The best entrepreneurs have principles they follow, and you should too. Your principles help you avoid mistakes, stay clear of biases, and keep emotions in check. They act as a cheat sheet for making decisions. But most people don’t write theirs down.
They make choices on a whim, influenced by how they feel in the moment. No surprise they end up feeling lost or unsure.
Want to change that? Let’s write down your principles. Not just any principles though—ones that truly guide your actions and make you proud of who you are.
Here are 5 ChatGPT prompts to help you write principles you’ll live by. Simply copy and paste them into ChatGPT, fill in the blanks, and edit as needed. Keep the same conversation going so everything ties together.
1. Define Your Core Values
Your principles come from your values, but do you know what yours are? Many people think they do, but when it comes down to it, they’re not so sure. This prompt will help you dig deep into what you really stand for, not just what you think you should.
Prompt:
“I want to understand my core values better. Ask me 10 questions about what I believe, what I stand for, and what drives me. After each answer, ask a follow-up question to go deeper. My background is [describe your upbringing and key life experiences]. My current role is [describe your job or business].”
2. Test Your Values in Tough Situations
It’s easy to have principles when everything’s going well, but what about when things get tough? This prompt will put you in challenging situations to see how your principles hold up when tested. Think of it as a practice run for your values.
Prompt:
“Create a quiz with 5 tough business scenarios. Each one should present an ethical dilemma or hard decision. After each scenario, give me 3 possible actions I could take. My business is in [your industry] and I’m facing challenges like [describe your current challenges].”
3. Spot Your Behavior Patterns
We all have habits we follow without realizing it. This prompt acts like a personal business coach, helping you recognize patterns in your behavior so you can make better decisions. The goal isn’t to criticize, but to help you improve.
Prompt:
“I want to understand my behavior patterns better. Ask me about 5 recent business decisions I’ve made. For each one, dig into my thought process, my emotions at the time, and the outcome. After we go through all 5, analyze my decision-making style and tell me the patterns you see. My business goals are [outline your main business objectives].”
4. Clarify Your Long-Term Vision
Principles should be tied to where you want to go in life and business. This prompt will help you align your values with your long-term goals, making sure your actions today lead to the future you want.
Prompts:
“Help me clarify my long-term vision. Ask me 5 questions about my ideal life and business in 5 years. Then, guide me in writing principles that match the person I want to become and the business I want to build.”
5. Create a Personal Decision-Making Framework
This final prompt helps you develop a clear, simple system for making decisions that reflect your principles. It’s like creating a personal rulebook for how you handle tough choices.
Prompt:
“I want to create a decision-making framework based on my principles. Ask me about my top 3 values and how I think they should guide my choices. Then, help me design a simple process I can follow whenever I face a difficult decision.”
These prompts will help you write principles that truly matter to you and guide you in your business and life. Once you have them, you’ll have a powerful tool to stay grounded, make clear decisions, and avoid getting lost in the moment.