I automated everything until automation became another task

I’ve always been a big fan of automation.

If I find myself doing the same task over and over, I immediately start thinking about how I can make it happen automatically.

So I started automating small things—emails, reminders, spreadsheets, notifications, task updates, and all the little steps between different tools.

For a while, it felt like I was getting more productive every week.

Then I had more and more workflows to manage.

One broke because an integration changed. Another sent too many notifications. A third stopped running without me realizing it.

Eventually, I was spending time checking my automations instead of doing the work they were supposed to save me from.

That made me rethink what “automation” actually means.

Now I ask myself:

• Does this task happen often enough to automate?

• How much time will it really save?

• What happens when it fails?

• Will I know if something goes wrong?

• Is the workflow simple enough to maintain?

I’ve realized the best automation isn’t the one that does the most.

It’s the one that quietly handles repetitive work without becoming another system I have to manage.

What’s an automation you built that actually saved you time?

And have you ever created one that ended up being more work than doing the task manually?