Want to get more done in less time? As multi-tasking humans juggling it all, the idea of getting more time back in the day is exciting. With improvements to everything from reasoning to personality, ChatGPT-5 makes it easier to work smarter, not harder.
Here are my favorite productivity prompts that turn ChatGPT-5 into the perfect assistant for taming your to-do list, to cleaning up your files. This is how I put ChatGPT to work for my busiest days.
1. Get just the facts
Prompt: “Summarize this for me like I’m on a deadline.”
This is a prompt I use all the time because I simply do not have time to read or listen to everything. Whether it's a transcript or an email, simply paste the text you want summarized or upload a transcript, and ChatGPT will do the rest. You can even ask it for the main aspects detailed for you with helpful bullet points.
2. Prioritize tasks
Prompt: “Convert the following notes into a prioritized to-do list using labels like 'Urgent', 'Important', or 'Low Priority.'”
I often go to ChatGPT and dump all my to-dos, tasks, and thoughts into the chat box. From there, it turns my messy thoughts into clear, actionable steps to help prioritize my tasks. This is also a great support when I need help time-blocking to avoid over-extending my calendar.
4. Fast communication
Prompt: "Draft this email in 60 seconds or less.”
I have an embarrassing number of emails in my personal inbox. With so many emails coming in, I just don't have time to respond to them all. That's why I use ChatGPT to help me draft short, clear responses that I can tweak and personalize before hitting send. It's a huge time saver while remaining personal and thoughtful.
5. Finding the most important item
Prompt: "Find the hidden action items in this meeting transcript.”
If you've ever zoned out in a meeting or tried to multitask during a presentation, you know that afterwards you end up realizing you missed something. With ChatGPT and this prompt, you can still keep your cool and instantly extract what matters from the long conversation.
6. Quick reset
Prompt: “I’ve been doomscrolling and need to refocus. Give me a 2-minute breathing prompt and 1 easy task to get back on track.”
Going down a rabbit hole is easy to do when you're scrolling online, procrastinating or juggling so much you're overwhelmed and don't know where to start. This prompt is great for context switching to build up momentum again.
7. Checklist creation
Prompt: “Write a checklist for this process.”
Rather than jumping into a big project, let ChatGPT know what you're working on and ask it to divide up the workflow into simpler tasks. This prompt is great to standardize workflow while also reducing decision fatigue, ultimately splitting the project into bite-sized tasks.
8. Time management guidance
Prompt: "Give me a 25-minute Pomodoro task and a break reward.”
This time management prompt combines productivity with dopamine to ensure that the task actually gets done. It's great for focusing on one work task at a time, especially those that can be done in under an hour. I do this a lot in my personal life when I'm trying to manage all the household chores.
9. Breaking through the clutter
Prompt: “List the top 5 things I can delete, unsubscribe from, or automate today to reduce digital clutter.”
When you need to clear distractions and free up some mental space, this prompt is a game-changer. I use it almost weekly to keep my inbox a little cleaner while also prioritizing what I really need among my desktop files.
Final thoughts
These nine prompts are ones I use all the time to tap into ChatGPT-5. From cleaning up my inbox with personalized emails to customizing my to-do list, I use ChatGPT-5 daily as my life assistant.
Use these prompts as they are or tweak them to make them fit your needs. Either way, you're sure to enjoy exploring ChatGPT-5’s power, speed, and creative range.
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