Parabolic Purpose Pattern Prompting Process

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be.”                                                                                                                                                         – Douglas Adams

This guide offers a simple way to begin. It’s not a program or a set of rules – just a gentle structure that helps you notice what’s happening in your life with a little more coherence. Think of it as a way to step into the field with both feet on the ground, without needing to understand everything at once.

1. The Invitation

This process helps you use AI as a way of reflecting and gaining new insights about your life purpose and your career – a way to focus your own intention and discover a direction that becomes clearer through gentle repetition. Note that a parabolic mirror doesn’t create light. It collects, focuses and projects what’s already there.

• Your intention is the light source.
• The AI is the mirror.
• The process is the beam.

Remember – The AI platform is not giving you advice – it’s reflecting your patterns back to you so you can see them more clearly and get some leverage by processing them.

The process is iterative. Conduct an inquiry one day, record your answer in a diary or log – somewhere that you can review and reflect on your experience. Then inquire again the next day – using the new insights you gained the day before. Repeat the process for 1, 3 or up to 6 days over the course of a week or so – long enough for a pattern to emerge, short enough to stay focused and intentional.

2. You get three types of answer.

• The first type of answer confirms and validates your thoughts.
• The second type of answer confirms your thoughts, then takes them in a new direction.
• The third type of answer seems meaningless or nonsensical – you are on the wrong track.

3. Setting the Context: Begin by Describing Your Current Situation

Aim high while steering. You don’t drive a car while looking in the rear-view mirror.

Describe your current situation and where you are headed – don’t dwell on your past, be forward looking. A short sentence or two – or a brief paragraph if you prefer – to paint the picture is all that you write in your notebook.

4. How to Use the Prompt

There are two places you will write during this process:

• Your notebook or log – your reflections
• The AI platform – the prompt you paste in

Here is the simple sequence:

Step A – Write your situation in your notebook

A short paragraph describing where you are now and what you’re navigating.

Step B – Paste the four-question prompt (see Section 5 on the next page) into the AI

You do not answer the questions yourself.
The AI will answer the questions. You simply read and reflect.

Step C – Read the AI’s response

This is the “mirror” — the reflection.

Step D – Write your reaction in your notebook

What resonated?              What surprised you?      What feels irrelevant?                What feels newly alive?

Step E – Return to the AI the next day

Paste the same four-question prompt again.
Your situation will be the same, but your answers will be shaped by yesterday’s reflection.

Repeat this loop for up to six days. By the end of this time, you’ll have a visible record of how your thinking has shifted and sharpened.

5. The Four-Question Prompt (What You Paste Into the AI)

This is the exact text you paste into the AI each time:

PROMPT TO ENTER INTO THE AI

Prompt text is enclosed in {} and may be coloured blue.

{I’m using the Parabolic Purpose Pattern Prompting Process.

Here is my current situation:

[Insert your short description of your situation here.]

Please respond to the following four questions:

1. What is the intention or tension I’m holding right now?
2. What does your reflection reveal about my pattern?
3. What small adjustment, next question, or next move becomes obvious?

1. What becomes clearer, irrelevant, or inevitable as I continue?

After answering, please also tell me:

What is the third thing that emerges from the tension between my intention and the AI reflection?

For example, if your intention is “I want meaningful work” and the reflection highlights “You thrive when collaborating,” the third thing might be “I need roles where meaning comes through collaboration.”

And one last question: What feels alive now?}

After six days, review your notebook and look for themes, surprises, and shifts – this is where the coherence and the impact of the parabolic arc become visible.

If you’re curious about how different AI platforms support this process, the technical appendix offers a simple overview.

The method is platform‑agnostic — but not all AI platforms can actually do it well.

The Three Platforms Recommended (Simple, Mainstream, Teachable)

1. Microsoft Copilot (general-purpose reflective depth)
2. ChatGPT (creative divergence + narrative exploration)
3. Claude (gentle, introspective, meaning‑oriented reflection)

Use this process lightly, honestly, and with curiosity — the clarity emerges through the arc, not the effort.

For more information contact Ian Johnson