What if the fastest way to use AI was simply to say what you want—like you would to a helpful colleague—and press return?

There’s a lot of noise about prompts and secret hacks. Useful, sometimes. But if you’re just getting started, keep it gloriously simple: open chatgpt.com, use the free version, and type something you actually care about. Not theory. Not a tutorial. A real, today-problem.

Below are three tiny experiments you can run in under five minutes. No jargon, no rabbit holes—just practical wins for UK life.

1) “What can we do today that doesn’t cost money?”

Relatable moment: it’s the school holidays, the seven-year-old is bored, and you’ve already played the “let’s tidy your room” card. Instead of doom-scrolling, ask for ideas that suit your postcode, weather and budget.

Copy-paste prompt:

“Give me 15 free, screen-light activity ideas for a seven-year-old in the UK during school holidays. Assume typical British weather. Group them by ‘indoors’, ‘outdoors’, and ‘on the way somewhere’. Keep each idea to one sentence. Ask me two questions to refine the list.”

Hit enter. Read. Follow-up with specifics (“We’re near Leeds”, “No car”, “Has a short attention span”). Treat it like a conversation, not a vending machine.

2) “I’ve retired. I want something to do that earns a bit—no face-to-face.”

If you’ve stepped away from the day job, you may fancy a small, self-run project without Zoom fatigue or customer frontlines. Ask for options that match you.

Copy-paste prompt:

“Suggest 12 simple, low-cost ideas to earn a modest side income in the UK without face-to-face work. Prioritise projects I can do solo from home with flexible hours. For each, include: one-line description, first three steps, and a sensible next action I can do today in 15 minutes.”

You’re not marrying an idea; you’re test-driving it. Pick one, do the first tiny step, and see if it feels right. If not, ask for alternatives with tighter constraints (“Only writing-based”, “No social media”, “£0 upfront”).

3) Talk to ChatGPT like a person—use verbs, context and tone

Here’s the bit most people miss: tell it what to do and how to do it. Be direct. Ask it to remember key preferences in the same chat (and, if memory is enabled on your account, it may remember them across chats).

Copy-paste prompt:

“Remember this for future replies: I’m UK-based, prefer plain English, short paragraphs, and practical steps. When I ask for ideas, offer low-cost or free options first, and avoid hype. Confirm you’ve got that.”

Next, give it a light persona so it writes in a style you enjoy. For example:

Copy-paste prompt:

“From now on in this chat, act as ‘The Old Grey Thinker’: smart, respectful, lightly witty, and UK-centric. Use crisp sentences and avoid jargon.”

Finally, you can help it learn the feel of writing you admire. Share a public article or paste an excerpt and be explicit:

Copy-paste prompt:

“Read this article (paste text or link). Learn the tone, rhythm, and structure—plain English, gentle wit, concrete steps. When I ask for drafts later, mirror this style without copying phrases. Confirm what you’ve learned in 3 bullets.”

This isn’t “AI replacing you”. It’s tools with judgement—your judgement. You set the brief, boundaries and taste. It drafts; you steer.

A minimalist “starter kit” you can save today

Create a new note titled “ChatGPT—My Starter Prompts” and paste the four prompts above. Add one more that reflects your current project, for example:

“Turn these messy notes into a one-page plan with headings: Goal, Why it matters, First three actions this week, Risks and mitigations. Keep it in UK English: {paste notes}”

That’s it. No course required. Open chatgpt.com, paste a prompt, and have a proper conversation. If it goes off-piste, nudge it: “Shorter, please.” “UK examples.” “Add steps I can do in 10 minutes.” It learns fastest from your polite bossiness.

And if a seven-year-old asks why you’re grinning at your laptop, tell them you’ve just outsourced the rain plan.

—

If this was useful, there’s more like it on my Substack, The Old Grey Thinker — join here: https://substack.com/@theoldgreythinker