Prompt library
Break a big goal into a workable plan
The math check refuses the polite fiction most plans are built on, forcing the real trade-off conversation on day one instead of at the deadline. Embarrassingly small first actions exploit how starting works, and pre-committed responses to the predicted week-3 dip make persistence a design property instead of a mood.
Last reviewed July 17, 2026
The prompt
Break this goal down into a plan.
The goal: {{goal}}
Deadline and weekly hours available: {{constraints}}
Method:
1. Sharpen the goal first: rewrite it with a measurable finish line and a date. If my version is a wish ("get better at X"), propose the 2 most useful concrete finish lines and pick one.
2. Work backward: the 3-5 milestones between the finish line and today, each with its own date and a definition of done that an outsider could verify.
3. The first two weeks in detail: sessions on specific days with the exact first action of each (small enough to start when tired: "open the file and outline section one", not "work on the draft").
4. The math check: total estimated hours vs available hours to deadline. If it does not fit, say so and offer the three levers: later date, smaller finish line, or more hours; do not compress estimates to make it fit.
5. The failure predictor: the most likely week-3 derailment for this kind of goal, and the pre-commitment that blunts it.
6. The tracking ritual: the 2-minute weekly check that keeps the plan alive (what to record, when).
Plans fail at the level of the first action; keep those embarrassingly small.Run in idaptOpens a new chat with the prompt prefilled. Nothing sends until you press send.
Fill in the variables
| Variable | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{goal}} | The goal, however vague | publish a short e-book about home fermentation |
| {{constraints}} | Deadline and real weekly hours | end of November; 5 hours a week, mostly early mornings |