is my solution for thinking, collecting and expanding. While ChatGPT is for structuring, prioritizing and executing.
When each tool has a clear job, you stop switching modes and start finishing tasks. While my pretend pizza company is a great way to show what these tools can do together for small businesses, I also use this system for my personal life. I’ll dump everything into NotebookLM — soccer games, dentist appointments, playdates, birthday parties — and let it organize the chaos into something coherent. Then I move it into ChatGPT, which turns it into a prioritized plan and helps me plug it directly into my calendar.
This system allows me to move from idea to action faster, reduce time spent planning and complete more in a single session. And when your work depends on consistent output — whether that’s writing, building or managing projects — that speed compounds quickly.
Bottom line
The top 1% of AI users aren’t using better tools or even paying for more expensive ones— they’re using the same tools you use, differently. Using NotebookLM for ideas and ChatGPT for execution is one of the simplest ways to increase your output without adding complexity. If you’re still relying on one AI for everything, this is the upgrade that actually makes a difference. Give it a try and let me know in the comments what you think.
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