Here’s the Painful Truth Nobody Talks About
Picture this: It’s 2 PM on a Tuesday. Your inbox has 47 unread messages. You’ve got a meeting in 20 minutes that you haven’t prepped for. Your to-do list looks like a grocery store receipt from someone who forgot they were on a budget. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re wondering if ChatGPT could help… but you’re just using it to summarize articles and write slightly-less-awkward emails.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. Over 800 million people tap into ChatGPT every week. One in five use it for work. But here’s the kicker—most are barely tapping into what it can actually do. It’s like owning a Ferrari and only driving it to the grocery store.
The real magic? ChatGPT isn’t here to replace your thinking. It’s here to sharpen it. To organize it. To speed it up when your brain is already juggling three projects, two client calls, and the nagging feeling that you’re forgetting something important.
Why Your Brain Is Already Exhausted (And What To Do About It)
Let’s be real: mental clutter is expensive. You lose focus preparing for meetings. You second-guess decisions. You spend energy just figuring out what to do first instead of actually doing it.
That’s where these prompts come in.
Think of them as mental scaffolding—structure that doesn’t slow you down, but actually speeds you up. When you’re in the middle of a busy day juggling your empire, a good prompt can be the difference between momentum and burnout.
I’ve been collecting prompts that work. Not flashy ones. Not ones that make you sound smart in a meeting (though some do). The ones that actually help you focus and move your business forward.
Here are the 10 that have made the biggest difference for solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and small business owners building their empires.
The 10 Prompts That Will Transform Your Workday
1. “Help Me Prioritize These 10 Tasks Based On Impact, Deadline, And Visibility To Key Stakeholders”
Why it works: Ever stare at your to-do list and feel paralyzed? Everything looks urgent. Everything feels important. Your brain shuts down trying to figure out what matters most.
This prompt cuts through that noise. Paste in your list, and ChatGPT ranks it based on three things that actually matter: What moves the needle? What’s due right now? Who’s watching?
I’ve found this especially helpful during weeks where everything feels like it’s due yesterday. Instead of wasting mental energy on prioritization, you get clarity. You see what really matters. And you stop spinning your wheels on low-impact tasks that just feel urgent.
Pro tip: Be specific with your list. The more detail you give ChatGPT about deadlines and stakeholders, the smarter the ranking becomes.
2. “Turn This Idea Into Three Talking Points I Can Use In A Meeting”
Why it works: You’ve got pages of notes. Or maybe just a vague idea floating around in your head. You know it’s good, but when you open your mouth in the meeting, it comes out as word soup.
This prompt forces clarity. It takes your messy thinking and gives you three focused bullets you can actually say out loud without rambling or over-explaining under pressure. It’s like having a coach in your corner right before you step into the ring.
If you tend to lose people when you’re excited about something (or nervous), this gives you something solid to lean on. Your idea stays intact. You just deliver it better.
3. “What Are The Most Common Assumptions People Make About This Topic, And Which Ones Should I Question?”
Why it works: Here’s something that inhibits growth: assumptions. The things we think are true but haven’t actually examined.
Use this prompt when something feels stuck. When you’re about to launch something new. When you’re advising a team and you need fresh perspective.
It brings to the surface the invisible beliefs that might be holding you back—or holding your business back. I’ve used this when creating courses, writing articles, and helping teams break through plateaus. It’s like turning on a light in a room you didn’t know was dark.
Real talk: This one works best when you’re willing to actually question what it brings up. Don’t just read it and move on. Sit with it.
4. “Design A 30-Minute Team Workshop That Builds Psychological Safety”
Why it works: Fear kills curiosity. And curiosity is what drives innovation and growth.
You don’t need a full-day offsite to help your team feel more comfortable speaking up. This prompt gives you a short, focused plan—including a script, one simple activity, and closing questions. It’s especially powerful when a new team is forming or after something disruptive has happened.
For solopreneurs, you might adapt this for client calls or customer interactions. For small business owners, it’s a game-changer for team alignment without eating up your entire week.
5. “Summarize The Pros And Cons Of These Three Strategic Options So I Can Present Them Clearly To My Team”
Why it works: Data overload is real. And burnout from trying to decipher what it all means? Even more real.
