I replaced my to-do list with ChatGPT Tasks — and it was the productivity boost I needed

AI image of man at desk — (Image credit: Future/AI)

On the productivity front, ChatGPT has been a game changer for me.

It’s helped me start my mornings with purpose, stay focused through the afternoon and actually wind down at night instead of mentally juggling unfinished tasks. Most of that comes down to the structured plans it creates—simple, but surprisingly effective.

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Here’s how Tasks helped me stay on top of AI news, unlock new creative ideas and even have a little fun with the process along the way.

Getting reminders

A timer in a hand — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The theme I adopted when setting my first lineup of Tasks is “Set It and Forget It.” My main ask of Tasks was to use prompts that gave it a daily directive to follow, without me having to do anything else on my end.

These are the five prompts I set up to activate Tasks for a weekday schedule:

Every weekday at 9 am, give me a 5-minute briefing with top AI news, trending AI tools and one actionable tip I can use at work today.
Every weekday at 9:30 am, send me a focused 2-hour deep work plan based on typical writing/editorial tasks, including a priority list and zero-distraction rules.
Every weekday at noon, send me one weird but brilliant prompt I can test with ChatGPT that could turn into an article.
Every weekday at 2 pm, show me one advanced ChatGPT or AI trick most people don’t know, with an example prompt.
Every weeknight at 10 pm, guide me through a quick mental reset: one reflection, one small win to note and one thing to improve tomorrow.

These automated Tasks not only kept me up to speed on everything required of me each day, but they also ignited a creative spark in me that led to new story concepts and clever approaches to using AI tools.

Starting my day off with a quick overview of the AI world, then spending 30 minutes researching and writing my next news piece became a mandatory morning routine.

Then, when it was time to start penning even more stories, Tasks sent me a deep work plan that kept me focused all the while. The next two tasks resulted in me getting a humorous prompt to play around with and a chatbot trick I never even knew existed:

A weird but brilliant prompt: Analyze my personality based on my favorite foods. Be overly confident in your conclusions.
An advanced ChatGPT or AI trick most people don’t know, with an example prompt: The Self-Critique + Improve Loop: Instead of asking for one answer, you make the AI analyze, critique, and upgrade its own output before giving it to you. This mimics how expert writers, analysts and editors actually work. Example Prompt - What are 5 unique ways to use ChatGPT for productivity?

My fifth and final task ended my weeknights on a high note by making me think about everything that transpired during my workday, championing myself by remembering a small victory and prepping myself for the next day’s duties.

Final thoughts

Tasks stand out as another one of ChatGPT’s most helpful features—it sticks to a clear time/schedule, acknowledges a specific format (such as steps to take and bullet points) and delivers daily reminders that give you a clear work direction and flashes of inspiration.

Once the weekend comes close, I’ll be sure to set some new Tasks for ChatGPT to follow that let me do a little exploring and unwind. I already have one in mind: Every Saturday at 4 pm, suggest 3 fun things to do nearby based on my location. Mention a place to eat, a geek-themed experience and something unexpected.

Have you tried ChatGPT Tasks yet? Let me know in the comments how you use them.

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Elton Jones covers AI for Tom’s Guide, and tests all the latest models, from ChatGPT to Gemini to Claude to see which tools perform best — and how they can improve everyday productivity.

He is also an experienced tech writer who has covered video games, mobile devices, headsets, and now artificial intelligence for over a decade. Since 2011, his work has appeared in publications including The Christian Post, Complex, TechRadar, Heavy, and ONE37pm, with a focus on clear, practical analysis.

Today, Elton focuses on making AI more accessible by breaking down complex topics into useful, easy-to-understand insights for a wide range of readers.

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