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The Open Coder
The Open Coder

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How to Use ChatGPT to Improve Your Productivity (5 Examples)

We all want to be more productive and efficient in our daily lives, but sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, with the help of ChatGPT, an AI-powered conversational agent, you can develop strategies to improve your productivity and achieve your goals. Here are some ideas on how to use ChatGPT to change your life:

1. Set SMART goals with ChatGPT

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals is a great way to stay focused and motivated. ChatGPT can help you identify and set SMART goals that align with your values and priorities.

For example, you can insert the following prompt into ChatGPT:

I want to improve my fitness. I need very specific, achievable goals that subscribes to the SMART goals method. Give me a plan with the best quality and in a table format. The table should be in markdown code.

ChatGPT responds:

Goal Specifics Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound
1. Increase cardiovascular endurance Run for 30 minutes without stopping Time and distance covered Gradually increase duration and intensity Important for overall health Achieve in 12 weeks
2. Increase muscular strength Perform 10 push-ups without rest Number of repetitions Consistent practice and proper form Enhance daily activities and prevent injury Achieve in 6 weeks
3. Improve flexibility Touch toes without bending knees Distance between hands and feet Stretch regularly and maintain healthy diet Enhance range of motion and reduce muscle tension Achieve in 8 weeks
4. Decrease body fat percentage Lose 1 pound of body fat per week Weight and body fat percentage Consistently maintain a caloric deficit and exercise regularly Improve overall health and appearance Achieve in 12 weeks
  • Increase cardiovascular endurance: The goal is to run for 30 minutes without stopping. This will be measured by tracking the time and distance covered during each run. Gradual increases in duration and intensity will make this goal achievable. Cardiovascular endurance is important for overall health. This goal will be achieved within 12 weeks.

  • Increase muscular strength: The goal is to perform 10 push-ups without rest. This will be measured by the number of repetitions completed. Consistent practice and proper form will make this goal achievable. Increasing muscular strength will enhance daily activities and prevent injury. This goal will be achieved within 6 weeks.

  • Improve flexibility: The goal is to touch toes without bending knees. This will be measured by the distance between hands and feet. Regular stretching and maintaining a healthy diet will make this goal achievable. Improving flexibility will enhance range of motion and reduce muscle tension. This goal will be achieved within 8 weeks.

  • Decrease body fat percentage: The goal is to lose 1 pound of body fat per week. This will be measured by tracking weight and body fat percentage. Consistently maintaining a caloric deficit and exercising regularly will make this goal achievable. Decreasing body fat percentage will improve overall health and appearance. This goal will be achieved within 12 weeks.

2. Prioritize your tasks with ChatGPT

Prioritizing your tasks is essential for staying productive and on track. ChatGPT can help you identify your most important tasks and create a plan for tackling them.

As an example, make the following request to ChatGPT:

I need to finish a report, respond to some emails, and schedule a meeting. Generate me a table and show me how to identify your most important tasks and create a plan for tackling them. Must be specific, with precise and executable timetable.

ChatGPT responds:

Task Importance Urgency Deadline Action Plan
Finish report High High EOD today Block off two hours of uninterrupted time in the morning to focus on the report. Break down the report into smaller, manageable sections and allocate time for each section. Take a break after each section to prevent burnout. Review and edit the report at the end of the day.
Respond to emails Medium High Within 24 hours Schedule 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon to respond to emails. Prioritize urgent emails and respond to them first. Set up filters to categorize and prioritize incoming emails. Set an autoresponder to manage expectations and prevent email overload.
Schedule a meeting High Medium Within 48 hours Identify potential meeting times based on availability of participants. Use a scheduling tool to send out invitations and confirm availability. Set a clear agenda for the meeting and share it with all participants in advance. Follow up after the meeting with action items and next steps.
  1. Finish report: The report is high importance and high urgency, with a deadline of end of day today. The action plan is to block off two hours of uninterrupted time in the morning to focus on the report, break it down into smaller, manageable sections, allocate time for each section, take a break after each section to prevent burnout, and review and edit the report at the end of the day.

  2. Respond to emails: Responding to emails is of medium importance but high urgency, with a deadline of within 24 hours. The action plan is to schedule 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon to respond to emails, prioritize urgent emails, set up filters to categorize and prioritize incoming emails, and set an autoresponder to manage expectations and prevent email overload.

