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Have you ever typed out a careful request to an AI tool like ChatGPT, gotten a really good answer, and closed the window feeling pleased? Then a week later you wanted to ask the same question again, and you couldn't remember how you'd worded it. You're not alone. It's one of the most common small frustrations with these tools, and it has a very simple fix.
By the end of this, you'll:
Stop starting from a blank box every time you open your AI tool
Know which things are worth saving, beyond just the questions you ask
Have a short description of how you write that makes your AI tool sound more like you
Know where to keep it all, whatever you use: phone, laptop or desktop
FREEKeep Your Own Words
If what your AI tool gives you back never quite sounds like you, my free guide shows you how to keep your own words.
It's free, from my own site. Nothing to buy.
🧠 Why Your AI Tool Doesn't Just Remember
Here's something that surprises a lot of people. Each time you start a new chat, your AI tool mostly starts fresh. It doesn't know how you like things worded, who you're writing to, or what worked last Tuesday. It may remember a few general things about you, but you can't count on it to keep your exact words. You have to tell it again.
That's not a flaw you need to fix. It's just how it works. But it does mean the good stuff you figure out tends to vanish when you close the window.
The answer is to keep your own copy. Not of every chat. Just the handful of things that worked, so you can paste them back in next time.
💾 What's Worth Saving
Most people think of saving prompts, the questions or instructions you type. Those are worth keeping. But the most useful thing to save is often something else: helpful information you'd otherwise type again and again.
A few examples:
A prompt that worked well, like "Explain this like I'm a smart beginner."
A request for a job you do often, like planning the week's suppers or writing a thank-you note.
A few facts about you, such as "I'm retired, I live in a small town, and I'm writing for friends my age."
A description of how you like to write, with a short example.
That last one makes the biggest difference. AARP's guide to talking with AI makes the same point. Tell it the style you want, and the answer comes back closer to what you had in mind.
🛠️ How to Set It Up
Make one place for it. Open a note on your phone, or a document on your laptop or desktop, whichever you use your AI tool on most. Call it "My AI Notes." If you use more than one device, use a note that syncs between them, or just email it to yourself.
Write your style description. Here's what one might look like:
How I like to write:
Short sentences. Plain, everyday words. Warm and friendly, like a note to a neighbor. No exclamation points and no fancy words. Here's an example of how I sound: "Hi Ann, thanks for the tomatoes. They were the best we've had all summer. Let me know when you want your basket back."
Paste it in first. The next time you ask your AI tool to help with a letter or an email, paste your description in before your request. Then ask as usual.
One safety note: keep passwords, account numbers and anything private out of these notes. They don't belong in a chat, and they don't need to be.
🌱 What Changes If You Do
What comes back starts to sound more like you and less like a stranger. It won't be perfect. You'll still want to read it over and change a word or two, the way you would with any first draft. But you'll start closer to done, and you won't be rebuilding the same request from memory.
If you don't, nothing is lost. The tool still works. You'll just keep typing the same instructions over, and some of your best ones will slip away.
👉 See It for Yourself
Save one thing today: a prompt that worked, or a short description of how you write. Next time you use your AI tool, paste it in first and see how the answer changes.
This is how I support this newsletter. Your support is greatly appreciated.
💬 One Word Back
If you try it, hit reply and send me one word: "prompt" or "style," whichever you saved first. No need to explain, and only if you feel like it.
Talk soon,
Bob
A short story from my place, about the dog who gets me out the door every morning at 78 – no sales in it.
Not sure where to begin? Take my free two-minute RISE Readiness Quiz and see which simple next step fits you best.
The quiz itself is free. At the end there is an optional $7 starter kit if you would like to go further, and you are welcome to stop at your results.
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