A useful prompt names the task, provides context, defines the output, and explains what the AI should do when information is missing.
Use these as starting points
Replace the brackets with real context, use approved material, and check the answer before acting. You do not need to paste your entire inbox to get help with one message. A short, accurate description is often enough.
For every prompt, tell the AI which details it may use and which it must not invent. If a request involves a factual claim, ask for a source you can inspect. Requesting citations does not guarantee that the references are correct.
Pick a prompt that fits the next decision
Try one or two prompts that solve today’s work. Save the version you actually find helpful, including the audience, constraints, and review criteria. Reusing a small collection you understand is more useful than collecting hundreds of instructions you never test.
Prompts to put it into practice
Replace the brackets with your context. Use information you have permission to share.
1. Choose today’s priorities
Here are my commitments: [list]. I have [time] available. Recommend three priorities, explain the tradeoffs, and identify what to defer. Ask about unclear deadlines.
2. Start a difficult task
I am avoiding [task] because [reason]. Break it into a ten-minute first step and three manageable next steps. Keep the plan realistic for [constraints].
3. Turn notes into actions
Extract decisions, proposed actions, owners, and agreed deadlines from these notes. Mark anything missing as unconfirmed. Do not convert an idea into a commitment. Notes: [notes].
4. Write a clear email
Draft a short email to [audience] about [issue]. Include [facts], one next step, and a [tone] tone. Do not invent promises, dates, or previous conversations.
5. Make a message easier to read
Edit this message for clarity while preserving my meaning and voice. Flag ambiguous statements before changing them. Explain any substantial change: [message].
6. Prepare a meeting
Help me prepare for [meeting]. Using [context], create the desired decision, five questions, required inputs, and a time-boxed agenda. Identify missing information.
7. Understand a concept
Explain [concept] for someone familiar with [background]. Use one example and one counterexample. Describe where the explanation is simplified and what I should verify.
8. Compare options fairly
Compare [options] against these criteria: [criteria]. Separate known facts, assumptions, and unknowns. Show tradeoffs and the information most likely to change the recommendation.
9. Find weak reasoning
Evaluate this argument: [argument]. Identify unsupported claims, missing alternatives, and strong evidence. Do not assume it is wrong. Suggest the most useful next check.
10. Rehearse a conversation
Role-play [person] in a conversation about [topic]. Ask one question at a time. Afterward, give balanced feedback on clarity, listening, and unanswered concerns.
11. Summarize source material
Summarize this material for [audience] in five bullets. Distinguish the author’s claims from supporting evidence. Include limitations and do not add outside facts: [material].
12. Create a checklist
Turn this process into a checklist: [process]. Include prerequisites, completion criteria, and points requiring approval. Flag steps that are unclear instead of silently filling gaps.
13. Draft a research brief
Help me define a research question about [topic]. Suggest useful source types, search terms, inclusion criteria, and a table for recording evidence and uncertainty.
14. Improve a draft
Review this draft against [goal] for [audience]. Identify the three highest-impact improvements, explain why they matter, and revise without inventing evidence: [draft].
15. Finish the day
Using my plan and completion notes, list finished work, unresolved commitments, and tomorrow’s first step. Ask whether stale tasks still matter. Inputs: [plan and notes].
Try it on your work
Choose one prompt and use it twice with different inputs. Keep the wording that improves the result, and add one review check based on a mistake you noticed.
Check the result
- I replaced the bracketed placeholders.
- I supplied only the information needed for the task.
- I reviewed the output against the original source and my actual goal.
