Sample contentThis example guide previews the format and reading experience.
What you’ll accomplish
Start with one recurring task and define a result you can check. Give AI the source material, the format, and clear limits. Review the output, record the cleanup it needs, and save the process only when it earns its place in your work.
Key takeaways
- Start with one recurring task you already understand.
- Define a good result before writing the prompt.
- Track review time and corrections alongside the output.
That task you keep putting off? Start there. A weekly update, a content outline, or a pile of interview notes gives you a concrete place to try AI.
An AI workflow connects your source material, a repeatable instruction, and a review step. The goal is a result you can actually use.
Pick one job you know well
Choose a task you repeat and already know how to judge. For a weekly project update, a good result might include three things: completed work, unresolved blockers, and agreed next steps.
Write those criteria down. They give you something firmer than “that sounds pretty good” when the first draft comes back.
Give AI the brief and the boundaries
Supply only material you are allowed to share with the tool. Include the audience, the output format, and the details the model must preserve.
Try this starter prompt with your own notes:
Turn these notes into a weekly project update for my collaborators.
Use three sections: progress, blockers, and next steps.
Keep names, dates, and commitments exactly as the notes establish them.
Do not invent a deadline or assign an owner.
Mark missing information [needs confirmation].
End with a short list of questions I need to resolve before sharing.
Check the parts that could cause trouble
Compare the draft with the source. Did a suggestion become a commitment? Did a tentative date become a deadline? Did it drop a blocker because the sentence sounded cleaner without it?
Correct the draft before sharing it. Keep a short record of what needed fixing and how long the review took.
Make the next run easier to judge
Save the prompt, your criteria, and an approved example. On the next attempt, change the instruction that caused the most rework. Compare similar tasks before deciding whether the workflow helps.
Your next move: Pick this week’s recurring task. Write three checks the output must pass. Then run one attempt and review it against those checks.
Put one idea to work.
Pick a real task. Try what you’ve learned, check the result, and build from there.
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