Productivity / playbook

Get the to-do list out of your head.

Sort a messy brain dump into priorities and a schedule that fits the time you actually have.

KKeith Rumjahn·4 min read·Free

EXAMPLE OUTPUT · ILLUSTRATIVE

The list gets a next step.

THE STARTING POINT

Finish the proposal, fix the site, reply to Sam, plan next week…

A MORE USEFUL RESULT

Start with the proposal summary. Give it 30 minutes, then send Sam the question you need answered before continuing.

Do first: Draft the proposal’s opening paragraph.
Waiting on: Sam’s answer about the project scope.
Park for later: Website improvements with no deadline.

A sample prioritization, not a calendar booking. Your real deadlines and capacity should determine the order.

An unsorted list can make a small task feel as loud as an important project. This workflow gives each item a place: what needs attention now, what depends on someone else, and what can wait. Then it builds a plan around your real capacity.

YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH

A realistic plan with deadlines, next actions, breaks, and room for interruptions.

An AI assistant · your own context and examples

01 / Dump first, organize second

Write everything that is taking up mental space: tasks, projects, decisions, reminders, and worries. Use rough phrases. You can dictate the list if that is easier.

Tell the assistant which items are things you can act on and which are simply concerns. A worry does not need to become a calendar block just because it appeared in the list.

02 / Add the constraints that matter

Supply hard deadlines, fixed appointments, available work hours, and the tasks that block other work. Estimate effort, but mark guesses as guesses.

Ask the assistant to identify conflicts before arranging the week. If the work exceeds your available time, it should help you defer, reduce, or renegotiate something rather than hide the excess in an unrealistic schedule.

03 / A small example

Suppose you have three free hours, a proposal due tomorrow, a newsletter idea, and a website redesign on your list. The proposal may need the first block; the redesign may need only a note about the next decision.

A useful plan could include 90 minutes on the proposal, a break, 45 minutes to check and send it, and remaining time held for interruptions. Those durations are illustrative; use your own estimate of the work.

READY TO MAKE IT YOURS?

Get the exact prompt.
Make it your own.

You’ve seen how it works. Unlock the copyable prompt and the remaining steps to try it yourself.

Copy the planning workflow
Check the plan against the calendar

New here? Create a free account