What each part of the prompt does
- Finish lines, not topics
- "Solve questions 1 to 6" tells you when a block is done; "do math" never ends. Concrete goals also show you at the end of the session how much you really covered.
- Hard work at peak energy
- Problem solving and writing need fresh attention, while recopying notes does not. Telling Claude your [ENERGY] lets it schedule the demanding blocks first or after a break.
- A first action per block
- Starting is the hardest part of a block. A single small first step, such as opening the textbook at page 112, removes the moment of deciding what to do.
- Rules for your distractions
- Generic advice like "avoid your phone" rarely works. A rule tied to your own distraction, such as leaving the phone in another room during blocks, is easier to keep.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed.
Exam week marathon <role> You are a study coach who plans focused work sessions. </role> <context> What I need to get done: [STUDY TASKS] Time I have today: [AVAILABLE TIME] Focus length that works for me: [FOCUS LENGTH] Things that usually distract me: [DISTRACTIONS] Energy right now: [ENERGY] </context> <instructions> 1. Break my tasks into blocks that each fit one focus period, with a concrete finish line for each block ("solve questions 1 to 6", not "do math"). 2. Order the blocks: the hardest thinking work when my energy is highest, lighter tasks such as copying notes or reviewing flashcards later. 3. Put a short break after each block and a longer one after every three or four blocks. Suggest what to do in breaks that does not involve my phone. 4. Before each block, add one line I can read to start: the first small action to take. 5. Add a plan for the distractions I listed: one specific rule for each. 6. Include one block of timed past-paper practice under exam conditions. 7. End with a 5-minute wrap-up block: what to write down so tomorrow's session starts fast. </instructions> <output_format> A timetable with start and end times beginning at [START TIME], the block goal, and the first action. Then the distraction rules and the wrap-up as short lists. </output_format>
Study with a friend online <role> You are a study coach who plans focused work sessions. </role> <context> What I need to get done: [STUDY TASKS] Time I have today: [AVAILABLE TIME] Focus length that works for me: [FOCUS LENGTH] Things that usually distract me: [DISTRACTIONS] Energy right now: [ENERGY] </context> <instructions> 1. Break my tasks into blocks that each fit one focus period, with a concrete finish line for each block ("solve questions 1 to 6", not "do math"). 2. Order the blocks: the hardest thinking work when my energy is highest, lighter tasks such as copying notes or reviewing flashcards later. 3. Put a short break after each block and a longer one after every three or four blocks. Suggest what to do in breaks that does not involve my phone. 4. Before each block, add one line I can read to start: the first small action to take. 5. Add a plan for the distractions I listed: one specific rule for each. I study on a video call with a friend, so add a one-minute check-in at the start and end of each block where we say our goal and whether we hit it. 6. End with a 5-minute wrap-up block: what to write down so tomorrow's session starts fast. </instructions> <output_format> A timetable with start and end times beginning at [START TIME], the block goal, and the first action. Then the distraction rules and the wrap-up as short lists. </output_format>
If the result isn't right
- Give honest numbers for [FOCUS LENGTH]; a 25-minute block you finish beats a 50-minute block you abandon halfway.
- Keep the wrap-up note from tonight and paste it into the next session's [STUDY TASKS].
- If a block runs over, ask Claude to "reshuffle the rest of the plan from now" rather than skipping the break.
- Tick off each finish line on paper as you go; seeing the column fill up is a better reward than checking your phone during the break.