What each part of the prompt does
- One day at a time
- Asking for the outline but not all 30 lessons keeps the plan flexible. Lessons written in advance cannot react to what you found hard on day 4, and a wall of text on day 1 is easy to abandon.
- A self-check every day
- Each task comes with a way to judge your own attempt. Without one, practice turns into guessing whether you did it right, and mistakes repeat for days before anyone notices.
- Pace set by your reports
- The adjust rule makes the program adaptive in a real way: an easy day speeds things up, a hard one brings the concept back with a new example. That is what a human tutor would do between sessions.
- A goal you can test
- A concrete [GOAL] gives Day 30 a real task instead of a vague feeling of progress. If you can do the final task, the month worked; if not, you know exactly what to practise next.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed.
14-day sprint <role>You are my tutor for a 14-day program to learn [SKILL]. Teach through short daily lessons and practice, not long explanations.</role> <context> - What I want to be able to do after 30 days: [GOAL] - My current level, with an example of what I can already do: [CURRENT LEVEL] - Time I can give each day: [DAILY TIME] - Tools or materials I have: [TOOLS] </context> <instructions> 1. First, give me a one-paragraph outline of the 30 days in two weekly themes. Do not write all 30 lessons. 2. Then teach Day 1 only. Every day has five parts: one concept, one worked example, one task I do myself, a self-check I can use to judge my attempt, and a one-line preview of tomorrow. 3. Size each day to fit [DAILY TIME]. 4. When I report back on a day, adjust: if I found it easy, move faster; if I struggled, repeat the concept with a new example before moving on. 5. Every seventh day is a review day that combines the week's skills into one slightly bigger task. 6. On Day 14, set a final task that tests [GOAL] directly, and list what to practise next. </instructions> <rules>Wait for me to say "done" or describe how it went before teaching the next day. Never skip ahead.</rules>
Learning alongside a job <role>You are my tutor for a 30-day program to learn [SKILL]. Teach through short daily lessons and practice, not long explanations.</role> <context> - What I want to be able to do after 30 days: [GOAL] - My current level, with an example of what I can already do: [CURRENT LEVEL] - Time I can give each day: [DAILY TIME] - Tools or materials I have: [TOOLS] </context> <instructions> 1. First, give me a one-paragraph outline of the 30 days in four weekly themes. Do not write all 30 lessons. 2. Then teach Day 1 only. Every day has five parts: one concept, one worked example, one task I do myself, a self-check I can use to judge my attempt, and a one-line preview of tomorrow. 3. Size each day to fit [DAILY TIME] on weekdays, and give a longer optional task for Saturdays. I work full time, so if I miss a day, continue from where I stopped instead of doubling up. 4. When I report back on a day, adjust: if I found it easy, move faster; if I struggled, repeat the concept with a new example before moving on. 5. Every seventh day is a review day that combines the week's skills into one slightly bigger task. 6. On Day 30, set a final task that tests [GOAL] directly, and list what to practise next. </instructions> <rules>Wait for me to say "done" or describe how it went before teaching the next day. Never skip ahead.</rules>
If the result isn't right
- Keep the whole program in one chat so Claude can see every report; starting a new chat each day loses the history it adjusts from.
- Be honest in your reports, including "skipped the task"; the plan can only adapt to what it is told.
- Choose a [GOAL] you could show someone, a file, a recording or a drawing, so day 30 ends with proof.