I will be honest, when I first began using ChatGPT, I viewed it as just another productivity hack. A smarter Google, perhaps a useful writing assistant at best. Ask a question, receive a neat little paragraph in return, and move on. No biggie.
But something changed one day. It wasn’t flashy or dramatic, simply a little adjustment in the way I worked with it. A straightforward question. But one line of writing ended up cracking open something way larger than I had anticipated. It altered my perception of the tool and, more remarkably, of myself.
Let me back up for a moment and tell you what happened.
The Struggle to Find Clarity
I was at a career crossroads at the moment. I had some experience, some solid projects under my belt, and a resume that sounded good on paper. But in reality? I was stuck. I was functioning, but without passion. I needed to shift gears, perhaps into something creative or strategic. I needed to know. I needed to see.
I had piles of notebooks with ideas. Half-finished blog posts. Bookmark reminders for job postings. Online courses I would have signed up for but never completed. I knew that I had potential. I just didn’t know how to do anything with it.
Enter ChatGPT: My Digital Sounding Board
I turned to ChatGPT, not expecting much. Up until then, I had used it for drafting emails, summarizing articles, or writing polite rejections. Helpful? Sure. Life-changing? Not quite.
But that day, I decided to try something different.
I typed this:
“Act like a coach who gets me. Ask me five deep questions that will help me figure out what I want in my career.”
That was it. No fancy formatting. No jargon. Just a genuine request, rooted in my confusion.
And what do I get back? Honestly, it felt like a punch to the gut in the best way possible.
Here’s a glimpse of the questions ChatGPT posed:
- What activity or task makes you forget time, and why?
- What is your dream workday from beginning to end?
- When did you last feel immensely proud of something you made? Why?
- What type of problems do you naturally want to solve?
- What would you do if failure were not an option tomorrow?
I just sat there gazing at the screen. These weren’t the robotic, cookie-cutter questions I was expecting. They were personal. Reflective. Almost too real.
So I responded to them. Not in bullet form. Not with AI-like precision. I responded as if I were speaking to someone who cared.
And in doing so, somewhere between the third and fourth response, I had my lightbulb moment.
The Clarity I Didn’t Know I Needed
I realized I had been trying to “fit in” to roles that looked good on LinkedIn rather than aligning with what truly energized me. I loved storytelling. I loved strategy. I loved building things from scratch, especially ideas.
That one ChatGPT prompt helped me piece it all together.
It wasn’t about just getting a career answer. It was about starting the right conversation with myself.
Why That Prompt Worked So Well
Looking back, I think there were three reasons that one prompt was so impactful:
- It was emotionally intelligent. I wasn’t asking ChatGPT to be a machine. I was asking it to be human-like, curious, caring, and insightful. And it responded in kind.
- It invited collaboration. I wasn’t looking for an answer. I was looking for the right questions. That opened the door to real discovery.
- It came from a place of honesty. I wasn’t posturing. I was genuinely stuck. And when you’re honest, the responses even from AI feel more authentic.
How I Use Prompts Differently Now
That experience completely changed how I interact with ChatGPT. Now, I treat it less like a tool and more like a thought partner. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Be specific, but human. The more real your prompt is, the more helpful the response.
- Invite conversation. Instead of “Give me tips on public speaking,” I’ll say, “Act like a speaking coach. What’s the one thing I need to improve based on this talk I gave?”
- Let it guide you inward. Some of the best prompts aren’t about gathering info, they are about gaining insight.
The Prompt You Might Need Today
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just unsure where to go next, try this prompt:
Act like a wise mentor who knows me better than I know myself. Ask me five questions to help me unlock what matters most in my life right now.
Then answer honestly. Take your time. Don’t rush the process.
You might find your turning point, like I did.
Moving Forward
Technology tends to get blamed for being unfeeling or impersonal. But in the right hands and with the right language, it can facilitate a closer connection to ourselves.
That one ChatGPT question didn’t provide me with a roadmap. It provided me with something better: clarity, curiosity, and the courage to proceed. So yeah, it completely changed everything.