Personal systems for note-taking shines when you give models context, constraints, and a clear outcome. This guide gives you reusable prompt patterns and a workflow that turns AI into a reliable collaborator. Start by stating your goal, audience, tone, and output format. Then specify constraints—length, keywords, do/don’t rules, and example inputs. Finish with a request for two to three alternatives and a short rationale for each choice.
How to use these prompts: Paste a prompt, then immediately iterate. Ask follow‑ups like “What assumptions did you make?”, “Offer three stronger rewrites in different tones,” and “Point out risks, biases, or edge cases to check.” This tight loop compounds quality quickly.
Starter Prompts
- Design a weekly plan using time blocks for note-taking, including buffer time and review.
- Create a morning and evening routine with habit stacking and cues.
- Write a one‑page personal operating system with rules, defaults, and if‑then plans.
Advanced Variations
- Generate a scorecard with leading/lagging indicators and a weekly retro template.
- List 20 friction removers (environment tweaks, defaults, scripts, templates).
- Create a focus ritual: 5‑minute priming, distraction audit, and shutdown routine.
Refinement & QA
- Offer three variations for low‑energy days, normal days, and high‑energy sprints.
- Identify bottlenecks, propose experiments, and define success metrics.
- Write a pep‑talk script and accountability prompts I can paste into a journal.
Prompt Anatomy Checklist
- Goal and success criteria are explicit
- Audience, tone, and format are defined
- Inputs, examples, and constraints are listed
- Edge cases and failure modes are anticipated
- Ask for alternatives and a brief rationale
Common Mistakes & Fixes
- Vague goals → Replace with measurable outcomes and a deadline.
- No constraints → Add word counts, keywords, or style rules.
- One‑shot prompting → Iterate with targeted follow‑ups.
- No QA → Request a self‑critique and a revised version.
Pro tip: Save your best outputs as mini‑templates. Over time you’ll build a private prompt library that covers ideation → drafting → editing → QA → conversion. Label each with use case, audience, and the metric it should move.