You rebuild the same prompt every week and start from zero every time. Write the shape down one time, and from then on you change one line.
You have a thing you make every week. The client update, the newsletter section, the meeting recap. And every single time you open AI and describe it from scratch: what it's for, how long, what goes where, what to leave out.
You get something slightly different each week, so you fix it, and that's your hour gone. The fix isn't a better prompt. It's writing the format down once: who it's for, how long it runs, the sections in order, the tone, the two things it must never do.
Save that as one message you keep. From then on you paste it and change one line, this week's topic, this week's numbers. The shape holds and the words change. After that you're filling in a template instead of rebuilding one.
Fill in every bracket the first time. It takes 20 minutes if you have the last 2 or 3 versions you sent in front of you. After that, only the last line changes.
BRIEF: [the name of the thing, e.g. weekly client update] Who reads it: [the person, and the one thing they care about, e.g. my retainer clients, who want to know their money is being spent well] What it is for: [the one job it does, e.g. so the client never has to ask "where are we?"] Length: [e.g. under 200 words] Shape, in this order: [the sections, e.g. 1) what got done this week 2) what is next 3) the one thing I need from you] Tone: [e.g. plain, warm, direct, short sentences] Always: [the rules, e.g. dates written as Mon 25 Aug, numbers as digits, end with one clear next step] Never: [e.g. no em dashes, no apologies, no "hope this finds you well", no promises on dates I have not confirmed] A good one looks like this: [paste one you were happy with] THIS WEEK: [the one line that changes, e.g. finished the homepage copy, next is the about page, need their headshots by Friday] Write it.
This is the brief for a weekly update from a solo consultant to a retainer client. Copy it as a starting point and change the details to yours.
BRIEF: weekly client update Who reads it: my retainer clients. They are busy and want to know their money is being spent well without reading a report. What it is for: so the client never has to ask "where are we?" Length: under 200 words. Shape, in this order: 1) what got done this week 2) what is next 3) the one thing I need from you. Tone: plain, warm, direct. Short sentences. Write to them, not about me. Always: dates as Mon 25 Aug. Numbers as digits. Name the next step. Open with "Hi [first name]," and sign off with just my name. Never: no em dashes, no apologies, no "hope this finds you well", no promises on dates I have not confirmed with them. A good one looks like this: Hi Dana, Done this week: the homepage copy is finished and in your shared folder. The 3 service pages are drafted. Next: I start the about page Tue 26 Aug and send all 4 pages for review by Fri 29 Aug. From you: your 2 headshots by Thursday so the about page is not waiting on them. Gaby THIS WEEK: [what got done, what is next, what I need] Write it.
Same template, different document. These are the 2 most people rebuild every week without noticing.
Sent within an hour of every client call. The one that stops "wait, what did we agree?" 2 weeks later.
BRIEF: meeting recap
Who reads it: the client I just spoke with, plus me in 3 weeks when I forget.
What it is for: one written record of what we decided, so nobody has to remember.
Length: under 150 words.
Shape, in this order: 1) decisions 2) who does what, by when 3) open questions.
Tone: plain, no filler, no recap of the small talk.
Always: dates as Mon 25 Aug. One owner per action. End with "Reply if I got anything wrong."
Never: no em dashes, no new promises that were not made on the call.
THIS CALL: [paste your notes or the transcript]
Write it.
Whatever your recurring section is: a tip, a client story, 3 links. Its shape never changes. Only the content does.
BRIEF: [name of the recurring section, e.g. the one tip] Who reads it: [your subscribers, and why they opened] What it is for: [the one job, e.g. one thing they can do today in under 10 minutes] Length: [e.g. 80 to 120 words] Shape, in this order: [e.g. 1) the situation in one line 2) the tip 3) the exact words or steps 4) one line on why it works] Tone: [e.g. plain, no hype, written to one person] Always: [e.g. name the tool, give the exact click path] Never: [e.g. no em dashes, no "welcome to this week's issue", no more than one tip] A good one looks like this: [paste one] THIS WEEK: [the tip] Write it.
When a brief has held for a month without changes, say "turn this into a skill" and it becomes something you call by name. That move is on its own page: Say this after anything you do twice.