1 TextExpander
1.1 Automate the use of commonly used text snippets and AI prompts.
Before you dive headfirst into the world of AI-powered prompts, consider setting up a system for organising and tracking your prompts. Consistency is key, just like in scientific experiments or statistical analyses. By keeping track of your prompts, you can learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve them. Write them down and store them somewhere accessible and reliable. Simple tools like Apple Notes, Notepad, or Notion can serve this purpose.
But, for an efficiency boost, consider using TextExpander. TextExpander is a text replacement tool that lets you instantly insert snippets of text as you type by using a quick search or abbreviation. It eliminates the need to repeatedly type commonly used phrases, sentences, or paragraphs. Imagine having all your AI prompts at your fingertips, ready to be expanded in full with just a few keystrokes.
For example, many people are often terrible at creating good filenames. Here’s a video I recorded on the topic of naming things correctly. But I often find myself using ChatGPT to help me convert a file or a few sentences into a good, descriptive filename, which uses the following rules:
Use lowercase throughout.
Use meaningful names: The name of the file should reflect its content and purpose. Avoid using generic names like “file1” or “document”.
Be consistent: Use the same naming convention throughout.
Use only underscores or hyphens: Default to underscores, but use hyphens for the elements in dates (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD) and version control at the end (e.g., -v1).
Keep it short: Keep the file name as short as possible while still being descriptive.
Avoid special characters: Avoid using special characters like %, #, @, etc., as they can cause problems with some software.
Use dates and YYYY-MM-DD: Include dates at the end of the file name (before the extension), and use the YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g., 2023-04-21).
Avoid spaces: Avoid using spaces in file names as some software may not recognise them.
But if you use TextExpander, you can simply copy the text in your document, type “/fn” into ChatGPT, and the following prompt will appear:
Just paste in the content you want to name, the file type, click “return” and a well-crafted filename will appear in the ChatGPT window:
