AI Productivity Hacks: Work Smarter Daily

AI Productivity Hacks

Daily Workflow Hacks

Morning Routine

Hack 1: Daily briefing

Prompt: "Create my daily briefing:
- Today's top 3 priorities
- Weather and commute time
- Key meetings prep
- News in [your industry]"

Hack 2: Email triage

Prompt: "Summarize these 20 emails and prioritize:
[paste emails]

For each: urgency, required action, can it wait?"

Throughout the Day

Hack 3: Meeting notes to action items

Prompt: "Extract action items from these meeting notes:
[paste notes]

Format:
- Task
- Owner
- Due date
- Priority"

Hack 4: Quick research

Prompt: "5-minute research brief on [topic]:
- Key facts
- Recent developments
- Why it matters
- 3 must-read sources"

Hack 5: Message crafting

Prompt: "Rewrite this message to be:
- More professional
- Concise (under 100 words)
- Action-oriented

Original: [paste message]"

End of Day

Hack 6: Daily summary

Prompt: "Review my day and create:
- Accomplishments summary
- Tomorrow's top 3
- Follow-ups needed
- Reflection prompt"

Communication Hacks

Email

Quick replies: “Draft a polite decline to [meeting request]”
Follow-ups: “Write a gentle follow-up to my email from last week about [topic]”
Introductions: “Draft an introduction email connecting [Person A] with [Person B] about [topic]“

Slack/Teams

Status updates: “Create a status update summarizing: [bullet points]”
Announcements: “Make this announcement more engaging: [text]“

Difficult Conversations

Prompt: "Help me communicate this difficult message:
Situation: [describe]
Need to convey: [key points]
Maintain: [professional/empathetic/firm]

Provide 3 approaches"

Learning Hacks

Speed learning:

Prompt: "Teach me [topic] using:
- ELI5 explanation
- Key principles (3-5)
- Practical examples
- Common mistakes
- Next steps to learn more"

Book summaries:

Prompt: "Summarize [book name]:
- Main thesis
- Key arguments
- Actionable takeaways
- Critical perspective"

Creative Hacks

Brainstorming:

Prompt: "10 creative ideas for [problem/project].
Mix: conventional + unconventional
For each: brief description + feasibility"

Writer’s block:

Prompt: "I'm stuck writing about [topic].
Give me:
- 5 different angles
- Opening hooks
- Interesting questions to explore"

Planning Hacks

Project kickoff:

Prompt: "Help plan [project]:
- Break into phases
- Key milestones
- Potential risks
- Resource needs
- Timeline estimate"

Decision frameworks:

Prompt: "Help me decide: [decision].
Create:
- Pros/cons analysis
- Risk assessment
- Scenarios (best/worst/likely)
- Recommendation"

Personal Life Hacks

Meal planning:

Prompt: "Week of healthy dinners:
- Budget: $[amount]
- Dietary: [preferences]
- Cooking time: [max minutes]
- Grocery list included"

Travel planning:

Prompt: "3-day itinerary for [city]:
- Interests: [list]
- Budget: [level]
- Must-see + hidden gems
- Day-by-day plan
- Restaurant recommendations"

Gift ideas:

Prompt: "Gift ideas for [person]:
- Age: [age]
- Interests: [list]
- Budget: $[amount]
- Occasion: [occasion]
Include: why it fits, where to buy"

Automation Hacks

Create personal GPT:

Custom instructions for your role
Saves time on repeated prompts
Consistent output style

Browser extension shortcuts:

GPT for Sheets
ChatGPT Writer (emails)
Merlin (any webpage)

Voice to text:

Use ChatGPT voice on phone
Dictate ideas while commuting
Hands-free brainstorming

Best Practices

✅ Do:

Save your best prompts
Iterate on outputs
Combine multiple hacks
Customize for your needs
Share wins with team

❌ Don’t:

Copy-paste without reading
Use for sensitive info
Forget to fact-check
Over-rely on AI
Skip the human touch

Prompt Library Starter

Create your own prompt library:

Templates folder:
- Email templates
- Meeting prep
- Research briefs
- Planning frameworks
Personal contexts:
- Your role/industry
- Common tasks
- Team names/projects
- Frequently used info
Version control:
- Note what works
- Refine over time
- Track time saved

Time Savings Estimate

Average daily savings:

Email: 30 mins
Meetings: 15 mins
Research: 20 mins
Writing: 25 mins
Planning: 15 mins

Total: ~2 hours/day = 10 hours/week

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