When you’re deciding between three directions, this prompt frames the choice cleanly. You enter your options, and it returns a summary you can use to brief your team or make the call yourself. No more second-guessing. No more endless back-and-forth.
I’ve used this for everything from writing projects to consulting proposals. It cuts down on decision paralysis and speeds up alignment.
Important caveat: AI can’t know all the factors affecting your decision. Use this as a starting point, then apply your own critical thinking and gut instinct. You’re the CEO of your empire, not ChatGPT.
6. “Create A Personal Learning Plan Based On These Three Areas I Want To Improve”
Why it works: There’s so much content out there that people get stuck before they start. You want to level up, but you don’t know where to begin.
This prompt turns vague goals into an actual plan. You name three things you want to improve, and ChatGPT gives you recommendations—articles, habits, quick wins. It adds structure to personal development without over-committing your already-packed schedule.
For empire builders, this is gold. You can use it quarterly to stay sharp in the areas that matter most to your business.
7. “Rewrite This Feedback Message So It Is Constructive And Motivating”
Why it works: I write fast. Sometimes I forget the niceties. This prompt saves me from sending messages that land wrong.
You paste in what you’ve written, and it sends back a version that’s clear, firm, and respectful. It keeps the message direct but avoids coming across as critical or unclear. The other person leaves feeling capable, not discouraged.
This is especially powerful for feedback conversations where the stakes are high—whether that’s with a team member, a contractor, or a client.
8. “Create A Weekly Schedule That Includes Deep Work And Collaboration Time”
Why it works: Ever feel like your week is full but nothing important is getting done?
Meetings take over. Collaboration is good, but so is uninterrupted focus time. This prompt resets your calendar. You enter your availability, and it gives you a layout that protects space for deep work while still allowing collaboration.
For solopreneurs, this is your secret weapon against context-switching chaos. For small business owners, it ensures your team isn’t in back-to-back meetings with no time to actually execute.
9. “Give Me A Framework To Review Why This Project Failed And What To Do Next”
Why it works: Some of the best lessons come from failure. But it’s tempting to either move on too fast or spiral into analysis paralysis.
This prompt gives you the middle ground. It offers structure that’s focused on learning and future steps—not blame or endless dissection. I’ve used this after setbacks, and it helps me see what to change next time without going in circles.
For empire builders, this is how you turn stumbles into stepping stones.
10. “Suggest Five Behavior Nudges That Reinforce A Mission In Everyday Work”
Why it works: Mission statements sound great on paper. But the real test? Whether anyone actually lives them.
This prompt takes your company’s mission and returns small behavioral cues you can integrate into meetings, communication, and recognition. These nudges make it easier to create consistency without forcing anything.
For solopreneurs, this helps you stay aligned with your values. For small business owners, it ensures your team is living your mission, not just repeating it.
Why These Prompts Actually Work
Here’s the thing: each of these prompts reduces the pressure of thinking through everything on your own.
They support better conversations. Stronger priorities. Clearer decisions. They give you structure when your brain is already maxed out.
You might not use all ten. You just need the right one at the right time.
One Critical Reality Check
Here’s where I need to be straight with you: ChatGPT is not always right.
It likes to tell you how smart you are. It likes to affirm your decisions. Sometimes you are smart and your decisions are wonderful. Sometimes… you’re not. And they’re not.
These prompts give you insight. They sharpen your thinking. But they’re not a substitute for your judgment.
Use common sense. Apply critical thinking. Trust your gut when something feels off. You built (or are building) your empire because you have good instincts. These prompts amplify those instincts—they don’t replace them.
The Empire-Building Edge
The entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who are winning right now? They’re not working harder. They’re working smarter. They’re using tools—like these prompts—to reclaim mental space for what actually matters: strategy, creativity, and growth.
At Empire Base, we believe your tech should support your ambition, not distract from it. Whether that’s hosting that handles the heavy lifting or prompts that sharpen your thinking, the goal is the same: eliminate the noise so you can focus on building.
Try one of these prompts this week. See what shifts. Then come back and try another.
Your empire isn’t built on perfect decisions. It’s built on fast, thoughtful ones.
Ready to catapult your business to new heights? Start with one prompt. Master it. Then add another. Your brain—and your business—will thank you.
