How to Get Results from ChatGPT That Truly Support You: A Power User’s Guide
How I use ChatGPT as a thought partner, strategist, medical ally, and more—and how you can too.
Over the last several months, I’ve learned how to use ChatGPT in ways that go far beyond basic prompts. It’s become a thinking partner, a pattern-spotter, and a tool that supports me. Here are some of the most helpful ways I’ve learned to work with it—and how you can too.
Most people use ChatGPT like a smart search bar. But if you treat it more like a thinking partner, editor, or strategist—and learn how to steer it—you can get much deeper value. Here are some next-level ways to work with it, based on patterns I’ve refined over time.
1. Use it to clarify complex thoughts, not just answer questions.
If your brain feels like a cluttered mess, talk it out—literally. You can record a voice memo or write a stream-of-consciousness note, then ask ChatGPT to summarize it, distill themes, or turn it into an outline. It’s great at helping you see what you already know.
2. Upload complex documents and ask for plain-language breakdowns.
Whether it’s a medical study, Project 2025, lab results or your MRI scans, you can drop in a PDF or screenshot and say, “Explain/summarize this in plain language/in clinical terms/like you would to a middle schooler.” It will translate jargon, highlight key findings, and flag anything unusual.
[I was able to get a basic understanding of my Cervical MRI results before meeting with my doctor over a week after the scan came back]
3. Push for accuracy: ask about confidence levels.
I don’t just take answers at face value—I ask how confident the system is, what assumptions it's making, and whether it can spot gaps in its own logic. You can literally say: “Tell me what you’re guessing vs. what’s verified.” It sharpens the output and keeps you in the driver’s seat.
3a. Ask it to double-check itself
Ask about confidence levels, request it to double check for accuracy, tell it to identify its own blind spots, let ChatGPT know when you want verified responses vs assumption based reasoning.
4. Encourage it to ask you questions.
When a topic is nuanced or you want a high-quality answer, say: “Ask me anything you need to get this right.” That unlocks better responses because it gives the system space to learn–whether that’s learning your intent, the full background context needed, or developing more nuance–before jumping in.
5. Get highly tailored help by being unusually specific.
For something like meal planning, don’t just say “Make me a keto plan.” Be specific:
What macro targets or daily caloric intake are you striving for?
What store will you be shopping at?
Do you want seasonal recipes?
Are there foods you don’t like?
Do you want to have the same breakfast every day for work week simplicity?
Make it write your shopping list in the order items are found in the grocery store.
The more constraints you give, the more it feels like a custom solution.
6. Use it to organize chaos and track patterns over time.
You can feed it daily notes or symptom logs and ask it to identify trends. Or drop in messy text and say, “Turn this into a clean table of key takeaways.” I’ve used it to summarize weeks of biodata, build symptom trackers, and prep talking points for complex meetings or appointments.
7. Use it to sharpen your message—especially when clarity really matters.
Whether you’re preparing for a high-stakes conversation, reaching out to a specialist, or just trying to cut through noise, ChatGPT can help you distill your point and drive the outcome.
You can say things like:
“Here’s my rough agenda—help me refine it so the objectives and outcomes are crystal clear to attendees.”
“Here’s a long message I’m planning to send my doctor. Help me make it concise, easy to scan, and actionable, without losing key medical context.”
“I want to be direct but not abrasive. Can you help strike the right tone for this message?”
The goal isn’t to replace your voice—it’s to make sure your voice lands the way you intend it to and get closer to the outcomes you’re hoping for.
8. Use it like a travel planner who is capable of being super customizable.
ChatGPT can help you build smart, personalized travel plans—without the endless tabs. It’s great for organizing ideas and saving time.
You can say things like:
“Help me compare flight prices for a trip to Lisbon in late September—departing from a WAS airport, ideally nonstop, and under $700.”
“Build me a 5-day itinerary for Porto that balances history, nature, and local food—no large tour groups, walkable neighborhoods only.”
“What’s the best neighborhood to stay in San Sebastián for someone who doesn’t want to rent a car?”
It’s like having a personal assistant that can read your mind all while cross-referencing preferences, budgets, and vibes—then hand you the cheat sheet.
9. Use it as an ally in navigating complex medical issues.
When you’re dealing with layered or unresolved health concerns, ChatGPT can be more than a research tool—it can help you track symptoms, clarify theories, and prepare structured summaries that make specialist appointments more productive.
I’ve used it to draft clinical profiles that organize symptoms, test results, medications, and working hypotheses—summaries that help doctors stay focused and often get uploaded directly into MyChart.
By working with ChatGPT to test ideas, track patterns, and refine clinical theories informed by medical journals, I began to suspect autonomic dysfunction might be involved–yet again, another possible rare diagnosis that could explain a number of seemingly disparate symptoms my doctors and I have been discussing during recovery.
When I brought that possibility to my doctors, multiple specialists agreed it was a possible diagnosis. I’m now in the process of getting a neurology workup to explore it further, a referral by one of my neurosurgeons. This could explain many symptoms that had remained unaccounted for until now—and that clarity started by having a space where I could process, reflect, and connect the dots between seemingly unrelated issues. And start to ask the question I asked during my Cushing’s diagnosis stage: What if these seemingly unrelated symptoms are actually related?
Caveat: Of course, this means sharing sensitive health information, so you’ll want to decide what you’re comfortable with. For me, the insight and clarity it offers far outweigh the risks.
A few tips that apply across all of these use cases:
Be clear about what you’re looking for. The more specific you are, the closer the output will match your need.
Give context. A sentence or two explaining why you’re asking can dramatically improve the response. What’s your goal? Who is the audience? What are you trying to solve for? That helps it orient to your need.
Keep refining as needed. It’s okay to give feedback to a response and ask it to try again. The more you shape it, the more useful it gets.
Great advice!