Spring cleaning and performance feedback sound like chores, but they are really the same kind of problem: too much to do, too much to remember, and not enough time to think clearly. This week I want to show you how AI can help you turn a messy job into a workable plan, whether you are cleaning a house or helping a teammate improve.

Try at least one before Sunday. That is the whole assignment.

Use Case 1 of 2

Use Case 1: spring cleaning using a checklist AI creates

Martha lives in Columbus and teaches part-time at a community college. On Saturday morning at 9:15, she looks around her house and feels that familiar pressure: the corners are dusty, the pantry is crowded, the hall closet is full of things she forgot she owned, and she has exactly one free weekend before guests come in two weeks. What makes this harder is not the cleaning itself. It is the deciding. Where do I start? What counts as “done”? What can wait? That is where AI helps. Instead of asking her to magically become organized, she can ask for a plan that breaks the work into rooms, time blocks, and priorities. Recent examples of people using AI for spring cleaning show that a good checklist often starts with decluttering, then moves through rooms in a sensible order, and even includes practical rules like the “One-Year Rule” and short timed sessions so the job does not become exhausting.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

```text I need a spring-cleaning checklist for my home. Make it realistic, not perfectionist.

My home has these areas: [list your rooms or spaces]. I have about [X] hours per day and [number] days total. I want the plan to start with the most visible and highest-impact areas first. Please include: - A room-by-room checklist - A suggested order of tasks - A short decluttering step before deep cleaning - A list of supplies I should gather first - Tasks that can be done in 20-minute blocks - A “keep, donate, throw away” decision rule for clutter - A final day for finishing touches and things people forget, like baseboards, vents, light switches, and filters

Keep the language simple. Do not make it too long. If a task is optional, label it clearly. ```

Why this prompt works: It gives the AI the details it actually needs: your space, your time, and your tolerance for ambition. That matters because the best spring-cleaning lists from AI are not random piles of chores; they are structured around sequence, room type, and manageable chunks of time. The prompt also tells the model to separate must-do tasks from optional ones, which keeps the list realistic instead of heroic.

Use Case 2 of 2

Use Case 2: giving feedback to a team member

David manages a small accounting team in a nonprofit office in St. Paul. It is Tuesday at 4:40 p.m., and he has to talk to Elena, who is smart, reliable, and technically strong, but her client updates have become too vague. Nobody wants a dramatic “performance conversation.” He wants to say something useful without sounding harsh, fuzzy, or fake. This is exactly where AI can help: not by writing the truth for him, but by helping him say the truth cleanly. Good feedback works best when it is specific, behavior-based, and tied to impact. AI can help organize those pieces so the conversation stays calm and useful.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

```text Help me prepare feedback for a team member in a respectful, direct way.

Situation: - The person is dependable and does good technical work. - The issue is that their client updates are too vague. - Examples: they say “I handled it,” but do not explain what was done, what is still waiting, or whether anything needs attention. - This has caused confusion for others on the team.

Please give me: - A clear opening sentence - 3 specific examples of the behavior I should mention - The impact of the behavior on the team - A calm, fair tone that does not sound harsh or overly polished - 3 questions I can ask to understand their perspective - A short version I can say in a live conversation - A follow-up version I can send in an email if needed

Keep it practical and human. Do not invent facts. Do not use corporate jargon. Do not make it sound like a performance review template. ```

Why this prompt works: It tells AI to stay inside the facts and avoid empty management language. That matters because weak feedback usually fails in one of two ways: it is too vague to be useful, or it is so polished that nobody sounds like a real person anymore. By asking for examples, impact, questions, and two delivery formats, you get something you can actually use in conversation. The prompt also asks the model not to invent facts, which is important because AI will otherwise happily fill in gaps with plausible-sounding nonsense.

Know someone who spends too long on things AI could do in two minutes? Forward this to three people who subscribe and I will send you my free AI Prompt Starter Pack: 20 ready-to-use prompts for everyday life.

By Dr. Rowan Hayes