{"id":407967,"date":"2026-02-04T19:44:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T19:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/407967\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T19:44:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T19:44:25","slug":"i-use-the-pacer-prompt-with-chatgpt-every-day-heres-how-it-helps-me-finish-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/407967\/","title":{"rendered":"I use the \u2018pacer\u2019 prompt with ChatGPT every day \u2014 here\u2019s how it helps me finish things"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I\u2019m staring down a massive task \u2014 a 3,000-word feature, a slide deck, a looming deadline for a script or a complicated editing job \u2014 my brain tends to do something unhelpful: it zooms straight to the finish line and panics. Or worse, sometimes I just stare out the window and watch the snow melt as I contemplate where to start.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when I pull out what I\u2019ve started calling the \u201cpacer\u201d prompt. This tiny shift in my workflow with AI has changed the way I tackle big projects for the better. And I use it with every chatbot<\/a>. So, although I use it most with ChatGPT<\/a>, it also works with Claude <\/a>and Gemini<\/a>, too. Here’s what you need to know about the pacer prompt and how to use it.<\/p>\n

Meet the pacer prompt <\/p>\n

\n

\"man\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

I’ve been an avid runner for 25 years. I love it almost as much as I love writing, so I couldn’t help but bring in the same concept of reaching a PR in a road race to my personal productivty. <\/p>\n

The pacer prompt is simple, instead of asking ChatGPT (or any AI) for a full plan or a giant to-do list, I tell it:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cAct like a running partner. Give me only the first step \u2014 the first mile. Don\u2019t give me anything else until I say \u2018Done.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Then I do that one step. When I finish, I type: Done.<\/p>\n

Only then does the AI \u201cunlock\u201d the next step. Rinse and repeat.<\/p>\n

Why this works so well<\/p>\n

\n

\"man\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

Big projects don\u2019t always overwhelm us because they\u2019re hard \u2014 they overwhelm us because they feel too big all at once. My favorite running coach used to say, “The hardest part about running is putting on your shoes.”<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Amanda’s AI Lab<\/p>\n

\n

\"Amanda's\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

Amanda\u2019s AI Lab is my new Tom\u2019s Guide column where I test the newest AI tools and features to see what\u2019s actually worth your time. I\u2019ll break down what works \u2014 and what doesn’t.<\/p>\n

In other words, thinking about everything in front of us isn’t helpful when you’re just starting. That’s why the pacer prompt breaks that psychological logjam.<\/p>\n

By forcing the AI to feed me just one clear, achievable action, I stop thinking about everything I haven\u2019t done and focus only on what\u2019s right in front of me.<\/p>\n

What you\u2019re really doing here isn\u2019t just delegating planning to AI. You\u2019re building momentum. By limiting yourself to one step at a time, you remove the mental burden of mapping out everything in advance. You also prevent yourself from getting paralyzed by the size of the task.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s exactly like running with a pacer: you\u2019re not obsessing over the entire 10 miles ahead of you. You\u2019re just matching the next stride.<\/p>\n

The ‘pacer’ prompt gamifies productivity<\/p>\n

\n

\"a\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

I hate to admit it, but I’m a little competitive \u2014 especially with myself. So the subtle game mechanic built in makes this prompt a lot of fun.<\/p>\n

Typing \u201cDone\u201d feels like checking off a box, crossing a finish line or hitting a mini milestone. That tiny dopamine hit makes me more willing to keep going.<\/p>\n

Instead of procrastinating or spiraling, I end up moving steadily through work I would\u2019ve otherwise avoided.<\/p>\n

When I use this prompt:<\/p>\n

Long articles or reportsComplex creative projectsMulti-part presentationsMessy tasks where I don\u2019t even know where to startAnything I\u2019ve been putting off<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, it doesn’t make the workload shorter, but it makes it startable \u2014 and that’s often the hardest part.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

This is one prompt you’re going to want to keep in your AI tool box for the next time you feel stuck, overwhelmed or tempted to overthink your next move.<\/p>\n

If you want to test this idea in a low-stakes way, here\u2019s a simple experiment you can run the next time you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or tempted to overthink your next move.<\/p>\n

You might be surprised how quickly a project that felt frustrating or overwhelming starts to feel doable \u2014 because you stopped trying to do it all at once.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Google\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. <\/p>\n

More from Tom’s Guide<\/p>\n

Today’s best Apple iPhone 17 deals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When I\u2019m staring down a massive task \u2014 a 3,000-word feature, a slide deck, a looming deadline for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":407968,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[554,733,4308,86,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-407967","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-technology","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/407968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}