Make AI Work for You

Extra

Thinking it through

Use AI to think better, not to think for you.

What this is aboutThree habits for decisionsText to copyYour stepsKeeping it currentTest

01What this is about

AI is good at giving you an answer. That's useful for facts. It's riskier for decisions: should we change the walk day, should I take the job, which plan is better? A confident, well-written answer can make up your mind for you before you've thought about it.

This extra shows you how to use AI to think better, not to think for you.

02Three habits for decisions

1. Write your own view first. Before you ask the AI, write down what you think and why, even in two lines. Then you can compare. Without it, the AI's answer becomes your starting point.

2. Ask for the strongest case on each side. Not "what do you think?", but "give me the best argument for, and the best argument against". You're the one who weighs them up.

3. Be harder on polished answers. A neat, confident answer feels more right than it is. The better it reads, the more carefully you should check the reasons behind it.

03Text to copy

For a decision:

Copy this
I'm deciding: [the decision]
What I think now, and why: [your view]
Give me the strongest case for my view, and the strongest case against it.
Then list what I'd need to find out to be more sure.
Don't tell me what to decide.

To test your thinking:

Copy this
Here's my plan: [your plan]
What are the three most likely ways it could go wrong?
For each one, what would I notice first?

04Your steps

Step 1: Pick a real decision

Choose a decision you need to make for your project. For the walking club: "Should we move the monthly walk from Saturday to Sunday?"

Step 2: Write your view first

Write two lines on what you think now, and why. Don't ask the AI yet.

Step 3: Use the decision prompt

Paste the decision prompt with your view. Read both cases, and the list of things to find out.

Step 4: Decide, and note why

Make the decision yourself. Write one line on why. If the AI changed your mind, note what did it. That's useful next time.

05Keeping it current

  • Keep your decision notes in your project folder. They make the next decision quicker.
  • Look back after a while. Was the decision right? What would you weigh differently?

06Test

Take a decision from your project. Answer yes or no.

  1. Did you write your own view before asking the AI?
  2. Did you get the strongest case for and against?
  3. Did you make the decision yourself, and write down why?

Three yes answers: you pass.

07Sources

Checked on 11 November 2026.

  • Writing your view first, asking for both sides, and being harder on polished answers: our own advice. This extra gives habits, not facts about any AI tool.