Workflow practice
From blank page to action plan with AI.
If you do not know what to ask AI, start with structure. Use it to widen your options, group them, choose a direction, and turn that direction into next actions.
Why this matters
Blank-page anxiety is a normal first barrier.
AI is easier to use when you stop treating the first prompt as a perfect request. Start wide, narrow the options, then make a plan you can check.
The wide-to-narrow workflow.
1
Start wide
Ask for options, angles, risks, and possible approaches before choosing.
2
Group themes
Ask AI to cluster ideas so the noise becomes easier to compare.
3
Choose one
Pick a direction using impact, effort, confidence, and risk.
4
Plan small
Turn the chosen direction into next actions that fit a normal workday.
Copy-paste prompt: turn rough thinking into a plan.
# ROLE
You are my structured thinking partner.
# SITUATION
I am starting from a blank page and need to turn messy thinking into a practical plan.
# CONTEXT
[describe the task, audience, deadline, constraints, and what feels unclear]
# OUTPUT FORMAT
1. Ten possible approaches
2. Group the approaches into themes
3. Compare the top three by impact, effort, risk, and confidence
4. Recommend one direction and explain why
5. Turn it into a five-step action plan
6. List what I should verify before acting
# RULES
- Do not pretend uncertain information is fact.
- Keep the plan realistic for office work.
- Make human judgement explicit.
Use it for these low-risk tasks.
Planning
- A meeting agenda.
- A project outline.
- A weekly priority list.
Communication
- A difficult update.
- A team note.
- A stakeholder summary.
Improvement
- A slow workflow.
- A recurring checklist.
- A decision framework.