1 – Challenge your assumptions
This is where you tear up the rule book and ask, “What if the opposite is true?” Tell ChatGPT what your current beliefs are and invite them to challenge them. Find alternative perspectives, break through your limits, break the fabric of what you believe to access growth.
Write in chat: “Challenge my assumptions. Play like a business coach and ask me to agree or disagree with 10 beliefs you choose about my business, [insert business segment here], and wait for an answer after each question. When I agree with one, ask why, then ask “What if the opposite is true?” Provide alternative perspectives and ask me questions that could potentially lead to innovation.”
2 – Invert your perspective
If I gave your closest competitor a sketch of your business and situation, what would he do with it? How would someone with a different skill set use the cards you have or progress in the scenario you’ve constructed? Flip the script to see your goal through the eyes of a rival.
Write in the chat: “Take on the role of my closest competitor. Given an outline of my business [insert your business and current situation here], describe how you would leverage my circumstances if you were me. Detail the strategies and actions you would take.”
3 – Face your challenges
Without rules and order, chaos ensues. You may think you want endless white space to create, but it’s discipline that leads to success. Limitations are stepping stones. Explain your restrictions to ChatGPT to receive guidance and advice on how to maximize your potential.
Write in chat: “Act as my success coach and help me navigate my constraints: I work [number] hours per week, I have [list of resources including money, people, knowledge, energy] at my disposal, and in this context I seek [describe your goal]. Guide me in turning these limitations into advantages, pushing me to think differently and find innovative solutions to achieve more with what I have.”
4 – Find unusual connections
There are views you could get that you didn’t think to ask for. Find genius in unexpected people. Ask an unlikely acquaintance to offer perspective on your problem. Get suggestions from your younger brother. You don’t have to follow their advice, but understanding what they would do in your situation can spark ideas of your own.
Write in the chat: “Consider the unique aspects of my business [briefly describe your business], and consider what I have told you previously. First, ask me to list 5 work things I have planned for this week. Using this information, create a list of 5 unexpected people I ask for perspective on my challenges. These might be people I wouldn’t normally consult for business advice. Next to each person, suggest a question to ask them.”
5 – Question success metrics
Define success on your own terms. If you’re fixated on metrics that don’t matter, you won’t make progress. Have a solid understanding of what success means to you. Count on the help of ChatGPT to create new measures.
Write in chat: “I have been measuring success through metrics, including [describe the metrics you currently track to measure success]. Help me identify and establish new personally meaningful success metrics that are aligned with my core values and vision, which are [describe your personal values]. Ask questions to help me unpack my metrics and suggest alternative indicators of progress and achievement that resonate with what really matters to me.”