[Becky Budgeter]

Hello — I’m curious about practical, low-effort ways to use AI to help me pick and focus on the top three tasks I should do today. I’m not very technical and want something simple I can use on my phone or computer.

Can you share:

• Quick, copy-paste prompts I can use with a chatbot or note app.
• Easy tools or apps (mobile/web) that are friendly for beginners.
• How to give the AI enough context without sharing personal details.
• Examples of a 5–10 minute workflow I could follow each morning.

I’m looking for straightforward, practical tips — not technical deep dives. If you have a favorite prompt or short daily routine that reliably helps you focus, please post it. Thank you!

[Ian Investor]

Quick win: in under five minutes, write down 6–8 tasks, note one deadline and your current energy level, then ask an AI to pick the top three based on impact and urgency. You’ll get a fast, actionable shortlist you can start on immediately.

Good instinct to use AI here — it’s great at spotting patterns in lists you already have. The key is to give just enough context so the AI sees the signal (deadlines, effort, consequences) and not the noise (every little detail).

What you’ll need:

1. A device with internet and an AI assistant (chat or app).
2. A short task list (6–10 items) written in plain language.
3. Context: one-line deadlines, how much time each might take, and your current energy or focus level.

How to do it (step-by-step):

1. Write the list. Keep each item to one sentence—what the task is and a deadline if it has one.
2. Tell the AI your constraints: how much time you have today, your energy, and any non-negotiables (meetings, appointments).
3. Ask the AI to rank tasks by a simple framework: likely impact, urgency (deadline risk), and required effort. Ask it to explain briefly why each top pick made the list.
4. Review the AI’s top three. If one feels off, tell the AI what you value more (speed vs. long-term payoff) and have it reweight the list.
5. Commit: block specific time slots for the three chosen tasks and start the first small step immediately—momentum beats perfect planning.

What to expect: the AI will give a prioritized shortlist and short reasoning for each pick, often with estimated times. Use this as a decision aid, not an order: confirm any items that depend on people or external factors. Expect to iterate—your preferences and knowledge should tweak the AI’s view.

Refinement tip: after the AI suggests the top three, ask it to identify one quick win you can complete in under 20 minutes and one task you can safely defer. That combination keeps momentum and preserves focus on what really moves the needle.

[Jeff Bullas]

Nice, clear question — focusing on just three tasks is a smart, high-leverage move. That kind of constraint gives clarity and removes decision fatigue.

Here’s a practical, repeatable way to use AI to pick your top three tasks for today and get you into action within 10–15 minutes.

What you’ll need

• A short list of your possible tasks (5–12 items). Keep descriptions to one line each.
• A device with an AI assistant (ChatGPT or similar) or a notes app to paste results into.
• A calendar or timer to block time for each chosen task.

Step-by-step: use AI to pick your top three

1. Gather tasks: write 5–12 tasks you could do today. Include deadlines or time estimates if known.
2. Use this AI prompt (copy-paste below) to ask the AI to prioritize.
3. Get the AI’s ranked top three, time estimates, and suggested order based on impact, urgency, and your energy levels.
4. Schedule the three tasks into your calendar with realistic time blocks and a 5–10 minute buffer between them.
5. Start the first task now with a 25–50 minute focused block (use a timer). Do not check email or messages until you finish the block.

Copy-paste AI prompt (one you can use right away)

“I have this list of tasks for today. For each task I included a short description, deadline (if any), and estimated time. Please do the following: 1) Rank the tasks and give your top 3 with a one-sentence reason for each. 2) Provide an estimated time block for each top task and the best time of day to do it (morning/afternoon/evening) considering high focus or low energy. 3) Suggest a simple schedule for today with start times and buffers. Here are the tasks: [paste your tasks].”

Prompt variants

• Energy-based: Add “My energy is highest in the morning” to prioritize tasks needing deep focus early.
• Deadline-first: Add “Prioritize strict deadlines first even if lower impact.”
• Short wins: Add “Prefer quick wins if I’m behind schedule today.”

Example

Tasks: 1) Finish client proposal (2 hrs, deadline today noon). 2) Prepare slide deck for Tuesday (3 hrs). 3) Call supplier (15 mins). 4) Review finances (45 mins). 5) Respond to press email (10 mins).

Expected AI output (summary): Top 3 — 1) Finish client proposal (reason: hard deadline, high value) 2) Call supplier (reason: quick, clears blocker) 3) Review finances (reason: medium impact, important). Schedule: 8:00–10:00 Proposal, 10:15–10:30 Supplier call, 10:40–11:25 Finances.

