Every week you spend hours on work that repeats itself. You write emails. You make notes. You prepare project briefs. You attend meetings. You do research. None of these tasks are new. Yet they take up so much of your time.
What if you could turn all of these tasks into shortcuts. What if you had a simple way to get a first draft, a clear summary, or even a decision list in seconds. That is what these seven ChatGPT prompts can do for you. I use them every day to save time and keep my work clean and simple. You can copy them, keep them in your notes app, and adjust the parts inside the brackets. Once you start using them, you will see fewer blank pages, faster results, and much less stress.
1. The One-Page Project Brief
This prompt takes messy notes and turns them into a clean one-page project brief. It makes it easy for everyone to understand what needs to be done.
Prompt to use
“You are a project brief writer. Turn the details below into a one-page brief with sections Objective, Background, Scope, Deliverables, Timeline, Risks, Stakeholders, Success Metrics. Use bullet points. Keep it under 300 words. Details [paste notes or bullet points]”
How you can use it
Write down your scattered ideas as simple bullets. Paste them into this prompt. Share the result with your team in email or chat. Everyone will be on the same page within minutes.
2. Inbox Triage and Reply Drafts
If you get long email threads, this prompt will help you save time. It can summarize the thread and even draft replies.
Prompt to use
“Summarize the email thread below in 5 bullets. List the sender’s asks. Flag missing info. Then draft three reply options short, standard, and friendly. Keep each under 120 words. Thread [paste emails]”
How you can use it
Paste a long thread into this prompt at the start of your day. Pick one of the reply options, make small edits, and send. You save time and sound clear.
3. Meeting Notes to Action Plan
Meetings often leave you with messy notes. This prompt can turn those notes into decisions, questions, and clear action steps.
Prompt to use
“From these messy notes, produce 1 Decisions made, 2 Open questions, 3 Action items with owner, due date, and next step. If something is missing, suggest one. Keep it short. Notes [paste notes or transcript]”
How you can use it
Right after a meeting, paste your raw notes. ChatGPT will give you an action list that you can share with your team or drop into your project tool.
4. Research Brief with Sources
This prompt builds a quick research brief with facts, stats, and even a contrarian point of view.
Prompt to use
“Create a research brief on [topic]. Include Key takeaways 5 bullets, Contrarian POV 2 bullets, Stats with sources 5 items with links, and 3 risks or caveats. Write in plain language. Use only credible and recent sources. If uncertain, say unclear.”
How you can use it
Use this before writing a strategy doc or presentation. It gives you quick stats, angles, and risks so you don’t start from zero.
5. Outline to First Draft in Your Voice
If you have an outline but no draft, this prompt will write the first version for you.
Prompt to use
“Turn the outline below into a 900 to 1200 word draft in my voice [describe your voice in 2 to 3 lines]. Keep sentences short. Use clear subheads, bullets, and examples. Assume the reader is busy. Avoid fluff. Add a strong intro and a practical conclusion. Outline [paste outline]”
How you can use it
Write a simple outline first. Paste it with your voice style. You get a full draft that you can edit and add personal stories to.
6. Edit and Tighten Your Writing
This prompt can cut your text down by 20 percent without losing meaning.
Prompt to use
“Edit the text below for clarity, flow, and punch. Keep the meaning. Cut 20 percent. Remove filler and clichés. Keep my tone [friendly, direct, professional]. Return only the revised text. Text [paste text]”
How you can use it
Run your long emails or memos through this prompt. It makes your writing sharp and clear.
7. Calendar Defender
This prompt helps you decide which meetings are worth keeping and even drafts polite replies for the ones you decline.
Prompt to use
“Given my priorities [list 3 to 5 priorities], evaluate these meeting invites. For each invite, decide keep, delegate, or decline. Provide a one-sentence reason. Then write a short reply for each decision. Keep replies respectful and short. Invites [paste details]”
How you can use it
Run your meeting invites through this on Friday. Keep the important ones. Decline the rest with a kind note.
Tips to Get the Most from These Prompts
- Personalize the brackets. Add your role, audience, and tone.
- Set limits like word count or structure. It saves editing later.
- Keep a prompt library in Notes or Notion.
- Edit step by step. Ask for one change at a time.
- Pair prompts with checklists to keep quality high.
Why These Prompts Work?
These prompts save time because they give you structure. They remove extra decisions. They fit into real work like emails, meetings, briefs, and drafts. The more you use them, the clearer and faster your work becomes.
Copy these prompts. Keep them close. Use them every day. Soon you will notice how much time you save and how much easier your week feels.
