Digital & AI

Write a prompt that gives the AI model precise context, role, task, and expected format.

Assign the model a specific background and expertise so its answer matches a real expert level.

Show the model 2-5 examples of the desired output style so it mirrors the pattern with high precision.

Ask the model to decompose the problem and show its reasoning before answering, raising accuracy on complex tasks.

Ask the model to write a numbered plan first and wait for your approval before executing.

State explicitly what you do not want in the output (words, styles, assumptions) to cut later editing.

Request output as JSON with a defined schema to enable automated processing without manual parsing.

After the model answers, ask it to critique its own answer and improve it before final delivery.

Separate prompt parts with XML tags (instructions, examples, document) so the model handles each precisely.

Ask the model to explain a complex idea to a 5-year-old, then raise the level gradually.

Learn 4 signals that reveal the model invented info instead of citing documented fact.

Do not use AI-sourced info before verifying it in two independent external sources.

The model does not know what happened after its training cutoff. Know each model's cutoff.

Don't default to the biggest model. Choose by: task depth, cost, privacy, speed.

RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) fetches real docs for the model before answering. Know the difference.

Delete any app unopened in 30 days — lose apps before they cost you focus.

Every Sunday, unsubscribe from 5 newsletters you did not read this week.

Every Friday, empty the desktop: each file goes to its folder, archive, or trash.

Before believing a "shocking" image, drag it to Google Lens or TinEye to find its true source and date.

Do not share any "shocking" news for 24 hours — breaking news is often corrected on day 1.

Use an LLM to draft an email in 30 seconds, then edit by hand for personal tone.

Convert a meeting transcript (60+ min) into decisions and action items in 2 minutes.

Turn a 200-page PDF into a Q&A conversation with exact-quote answers.

Replace one reused password across 30 accounts with unique long ones, stored in an encrypted manager.

Check all your emails on haveibeenpwned.com to know which breaches exposed your data.

5 signals revealing a phishing message before you click and surrender data.

One strong master password + password manager = more secure than 95% of people.

Email + bank + social + cloud: 2FA required. SMS is weak — use Authenticator app or physical key.

Send delete requests to 10 data brokers — Gulf via PDPL, global via GDPR/CCPA.

Firefox + uBlock Origin + Privacy Badger + DuckDuckGo = strong default privacy.

Before clicking any email link: check full sender, hover URL, urgency, spelling.

Don't pick the first title that comes to mind. Generate 10 with varied angles, then choose the best.

Ask the model to question you instead of answering, surfacing and deepening your understanding.

In every long message you reply to, quote the specific line/question to make the thread readable.

Don't subscribe to a new tool before truly using it 14 days in real workflow.

When an LLM helps you with content you publish or send, disclose it clearly.

Don't paste contracts, health data, or IP into a public model — may appear in later training.

Each month's start, search your name on Google and review the first 3 result pages.

Set 20 shortcuts (e.g., ";eml" types your full signature) to save hours weekly.

Daily 10 min with zero screens (no phone, computer, smart watch) to restore attention.

Block 90 daily min for deep work with no phone, email, or colleagues — with a fixed startup ritual.

Between tasks, take 90 sec of "mental close" before starting next — else residue from prior task drains 40% of focus.

At any moment, one tab, one window, one task — multitasking is a neural myth.

Every time a switch-temptation hits during work, jot it on a side sheet to address after the block.

Each morning, write a schedule naming what you'll do each 15-min slot — fewer decisions, 2x output.

Each evening, 5 min formal workday shutdown — with a secret phrase ("Schedule shutdown complete") to free your brain.

Daily 10 min in queue/elevator/wait without opening phone — restore your brain's capacity to be bored.

Flip the rule: notifications off by default, on only during a chosen hour for chosen people.

Enable grayscale mode — colors designed to addict you vanish, phone becomes just a tool.

Disable all red count badges on app icons — they are engineered to trigger OCD reflex.

Each 90-min focus block, enable airplane mode — no signal, no notification, no temptation.

Instead of checking 80 times daily, set 3 fixed times — outside them, don't look.

Add "think step-by-step inside <thinking> tags before answering" — boosts complex-problem accuracy 30-40%.

In few-shot, deliberate variety (positive/negative/edge case) matters more than count.

Have the model play expert + student who asks "dumb" questions — extracts tacit knowledge.

"Max 80 words, don't use 'innovative', start with imperative" beats "make it short and clear".

Instead of rewriting the prompt, say "this part good. this part fix to X". 4 rounds = perfect output.

After each output, ask: "What are 3 weaknesses in this answer? How to improve?" — use its intelligence against itself.

Don't repeat instructions every message — set them once in System Prompt, save 70% writing time.

Don't know how to ask? Ask: "What's the best prompt to get X?" — it writes a prompt better than any expert.

Before accepting any AI answer, ask: source? dates correct? names real?

Every AI claim: search 3 independent sources. If absent from any, treat as hallucinated.

Before relying on AI in specialist field, show to human expert — 30% of time uncovers core error.

Any question on recent events/prices/releases: check model training date — ignoring = confident wrong answer.

"According to a 2019 study", "As Academy X stated", "approximate but accurate" — these are immediate-verify flags.

Delete all "entertainment" apps from phone and laptop for 30 days. After, restore only what's worth.

Every Saturday: no social, no YouTube, no Netflix, no games. Discover how addicted you are.

No phone in bedroom — replace with traditional alarm clock. First and last minute of day = yours.

Every Sunday: no computer, no smartphone (except basic calls/SMS).

Each scroll-urge, execute pre-defined substitute (10 breath cycles, drink water, 5 squats).

Rule: per email, one decision: reply in 2 min, delegate, defer, or delete. No "later".

Personal rule: no email longer than 3 sentences. Else = call or meet.