  3. Schedule a meeting: Scheduling a meeting is of high importance and medium urgency, with a deadline of within 48 hours. The action plan is to identify potential meeting times based on availability of participants, use a scheduling tool to send out invitations and confirm availability, set a clear agenda for the meeting and share it with all participants in advance, and follow up after the meeting with action items and next steps.

3. Create a routine with ChatGPT

Creating a daily routine can help you establish good habits and stay on track. ChatGPT can help you develop a routine that works for your lifestyle and goals.

Ask ChatGPT with the following line:

Based on the daily tasks and routine I give you above, generate a markdown table that help me establish good habits and stay on track. Create a daily routine that includes exercise. I prefer to exercise in the morning, but I struggle to wake up early.

ChatGPT responds:

Time Task Action Plan
6:30 AM - 7:00 AM Wake up Place alarm clock across the room to force yourself to get out of bed. Turn on bright lights to wake yourself up.
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM Exercise Start with light stretching, then do 20 minutes of cardio (jogging, jumping jacks, or a quick workout video), and finish with 10 minutes of yoga or meditation to cool down. Choose an exercise that you enjoy and mix it up to avoid boredom.
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM Shower and breakfast Take a refreshing shower to wake yourself up, then eat a healthy breakfast (such as oatmeal, eggs, or a smoothie) to fuel your body for the day.
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Emails and planning Respond to urgent emails and plan out your tasks for the day. Prioritize your most important tasks and schedule them into your calendar.
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Work Focus on your most important tasks during this time. Take short breaks every hour to refresh your mind and prevent burnout.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch and walk Take a break from work and go for a walk. Eat a healthy lunch (such as a salad or wrap) to refuel your body.
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Work Continue to work on your tasks. Try to avoid distractions during this time, such as social media or personal emails.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Exercise or leisure Take a break from work and do a quick workout or engage in a leisure activity you enjoy, such as reading or listening to music.
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Dinner prep Plan and prepare a healthy dinner. Use this time to experiment with new recipes and try new foods.
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Dinner and unwind Eat dinner with your family or friends, or take this time to unwind and relax. Avoid working during this time.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Leisure activity Engage in a leisure activity that you enjoy, such as watching a movie or going for a walk. Avoid using electronic devices during this time to promote restful sleep.
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Wind down and sleep Take a warm shower, read a book, or meditate to wind down before going to bed. Turn off all electronic devices and go to bed at a consistent time each night.

This daily routine includes exercise in the morning and helps establish good habits to stay on track. Good luck!

4. Learn new skills with ChatGPT

Developing new skills is a great way to improve your productivity and achieve your goals. ChatGPT can suggest resources and strategies to help you learn new skills and stay motivated.

Ask ChatGPT with these lines:

I want to know how to code in JavaScript. Currently, I am at beginner level without too much knowledge about it. Give me a concrete timeline table in markdown format with executable steps, tutorials, materials.

ChatGPT responds:

Timeframe Task Action Plan Resources
Week 1 Introduction to JavaScript and Basic Concepts Watch online tutorials or read articles that provide an overview of JavaScript, such as Codecademy, MDN, or W3Schools. Codecademy, MDN, W3Schools
Week 2-3 Syntax, Variables, and Operators Follow a structured tutorial series that covers JavaScript syntax, variables, and operators. JavaScript.info, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy
Week 4-5 Functions and Control Flow Learn about functions, loops, and conditional statements in JavaScript. JavaScript.info, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy
Week 6 Intermediate Concepts and Libraries Familiarize yourself with intermediate concepts and libraries such as objects, arrays, and jQuery. JavaScript.info, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy, jQuery
Week 7-8 JavaScript Frameworks and Libraries Explore popular JavaScript frameworks and libraries such as React, Angular, and Vue. React, Angular, Vue, Udemy
Week 9-10 Projects and Portfolio Building Build your own projects using the concepts and tools you have learned. Create a portfolio to showcase your work. Github, Codepen, Portfolio sites

Obviously, ChatGPT did not provide us where to find these tutorials.
You can keep on asking:

I need to know where I can find these materials. Can you show me the learning materials or YouTube channels that I need to learn from for each week?