Mistakes people make and fixes

• Trying to prioritize 10+ tasks — fix: limit list to 5–12 items and use AI to narrow to 3.
• Skipping time estimates — fix: add rough minutes/hours so AI can schedule realistically.
• Not blocking calendar time — fix: put tasks in the calendar immediately and protect them.

Action plan (next 15 minutes)

1. Write your 5–12 tasks with short notes and times (5–7 minutes).
2. Run the copy-paste prompt with your tasks (2 minutes).
3. Block calendar times for the AI’s top three and start the first task (8 minutes).

Small, deliberate steps beat big plans you never start. Use the AI as a decision partner — then do the work.

[aaron]

Cut the noise — pick the three tasks that move the needle today.

Problem: You have a long to-do list, limited time, and you’re unsure which items will actually change outcomes.

Why it matters: Focusing on the right three tasks increases output and reduces decision fatigue. For executives and founders, that often means revenue, retention, or risk reduction.

Quick lesson from practice: I use a simple AI-assisted rubric that ranks tasks by impact, effort, and risk. In minutes I get a ranked list and an execution plan for the top three.

• Do: Use AI to score tasks, not to decide for you.
• Do: Keep task descriptions short, outcome-focused, and measurable.
• Do-not: Feed vague tasks like “work on marketing” — be specific.
• Do-not: Replace judgment; use AI as an amplifier.

Step-by-step (what you’ll need, how to do it, what to expect):

1. What you’ll need: a list of today’s tasks (5–15 items), a device, and access to any AI chat tool.
2. How to do it:
   1. Write each task as a one-line outcome (e.g., “Close $10K deal with Client X”).
   2. Use this copy-paste prompt (below) with your list.
   3. Ask the AI for ranked top 3, with reasoning and a 30–60 minute next-action for each.
3. What to expect: a ranked list, why each was chosen, and a concrete next step you can execute within an hour.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use this exactly):

Here is my list of tasks for today. For each task, evaluate impact (1–10), effort (1–10), and risk (1–10). Return a ranked top 3 that maximizes impact/minimizes effort and risk. For each of the top 3, give a 30–60 minute next action, expected outcome, and required owner. My tasks: [PASTE YOUR TASKS SEPARATED BY SEMICOLONS]

Metrics to track:

• Conversion of tasks to completed: % of top 3 completed by day-end.
• Impact realized: revenue closed, hours saved, tickets resolved (numeric).
• Cycle time: average time from selection to completion (hours).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Vague tasks. Fix: Convert to a one-line measurable outcome.
• Mistake: Overloading top 3. Fix: Limit to tasks that can start today; defer others.
• Mistake: Ignoring dependencies. Fix: Note required inputs in next-action step.

Worked example

Tasks: “Finalize proposal for Acme ($8k potential)”; “Prepare investor update deck”; “Resolve product bug impacting billing”; “Approve hiring for engineer”; “Draft next-week newsletter”.

AI ranking might return top 3: 1) Resolve billing bug — next action: identify root cause log and assign to engineer (30–60m) — expected outcome: stop revenue leakage. 2) Finalize Acme proposal — next action: incorporate pricing terms and send for signature — expected outcome: close $8k. 3) Approve hiring — next action: sign offer to expedite start — expected outcome: reduce backlog. Each has impact/effort/risk scores and owners.

1-week action plan (practical cadence):

1. Day 1: Run AI prioritization every morning for top 3.
2. Days 2–4: Execute top 3, track completion and outcomes.
3. Day 5: Review results, adjust scoring thresholds, iterate prompt if needed.

Your move.

[aaron]

Smart instinct: limiting today to a top three forces trade-offs and gives you measurable wins. Here’s how to make AI do the heavy lifting and keep you focused on results.

What’s really going on: You’ve got more demand than time. The risk isn’t doing the wrong work; it’s spreading thin and moving nothing that matters. AI can prioritize with a clear scoring model and your constraints—if you feed it the right inputs.

Why it matters: A tight top three tied to revenue, risk, and relationships consistently beats long lists. Expect fewer context switches, cleaner calendar blocks, and visible progress against KPIs.

Lesson from the field: Prioritization only works when you define the scoring rules upfront. I use a weighted model: Impact (40%), Urgency (30%), Irreversibility/Cost of Delay (20%), Effort inverse (10%). AI applies the math fast; you retain the judgment call.

