Five First Exercises

Short, real, and doable today. Each takes a few minutes. Do them with any AI assistant open in front of you.

1. The rewrite

Take the longest message or email you sent this week. Paste it in and say:

Cut this to half the length without losing anything that matters.

Read both. Notice what it kept.

You are learning: AI is a fast editor, and shorter is usually better.

2. The explainer

Ask it to explain something you already understand deeply — your job, a hobby, how to cook something you make often. Grade the answer in your head.

You are learning: where it is sharp and where it is vague, so you know when to trust it.

3. The interviewer

Pick a decision you are chewing on. Say:

Interview me about this decision. Ask one question at a time. Do not give advice yet.

Answer honestly for a few rounds.

You are learning: AI is often more useful asking than answering.

4. The three-options trick

Next time you want it to write something, do not ask for "a" version. Ask for three:

Give me three versions in different tones and let me pick.

You are learning: options beat a single guess, every time.

5. The honesty check

Ask it for five facts about a topic you know well. Look each one up. Mark them true, false, or misleading.

You are learning: the single most important habit — verify facts, trust it for drafts. You stay in charge.

Want the other twenty-five?

These five are a taste. The full thirty are in The AI Practice Book. Join the list and I'll tell you the moment it's out, plus one useful thing a week.