This works for email, summarizing documents, drafting proposals, or any repeated writing task. Pick one before you start.
Step 1 — Sign up. Go to claude.ai or chat.openai.com and create a free account. Both have free tiers that are sufficient for this guide.
Step 2 — Write your first prompt using three parts: role ("You are a professional email writer"), task ("Draft a reply to the message below"), and format ("Keep it under 100 words, professional tone, no filler phrases"). Paste your actual content below the instruction.
Step 3 — Run it three times on real examples. Note which outputs need editing and what is consistently wrong. That pattern tells you how to adjust the instruction.
Step 4 — Save the prompt. Paste it into a Notes file, a Notion page, or a shared doc. Name it by task. A prompt you cannot find is a prompt you will not use.
Step 5 — Use it for five working days. Do not evaluate it after one attempt. Judgment requires repetition.
Step 6 — On day five, answer: did this save time? Did the quality hold up? If yes, keep it and add one more task. If no, bring the failing examples here and we can help diagnose in a free office hours call.