As someone who uses ChatGPT daily, I’ve spent thousands of hours testing chatbots and prompts.
Sure, chatbots are great for writing emails, fixing your grammar or explaining quantum physics like you’re five, but as AI evolves, they can do even more now.
Here are the 9 prompts I now use constantly; and honestly, they make a huge difference in the way I work and create.
1. Getting motivated
Prompt: “Plan my day based on my current mood, energy level and how much time I have.”
Some days I feel like a creative genius. Other days, particularly on the weekends when my schedule is a little more flexible, I feel less motivated and a little more aimless. I use this prompt by filling in the important details when I feel lost or overwhelmed.
ChatGPT acts like a personal life coach based on my mood; suggesting meals, breaks, tasks and fun based on whether I have 30 minutes or a whole free afternoon. It’s surprisingly grounding.
2. Getting ideas off the ground
Prompt: “Turn this vague idea into a list of what to do next, then sort it by impact vs. effort”
Sometimes when I have so many ideas circling in my head, ChatGPT is useful for getting unstuck. Maybe you know that feeling when you're thinking, “I know what I want, but I don’t know what to do.”
I toss this prompt at ChatGPT. It transforms half-baked ideas into clear, actionable tasks, then ranks them so I know where to start.
3. Ego check
Prompt: “Read over my ideas and evaluate them like a professional [book reviewer, chef, etc.] critic”
This one is not for the faint of heart. I use this a lot with my ideas and ChatGPT does not hold back. You can prompt it to be as brutal as you can handle.
Once the chatbot has been honest about your ideas, follow up with something like, “Based on your feedback, help me make this better.”
Whether you’re self-publishing a novel or hosting a party, this prompt is helpful when you want to be sure you don’t miss anything important.
4. Growth mindset
Prompt: “Scan my past week and tell me what I’m unintentionally optimizing for.”
Upload or share your calendar with ChatGPT or simply brief the chatbot about your week, then use this prompt.
It’s a game-changer for self-awareness. By describing how I spent my time, money and energy, ChatGPT spots hidden patterns. It tells me if I’m prioritizing comfort over growth, or busyness over progress.
It’s helped me see my habits in a smart and useful way.
5. Manifesting success
Prompt: “Rewrite this like I’ve already succeeded”
If you’re working on a pitch, a cover letter or a pep talk, this one is extremely useful.
The prompt reframes your message as if you’ve already reached your goal. It builds confidence and helps clarify intent.
If you struggle with imposter syndrome, keep this one handy.
6. Pitching ideas
Prompt: “Pitch this idea like you’re trying to sell it on Shark Tank.”
This prompt forces clarity and confidence with your elevator pitch. It will find blindspots and address issues that you may not have thought of yet.
Whether I’m coming up with dinner for the family or another book idea, it helps me boil things down to the essentials and make them irresistible.
7. Self-improvement
Prompt: “Create a weekly challenge I can actually stick to based on this goal, my time constraints and my bad habits”
Instead of giving me generic advice, this prompt generates realistic micro-challenges that match my actual life. I've used this for getting more steps in, staying calm when my toddler throws tantrums and handling every day pressure.
What I've discovered is that after a week of these types of challenges, my habits actually improve.
8. Leveling up
Prompt: “What small change could I make this week that my future self would thank me for?”
This is another prompt I use a lot for self-improvement. This prompt zooms out just enough to bring clarity.
ChatGPT suggests realistic, high-impact tweaks that often include mindset shifts and habit swaps, ultimately helping me to create momentum without overwhelm.
9. Giving back
Prompt: “What’s one small, thoughtful thing I could do this week to make a friend feel seen and appreciated?”
This prompt turns good intentions into real action. ChatGPT offers personalized ideas based on your friend’s personality or shared history.
Using this prompt has been helpful as a reminder to send a quick text to a friend or a more creative surprise.
No matter what, it has helped me deepen my connections with friends in simple and authentic ways.
Final thoughts
These 9 prompts go way beyond basic productivity hacks because they are more personal.
Whether I’m trying to get unstuck, show up better for the people I care about or just get through a weirdly unmotivated weekday, ChatGPT has proven to be a helpful assistant for thinking more clearly and acting more deliberately.
How do you use ChatGPT for productivity and creativity? Share your favorite prompts in the comments and let me know which one of these you plan to use.
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