Customize ChatGPTs Instructions & Memory Now to 10x Your Work Later

Have you ever felt like you’re wrestling with ChatGPT, repeating the same prompts over and over just to get a decent output? I’ve been there—stuck in endless prompt loops, copy-pasting, and tweaking the same instructions repeatedly. It gets old fast. If you’re tired of this cycle and ready to 10x your results, it’s time to dive into ChatGPT customization.

In this guide, I’m breaking down the four levels of ChatGPT customization so you can maximize your efficiency and get AI working for you—not against you to master AI marketing.

The 4 Levels of ChatGPT Customization

Let’s walk through each level, step-by-step, to see how you can streamline your AI interactions:

Level 1: Base Model

This is your default ChatGPT model (whether that’s GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, etc.). Each has its quirks, strengths, and limitations. It’s the starting point where no personalization has been added.

Level 2: Account-Level Personalization

At this level, you use:

• Custom Instructions: Tell ChatGPT basic info about yourself, your style, and specific ways you’d like it to interact with you.
• Memory: Let ChatGPT recall information about you from past interactions automatically.

Here’s how you can set this up quickly:

1. Click your profile, then navigate to Settings → Personalization.
2. Enter your name, role (e.g., AI marketer, educator, creator), desired traits (e.g., witty, skeptical), and any ongoing instructions (e.g., always use “dive” instead of “delve,” or format blog posts a specific way).

For example, I’ve instructed mine to adopt a witty, skeptical approach and proactively challenge weak ideas or ask clarifying questions.

Level 3: Project-Level Personalization

Here’s where things get powerful. Projects and custom GPTs let you tailor instructions and memory specifically for different contexts or clients. For instance:

• Projects: Useful for isolating work by client or project to ensure instructions don’t mix.
• Custom GPTs: Create specialized bots for specific tasks or clients, loaded with detailed, repeatable instructions.

I use custom GPTs extensively, creating distinct bots for personal writing, my employer (Social Media Examiner), client projects, or even specific tasks like generating content for my podcast. It saves tons of time because the instructions remain consistent every time.

Level 4: Prompt-Level Personalization

This is your standard interaction, one prompt at a time. But if you’re leveraging the other levels effectively, your prompts can become shorter, simpler, and more precise.

Quick Hacks to Personalize ChatGPT Immediately

Ready to get started? Here are two easy ways to quickly boost your customization:

1. The One-Prompt Technique

Use this prompt to instantly deepen your AI’s understanding of you:

I want you to understand me on a foundational level, gathering information that would be helpful across a broad range of future interactions and topics. Start by reviewing what you already know about me, if anything, and then build on that by asking questions that go beyond my current needs or immediate tasks. Focus on learning about my core values, preferences, long-term goals, and unique personal and professional characteristics. Your goal is to ask about things that, once known, will help you understand my perspective, decision-making style, and motivations in any context. Prioritize questions that would help you provide relevant and personalized support across multiple areas of life, not just immediate requests. Think about who I am holistically and ask what would help you serve me well over time.

This one prompt can significantly enhance ChatGPT’s memory and personalize all future interactions.

2. Spot Your Repetition

Pay attention to tasks you’re repeating. When you notice you’re regularly wrestling with ChatGPT to do the same task, pause and update your instructions either at the account or project level. Keep refining this over time.

Stop Wrestling, Start Automating

Personalizing ChatGPT isn’t just about convenience; it’s about reclaiming your time and energy for strategic tasks instead of repetitive prompts. Customization empowers you to do less busywork and focus on the creative, impactful parts of your role.

Ready to supercharge your ChatGPT interactions? Try out these tips, and watch your AI-driven results skyrocket.

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