10am and 4pm only. Otherwise: closed. No one dies if your reply takes 2 hours.

First line of email: answer/request/decision. Context after. Cuts read time 70%.

Every 3 months, ask per app: "Does it earn its place on my phone?" — delete without hesitation.

For every new tech, ask: "Do I gain more than I lose?" — most: no.

Phone home screen: 6 tools only (clock, maps, calculator, camera, messages, alerts).

Don't adopt new tech until 6 months post-launch — time exposes flawed vs valuable.

Paper book vs Kindle, paper vs Notes, watch vs phone clock.

Every account you follow builds your feed. Remove harmful, keep building, add teachers.

First Saturday each month, mass-unsubscribe from 20 newsletters/channels/lists.

Don't track news daily. Read one weekly summary (Economist, Atlantic). Gain time and clarity.

Enter YouTube with a specific search topic. Never open the home page.

Every 3 mo, delete history + watched + watch only specific content 1 week. Algorithm relearns from scratch.

When you feel envy after opening Instagram, write: "I see someone's best moments, I live my current one".

"I don't reply on WhatsApp after 10 PM". "No work calls on weekends". — Explicit, firm.

For every 3 important digital chats with someone, schedule one real meeting.

Stop, Investigate source, Find better coverage, Trace claim to primary source. 30 sec exposes 90%.

Don't read a strange site top-to-bottom. Open 5 tabs searching "about" the site, then decide trust.

When you feel strong anger/fear/excitement from a post, stop. It may be engineered for that.

Break a big task into 4-6 sequential steps, each a separate prompt + human verification.

Use AI to expand research, summarize, surface angles — then YOU write the final text in your voice.

Explain your problem to the model out loud. You often find the solution while explaining, before its reply.

Feed one model's output to another and request harsh critique. Disagreements expose weak points.

Never write the same prompt twice. Save every successful prompt in a tagged, searchable file.

Set "system instructions" once in your account = every chat starts from your context automatically.

Before asking AI, paste relevant docs/refs. It answers from "your knowledge", not its imagination.

Every factual AI claim = ask for a source. No source = don't use.

Before publishing/sending: 5 mandatory verification questions. No exceptions.

Define 5 contexts where you'll NEVER use AI. Write them. Stick to them.

Use AI for a bad-fast initial draft, then YOU rewrite completely. Blank page is the killer.

After YOU write, ask AI for 3 improvements only. Don't let it "rephrase".

Identify 5 phrases/words that are "you". Ensure 2+ appear in any AI-assisted text.

"AI text didn't copy anyone" is myth. Ensure you don't publish someone's idea/sentence unattributed.

Every AI claim needs a live source. Never cite a source you haven't read.

In every 60-90 min window: one task, one window, one intention.

After every task-switch, write 2 sentences about previous task before starting new. Clears "residue".

Max 5 browser tabs. Every 6+ = close or save to read-later.

Build 3 iOS/Android modes: "Writing" (no notif), "Meeting" (phone only), "Rest" (family WhatsApp).

For 5 days, log every distraction: time, trigger, pre-feeling. Patterns emerge.

Identify 5 feelings that make you open phone. Per feeling, alternative plan pre-touch.

3-min start ritual + 3-min end ritual = brain signal "now focus / now done".

Block 2-4 "deep work" windows weekly in calendar. Treat like CEO meeting.

Replace all reused passwords in 30 days. One manager, one strong master.

Enable 2FA on email, bank, social, cloud. TOTP not SMS. Backup codes saved.

Every 6 months, download backup from Google/Apple/Meta. Backup + your right.

Every browser extension can read your visible pages. Delete what you haven't used in 30 days.

On public WiFi: always VPN + no banking + 2FA even if feeling safe.

Phone encrypted by default, but your laptop? Check. If stolen, data exposed.

Google your name every 3 months. First 10 results = your identity to the world.

LinkedIn measured by "who contacted with opportunity", not followers or likes.

Same photo across platforms. Refresh every 18-24 months. Natural light, clear face, calm background.

Your bio across platforms says same thing, same tone, same values. Even at different lengths.

For each bad Google result: either delete (if legal) or bury under stronger content.

Check stats once weekly, not 20 times daily. Production loves silence.

Don't read every comment. Read only questions. Ignore praise & insults equally.

1,000 who trust you > 100,000 who follow. Build trust, numbers follow.

Writer "about everything" = no one follows. Narrow to specific point, expand later.

Publish at cadence you can sustain 2 years, not a month. Daily is great but lethal.

General MOOC completion = 5-15%. To be a completer: split, commit, publish, apply.

Publish weekly what you learn even if not mastered. Public mistakes accelerate correction.

Anki + 20 cards daily = 95%+ lifelong retention. Memory is craft, not gift.

Record 5-min video explaining what you learned to a 12-year-old. Gaps expose themselves.

Yearly: 5 most-impactful books, 3 completed courses, 10 mastered skills. Your learning narrative.

Family sits, writes 7 collective rules about screens. All sign. All accountable.

Before any new app for your child: check 3 things — recommended age, privacy, stranger contact.

Instagram says "13+". Haidt says "16+". Where's your researched stance?

Kids mimic your phone use, not your talk about it. Put device down when they speak to you.

Basket near table. Every phone in pre-first-bite. First to touch washes dishes.

Before pasting anything in AI: redact names, numbers, emails, financial data.

Every AI reflects training-data biases. Check: gender, culture, economic class.

In academic/professional: state when AI used. Transparency protects + builds trust.

Don't ask AI "write in author X's style". That = using their commercial style sans permission.

For each task automated with AI, ask: "Freed for higher value, or replaced my learning?".

AI = info-gathering tool. Personal decisions (marriage, career, medical, friendship) = human decides.