How to Use ChatGPT More Efficiently (It's Not About Better Prompts)

Everyone says ChatGPT is a lifesaver. For my ADHD brain, it was a productivity nightmare.

While everyone was raving about the "magic," I kept getting stuck. I'd ask a question, get some weird answer, try to fix it, and end up more confused than before. Twelve browser tabs open. Zero progress. The tool designed to help me think was making me overthink.

I'm not a genius. But I spent way too much time digging through YouTube tutorials and productivity forums trying to figure out how to use ChatGPT more efficiently. I needed a system that works for a brain that doesn't naturally "stay organized." Most of the advice out there is helpful enough. But here are the three ChatGPT tips that actually saved my workflow.

Quick Summary: How to Use ChatGPT Efficiently

1. Assign a persona for context
2. Set up Custom Instructions
3. One purpose, one chat

ChatGPT Tip #1: Give the AI a Specific Persona

The reason you're not getting good answers from ChatGPT comes down to one thing: context.

Here's an example. Ask "How do I move faster?" in a gaming chat, and you'll get speedrun tips. Ask it after a third date, and ChatGPT writes you a TED talk on emotional availability. Context is everything—just ask my therapist. At least ChatGPT doesn't charge $200/hour.

ChatGPT gives different answers based on context - the same question can get completely different responses

The most effective way to use ChatGPT efficiently is to assign a specific role. You don't need to write a novel explaining your situation. Just give it a job.

Stop asking generic questions. If you treat ChatGPT like a search engine, you'll get textbook responses. Instead, assign it a clear role:

• Writing a marketing email? → "You are a world-class copywriter with 20 years of experience."
• Debugging code? → "You are a senior engineer at Google who reviews pull requests."
• Planning a trip? → "You are a travel agent specializing in budget-friendly adventures."

The more specific the role, the less you have to babysit the output. This alone can cut your back-and-forth in half.

ChatGPT Tip #2: Master the Custom Instructions

Again: context is everything.

ChatGPT has a feature called Custom Instructions. Set it once, and you won't have to explain who you are every time you start a new chat. This is a massive time-saver—and one of the most underrated ways to use ChatGPT effectively.

You have two boxes to fill out:

Box 1: What ChatGPT Should Know About You

Detail what you know and what you don't. For example: "I am a PhD researcher in molecular biology but have no background in statistics." This prevents the AI from explaining things you already understand.

Box 2: How ChatGPT Should Respond

Tell it how to behave. I tell mine: "Never sugarcoat things and be innovative."

Update these periodically to reflect your current goals. Your second brain should grow with you. Seriously, just set this up. It takes two minutes.

ChatGPT Tip #3: One Purpose, One Chat

Context is everything. (Are you seeing a pattern?)

But here's the thing—remembering past context matters too. You spend time crafting a great conversation with useful context. Then you can't find it when you need it again. Or worse: you forget it even exists.

If you don't rename your chats, you'll lose the thread. Then you'll repeat the same instructions over and over. If you start talking about a new project in an old chat, the AI gets confused. And the reverse is even worse—you get confused trying to remember what you were even working on.

The rule is simple: one purpose, one chat, with a clear name. Trust me—future you will thank present you.

The Part Where I Admit I Failed (And Built a Solution)

I'll be honest—I completely failed at Tip #3. I had 1,000+ chats scattered across ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Manual organization? With ADHD? Yeah, right.

So I built a tool that does the heavy lifting my brain refuses to do:

• Universal Search – Find any conversation instantly across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more. No more doom-scrolling through an endless mess.
• Smart Context Matching – Start typing, and it suggests the right chat based on context. Like autocomplete, but for your entire AI history.
• Context Guard – Going off-topic? It nudges you to start a fresh chat before you pollute your thread.
• Auto-Title – Forgot to name your chat (again)? It reminds you to add a meaningful title once the conversation has substance.

What I built - Universal search tool for AI conversations

I built this for myself because I was drowning in digital noise. If your AI workflow feels like chaos, this might be the missing piece.

I'm thinking about making this public. If you're interested, drop a comment or DM me.

Conclusion: The Key to ChatGPT Efficiency

Context is everything. Once you stop repeating yourself, ChatGPT actually becomes efficient.

Come to think of it, that's probably true for talking to humans too.