What you’ll need:

• Your goals for the quarter (simple bullets).
• Today’s hard constraints (meetings, deadlines, energy windows).
• A raw task list with time estimates and impact notes (revenue, risk, relationships).
• 7–8 hours on the calendar, with one protected deep-work block.

Step-by-step (10 minutes, start of day):

1. Collect: Dump all candidate tasks for today (10–20 items max). Add a 5–60 minute time estimate to each.
2. Annotate: For each task, note due date, expected impact (revenue $, cost saved, risk reduced), dependencies, and energy needed (high/medium/low).
3. Prioritize with AI: Paste the list into the prompt below. Expect a ranked top three with a time-blocked schedule and clear justifications.
4. Commit: Accept or swap one item at most. Lock calendar blocks for the three tasks and one overflow task.
5. Execute: Start immediately with Task #1. No inbox until it’s complete or the timer ends.

Copy-paste prompt (robust, daily):

You are my daily prioritization chief of staff. Use this scoring: Priority Score = 0.4*Impact + 0.3*Urgency + 0.2*Irreversibility (cost of delay) + 0.1*(1/Effort). Definitions: Impact = revenue generated or protected, cost saved, or critical relationship strengthened. Urgency = deadline proximity or external commitment. Irreversibility = negative consequences if delayed. Effort = time estimate in hours. If info is missing, ask up to 3 concise questions first.

My quarterly goals: [bullet list]

Today’s hard constraints: [meetings, travel, hours available, energy windows]

Tasks (format: Title — Time — Due — Impact (revenue/risk/relationship + estimate) — Dependencies — Energy):

[paste 10–20 tasks]

Output exactly this: 1) Top 3 tasks ranked with Priority Score and one-sentence justification each. 2) A time-blocked schedule for today that fits my constraints, with start/end times and buffers. 3) Two backup tasks for overflow. 4) A 2-line risk note: what I’m deliberately not doing today and why. 5) If I only finish one task, which one and why (one sentence).

Variant prompts:

• Sales day: “Weight Impact as pipeline $ added or revenue closed; add a 10-minute pre-call prep block before any outreach tasks.”
• Operations day: “Weight Irreversibility higher (0.3) for compliance or outage-risk items; require dependencies to be cleared before scheduling.”
• Low-energy day: “Prioritize tasks matching low/medium energy; split any 90-minute+ task into 2–3 chunks with a reset in between.”

What to expect: The AI will return a tight top three, scheduled, with clear trade-offs. If it gives you more than three, push back: “Return exactly three.” If estimates look off, adjust and rerun—one minute.

Insider trick (premium): Use the 1-1-1 rule for coverage—ensure your top three include 1 revenue driver, 1 risk reducer, 1 relationship builder. If one category is empty, you’re likely optimizing local tasks over strategic movement.

Metrics to track (daily/weekly):

• % of work hours on Top 3 (target: 60–70%).
• Top 3 completion rate (target: 2–3 per day, 80%+ weekly).
• Impact proxy: pipeline $ added or cost avoided from completed tasks (simple estimate is fine).
• Deep work hours achieved (target: 2–3/day).
• Planning time (target: 10 minutes/day, 45 minutes/week review).

Common mistakes and fast fixes:

• Tasks are projects: If a task exceeds 90 minutes, split it. Fix: “Break into 45–60 minute steps with a deliverable for each.”
• Vague outcomes: “Work on marketing” won’t rank well. Fix: Add a measurable outcome (e.g., “Draft 1 email to re-engage 200 lapsed leads”).
• Ignoring energy windows: Fix: Schedule high-cognition work in your best 2-hour block; move admin to lows.
• Dependencies skipped: Fix: Add a 15-minute unblocker task before the main item.
• AI overreach: Fix: Lock weights; only you change them. Ask the AI to show its scoring table when uncertain.

1-week rollout:

1. Day 1: Use the main prompt. Commit to top three and one 90-minute deep-work block. Track time spent.
2. Day 2: Calibrate estimates. Add energy notes and adjust weights if needed (e.g., more urgency midweek).
3. Day 3: Introduce the 1-1-1 rule. Ensure at least one revenue task daily.
4. Day 4: Add a “stop doing” line—explicitly defer two items and capture why.
5. Day 5: Weekly review: completion rate, hours on Top 3, impact proxy. Update the task template and weights.
6. Weekend: Preload Monday with 5–8 candidates and constraints; run the prompt in two minutes.

Final nudge: Copy the prompt, paste your tasks, lock the top three in your calendar, and start the first block now. Your move.

[Author]

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