One True Prompt #101: Productivity & Efficiency
One True Prompt
10 practical AI prompts every day. Copy, paste, and learn.
Today's theme: Productivity & Efficiency
Here are 10 prompts you can use today. Each one is ready to copy and paste into ChatGPT or Claude. Try at least one.
Prompt: Task Prioritization Coach
Copy and paste this:
"Here is a list of tasks I need to accomplish today: [paste your task list]. Please ask me questions that will help me prioritize them by importance and urgency. After I answer, give me a ranked list with the top 3 tasks I should tackle first."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Meeting Notes Summarizer
Copy and paste this:
"I'm attaching a transcript from a meeting I just attended. Please create a summary with three sections: (1) Key decisions made, (2) Action items with owners and deadlines, (3) Questions I should follow up on. Keep it to one page maximum."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Email Batch Writer
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"I need to write 4 professional emails today. Here are the topics: [list them]. For each one, write a short, friendly, professional email (under 150 words) that: (1) gets straight to the point, (2) includes one specific question or request, (3) ends with a clear next step. Label each email with the recipient's name."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: The 5 Whys Problem Solver
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"I keep running into this problem: [describe the problem]. Please apply the 5 Whys technique to help me find the root cause. Ask me 'Why?' five times in sequence, getting deeper each time. After each answer, ask the next 'Why?' Then tell me what the real problem is and suggest two ways to fix it."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Weekly Review Template
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"Help me run my weekly review. Please ask me these questions one at a time, and after I answer all of them, create a summary: (1) What were my three biggest wins this week? (2) What didn't go as planned? (3) What will I do differently next week? (4) What should I celebrate? (5) What's my top priority for next week? After I answer, give me a one-paragraph summary I can save."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Delegation Decision Maker
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"I have this task: [describe it]. I'm thinking about delegating it. Please help me decide by answering these: (1) How much time will this save me per week/month? (2) Who on my team has the skills to do this? (3) How much time will it take to teach them? (4) What could go wrong? (5) Is it worth delegating? Then give me a yes/no recommendation with reasoning."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Calendar Optimizer
Copy and paste this:
"Here's my calendar for next week: [paste a list of your meetings and commitments]. I also need to dedicate time to: [list your deep work priorities]. Please suggest: (1) The best time slots for focused work, (2) Which meetings could be shortened or combined, (3) When I should schedule breaks, (4) One thing I should remove entirely. Assume I work 8 AM to 5 PM."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Procrastination Buster
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"I'm procrastinating on this task: [describe it]. Tell me: (1) What's the smallest possible first step I could take RIGHT NOW (less than 5 minutes)? (2) What's making me avoid this? (3) After I do the small step, what's the next one? (4) How long should the whole task take? Then give me a 3-step micro-plan I can start in the next 30 minutes."
Pro tip: --- ##
Prompt: Decision Framework Builder
Copy and paste this:
"I need to make a decision between these options: [list them]. Please create a simple decision matrix with these criteria: [list what matters to you - cost, time, quality, risk, etc.]. Score each option on a scale of 1-10 for each criterion. Then tell me which option wins and by how much. Also tell me if this is reversible (can I change my mind later?)."
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Prompt: End-of-Day Brain Dump
Copy and paste this:
"I'm ending my workday and my brain is full. Here's everything I'm thinking about: [dump all your thoughts, worries, half-finished ideas, reminders]. Please organize this into: (1) Tasks for tomorrow, (2) Tasks for next week, (3) Things I should delegate, (4) Things I can ignore, (5) One thing I did well today. Then give me a short pep talk about tomorrow."
Pro tip: --- **Remember:** These prompts work best when you actually use them. Pick one tomorrow and try it. You'll be amazed at how much time you get back.
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