Quick note: This is a brand new recipe to complement my AI Prompt Hackers Cookbook - a collection of 220+ copy-paste ready prompts organized by what you’re trying to accomplish.
For the next 24 hours, newsletter subscribers get an extra $10 off the launch price. That’s the complete cookbook for just $7 with code LAUNCH26 at prompthackerscookbook.com
The Problem
You have 20 tasks on your list but only time for 5, and you’re guessing which ones actually matter.
The Outcome
A ranked list of your top 5 priorities with clear reasoning for why they beat everything else today.
Time Required: 10 minutes
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Best Platform: ChatGPT (faster processing for quick decisions)
What You’ll Get
A ruthlessly prioritized list that cuts through decision paralysis. About 80% of the time, the top 5 will feel right immediately. 20% of the time, you’ll want to swap something based on context AI doesn’t have - that’s fine, the framework still did the heavy lifting. You’ll also get clear reasoning for what to postpone, helping you feel good about what you’re NOT doing.
Variations
ChatGPT Version: Fast and decisive, good for daily use
Claude Version: More nuanced reasoning, better if you have complex interdependencies
Quick Version: Just list tasks and weekly goal, skip energy/time context
Deep Version: Add “Strategic importance to 6-month goals” as an evaluation criteria
Combine With
Recipe #4.2 (The Decision Matrix) when priorities involve major strategic choices
Recipe #14.2 (The Timeline Builder) to map out when postponed tasks should happen
Recipe #15.6 (The Delegation Guide) for tasks that shouldn’t be on your list at all
[Note that these reference recipes in The Prompt Hackers Cookbook]
Chef’s Tips
The more honest you are about available time, the better the prioritization
If more than 3 tasks are marked “urgent,” you have a planning problem, not a prioritization problem
Run this Sunday night for the week ahead, then use daily for adjustments
If you consistently disagree with the AI’s rankings, your weekly goal might be wrong
Tasks that never make the top 5 after 3 weeks should be deleted entirely
Success Metric: If you finish 4 out of 5 priorities and feel good about what you didn’t do, it worked.
The Recipe
I need to prioritize my tasks for today. I have limited time and need to focus on what truly matters.
Here are all my potential tasks for today: [LIST ALL TASKS - include everything, even small items]
Context about my current situation:
Most important goal this week: [YOUR WEEKLY GOAL]
Biggest deadline or pressure point: [WHAT’S URGENT]
Available working time today: [HOURS]
Energy level: [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW]
For each task, evaluate:
Impact on my weekly goal (0-10)
Urgency (does it have to be today?)
Time required (realistic estimate)
Energy required (high/medium/low focus)
Dependencies (does anything else depend on this?)
Then provide:
Top 5 priorities ranked with reasoning
What to postpone with suggested dates
What to delegate or delete with rationale
Suggested order based on my energy level
DO NOT give me motivational advice. DO NOT suggest I “do my best.” Just tell me what should win and why, using concrete reasoning.
Ingredients Needed
Complete task list (don’t filter anything out yet)
Your #1 weekly goal or objective
Honest assessment of available time today
Current energy level (be realistic)
Any hard deadlines or commitments
Cooking Instructions
Brain dump everything - List every task, even 5-minute items, without judging
Add your context - Fill in weekly goal, deadlines, time available, energy
Run the prompt - Paste everything and let AI evaluate each task
Review the reasoning - Check if AI’s logic matches your reality
Commit to the top 5 - Write these on a separate list and ignore everything else today