ChatGPT responds:

Timeframe Task Action Plan Resources
Week 1 Introduction to JavaScript and Basic Concepts Watch online tutorials or read articles that provide an overview of JavaScript, such as Codecademy, MDN, or W3Schools. Codecademy, MDN, W3Schools
Week 2-3 Syntax, Variables, and Operators Follow a structured tutorial series that covers JavaScript syntax, variables, and operators. JavaScript.info, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy
Week 4-5 Functions and Control Flow Learn about functions, loops, and conditional statements in JavaScript. JavaScript.info, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy
Week 6 Intermediate Concepts and Libraries Familiarize yourself with intermediate concepts and libraries such as objects, arrays, and jQuery. JavaScript.info, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy, jQuery
Week 7-8 JavaScript Frameworks and Libraries Explore popular JavaScript frameworks and libraries such as React, Angular, and Vue. React, Angular, Vue, Udemy
Week 9-10 Projects and Portfolio Building Build your own projects using the concepts and tools you have learned. Create a portfolio to showcase your work. Github, Codepen, Portfolio sites

Please note that these are just suggestions and there are many other resources available online. It's important to find the learning materials and channels that work best for you and your learning style. Good luck on your JavaScript learning journey!

5.Automate your tasks with ChatGPT

You can try to automate your tasks with ChatGPT to make your workflow more efficient. For example, you can automate troubleshooting with ChatGPT. ChatGPT can help you troubleshoot issues in your code by providing suggestions on how to fix them.

For example, you are having the following error code:

TypeError: 'int' object is not callable
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

You can simply copy and paste the error message into the chatbot prompt and ask for help. ChatGPT will make the following responce:

This error occurs when you're trying to use an integer as a function. Here are some steps to troubleshoot the issue:

  • Check the code where the error occurred: Look at the line of code where the error occurred and see if you're trying to use an integer as a function.

  • Check the variables: Make sure that any variables you're using in the code are declared and initialized properly.

  • Check the function call: If you're calling a function, make sure that you're using the correct syntax and that the function is defined properly.

  • Check for typos: Make sure that there are no typos or syntax errors in the code.

In this case, the error message suggests that the issue is related to a function call. Double check to see if you're trying to use an integer as a function or if there are any syntax errors or typos in the code. You may need to redefine the variable or use a different function to resolve the error.

If you want ChatGPT to identify the exact issue, you can provide it the context by copying and pasting your code into the ChatGPT prompt. Keep in mind that you only want to do this when you are the owner of the code. If you are under an contract with disclosure restrictions from a software company, DO NOT copy and paste your entire code into ChatGPT!

Besides manually copy and paste prompts for ChatGPT, another trick is using automated tools that can save your time. You can use:

Conclusion

In conclusion, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for improving productivity and achieving your goals. By using ChatGPT to set goals, develop strategies, track progress, and manage your time, you can become more productive and make progress towards the things that matter most to you.

Top comments (10)

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socialmitch profile image
Michel

These have to be the absolute worst examples to give. In pretty much all of them you knew exactly what you had to do , you just procrastinated By talking to a computer.
And the learning code example You said you wanted to learn programming and then you on your own gave a list of websites.

One of the best features of it is dumbing down explanations of complicated subjects. For instance having it replied to you like a 5th grader.

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socialmitch profile image
Michel

And I'm not sure why you would get the chatbot to help you with reminders, would the person not already know to do that?

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krishnacyber profile image
krishna-Tiwari

I think I have to do also these things .. and interested how chatgpt response to me... Thank you

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opendataanalytics profile image
The Open Coder • Edited

One of the lessons I learned is that, large language models is not really good at generating good responses at first run. You really need to put the "chat" into consideration and practice, you need to figure out the best prompt and "teach" ChatGPT how to work for you.

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krishnacyber profile image
krishna-Tiwari

yes you are right.. It provides better response after and after we ask the question. Now chatgpt only responds on javascript because i ask always problems related to MERN stack or react. And it responds accordingly.

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codeofrelevancy profile image
Code of Relevancy

Thanks for sharing

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dandv profile image
Dan Dascalescu • Edited

You mean, thanks for reading advice we most certainly already knew? Sure, it's good to have a refresher sometimes :)

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codeofrelevancy profile image
Code of Relevancy

Nope hahaha. It was a good read..

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dandv profile image
Dan Dascalescu • Edited

Here, ChatGPT was great at outputting pretty obvious advice that is only valuable for improving productivity if you have zero idea about what productivity is :)

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