If you’ve read my previous article about how I got here, this is your practical next step.
Not theory. Not hype. Not “AI will replace us.”
Just a starting point.
There are two foundational things I recommend to anyone in accounting or finance who is ready to take the leap.
Before you start installing tools, pause.
If you don’t understand how AI learns, you’ll either:
The book that changed my perspective was:
Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World by Mo Gawdat
This book was an eye-opener for me.
It helped me:
It prepared me to work with AI intentionally – not blindly.
If you do nothing else, start there.
Install Visual Studio Code.
Yes. The “developer tool.”
Let me be honest.
It took me seven years of my wonderful husband Patrick (a software developer, of course) telling me to try it… before I finally opened it.
Why?
Because I thought:
And then I opened it.
And had an aha moment.
It’s basically Windows Explorer with superpowers.
You see folders. You see files. You can organize structure. You can open documents.
Yes – developers use tons of functionality I don’t (yet). But just using it as an advanced file organizer was the first efficiency unlock for me.
It changed how I think about:
And it’s free.
I won’t rewrite installation steps here – there are great walkthroughs already:
(These are easy, step-by-step, and very visual.)
If you’re in a corporate environment that requires IT approval before you can install new software, Getting the Right Tools Installed walks through how to approach that conversation with IT.
Next step: install Python.
If AI is the brain, Python is the language that lets you speak to it.
This is where many finance professionals stop.
Don’t.
You don’t need to become a software engineer. You need to become fluent enough to automate your own thinking.
Look for:
That’s it.
You don’t need anything fancy.
If your company already has Microsoft 365, check whether you have access to:
Microsoft Copilot
Or consider subscribing yourself if you’re serious about productivity gains.
This may be the least exciting step – but it pays off quickly.
Why?
Because now:
It’s not glamorous. It’s leverage.
And if you combine:
You now have a personal automation ecosystem.
The biggest barrier isn’t installation.
It’s intimidation.
Developers use these tools. So we assume we shouldn’t.
That belief cost me seven years.
Opening VS Code didn’t turn me into a developer. It turned me into a more efficient finance leader.
And if you’re reading this, you’re probably ready.
That’s it.
Don’t overthink it.
Just start.
For a more detailed, step-by-step version of this checklist – including a 30-day commitment plan, reflection prompts, and common myths debunked – check out the AI Getting Started Toolkit.
By Svetlana Toohey Published March 2026
| *Related: True or False: AI Will Replace My Job? | Getting the Right Tools Installed | Your AI Co-Pilot for Accounting* |