First thought
Skip the catalogue. Write a few lines about a normal week and ask for one small try where a mistake is cheap: a draft you will edit, a list you will check, an explanation of something you can compare with the original. If this is for work, find out what you are allowed to paste before you use a real customer or staff example.
First prompt
Highlighted [brackets] are the parts you replace. Only paste information you’re allowed to share with the tool you’re using.
The promptI don't know what to use a chat tool for. Help me find one small thing to try this week.
I don't know what to use a chat tool for. Help me find one small thing to try this week.
About my week: [a few lines on work or home. No names, no account numbers, no medical details.]
Where this is for: [home, work, or both]
What I'm allowed to paste if this is work: [or "this is just for me at home"]
Rules for your answer:
- Suggest three tasks, ranked by how little can go wrong if the draft is bad.
- Do not suggest a business, a side income, or new software to buy.
- Do not estimate time or money saved.
- For the top task, write the prompt I should paste next, with [BRACKETS] for anything only I know.
- Say what I should check before I trust the answer.
If my note is too vague, ask me up to three questions and then stop.What good looks like
- The suggestion is a draft or a list, not a new project.
- The prompt it writes still has blanks for you.
- Work and home are not given the same "paste anything" advice.
Next step
Other small things that help
- What should I ask AI about my job?
- A week plan from a messy to-do list
- A decision helper that does not decide for you
Sources
- OpenAI, Prompt engineering guide Vendor documentation
- Anthropic, Prompt engineering overview Vendor documentation
- ICO, Guidance on AI and data protection Regulator guidance