{"id":821,"date":"2026-04-11T16:01:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T23:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/?page_id=821"},"modified":"2026-04-14T21:51:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T04:51:41","slug":"brief-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/brief-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Brief Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-family: Arial,Arial,Helvetica;\"><span style=\"color: #330099;\"><span style=\"color: #000066;\"><strong>Parabolic Purpose Pattern Prompting Process<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>\u201cI may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0&#8211; Douglas Adams<\/p>\n<p>This guide offers a simple way to begin. It\u2019s not a program or a set of rules &#8211; just a gentle structure that helps you notice what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> The Invitation <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This process helps you use AI as a way of reflecting and gaining new insights about your life purpose and your career &#8211; a way to focus your own intention and discover a direction that becomes clearer through gentle repetition. Note that a parabolic mirror doesn\u2019t create light. It collects, focuses and projects what\u2019s already there.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your intention is the light source.<\/li>\n<li>The AI is the mirror.<\/li>\n<li>The process is the beam.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Remember &#8211; <\/strong>The AI platform is not giving you advice &#8211; it\u2019s reflecting your patterns back to you so you can see them more clearly and get some leverage by processing them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The process is iterative. <\/strong>Conduct an inquiry one day, record your answer in a diary or log &#8211; somewhere that you can review and reflect on your experience. Then inquire again the next day \u2013 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 &#8211; long enough for a pattern to emerge, short enough to stay focused and intentional.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. You get three types of answer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The first type of answer confirms and validates your thoughts.<\/li>\n<li>The second type of answer confirms your thoughts, then takes them in a new direction.<\/li>\n<li>The third type of answer seems meaningless or nonsensical &#8211; you are on the wrong track.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> Setting the Context: Begin by Describing Your Current Situation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Aim high while steering. You don\u2019t drive a car while looking in the rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n<p>Describe your current situation and where you are headed \u2013 don\u2019t dwell on your past, be forward looking. A short sentence or two \u2013 or a brief paragraph if you prefer &#8211; to paint the picture is all that you write in your notebook.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong> How to Use the Prompt<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>There are <strong>two places you will write<\/strong> during this process:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Your notebook or log<\/strong> &#8211; your reflections<\/li>\n<li><strong>The AI platform<\/strong> &#8211; the prompt you paste in<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here is the simple sequence:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step A &#8211; Write your situation in your notebook<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A short paragraph describing where you are now and what you\u2019re navigating.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step B &#8211; Paste the four-question prompt (<\/strong>see Section 5 on the next page<strong>) into the AI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You do <strong>not<\/strong> answer the questions yourself.<br \/>\nThe AI will answer the questions. You simply read and reflect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step C &#8211; Read the AI\u2019s response<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is the \u201cmirror\u201d \u2014 the reflection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step D &#8211; Write your reaction in your notebook<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What resonated?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What surprised you?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What feels irrelevant?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What feels newly alive?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step E &#8211; Return to the AI the next day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Paste the <strong>same<\/strong> four-question prompt again.<br \/>\nYour situation will be the same, but your <em>answers<\/em> will be shaped by yesterday\u2019s reflection.<\/p>\n<p>Repeat this loop for up to six days. By the end of this time, you\u2019ll have a visible record of how your thinking has shifted and sharpened.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong> The Four-Question Prompt (What You Paste Into the AI)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This is the exact text you paste into the AI each time:<\/p>\n<p><strong>PROMPT TO ENTER INTO THE AI <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Prompt text is enclosed in {} and <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">may be coloured blue.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>{<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">I\u2019m using the Parabolic Purpose Pattern Prompting Process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Here is my current situation:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> [<span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Insert your short description of your situation here.<\/span>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Please respond to the following four questions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">What is the intention or tension I\u2019m holding right now?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">What does your reflection reveal about my pattern?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">What small adjustment, next question, or next move becomes obvious?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">What becomes clearer, irrelevant, or inevitable as I continue?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">After answering, please also tell me:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>What is the third thing that emerges from the tension between my intention and the AI reflection?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">For example, if your intention is \u201cI want meaningful work\u201d and the reflection highlights \u201cYou thrive when collaborating,\u201d the third thing might be \u201cI need roles where meaning comes through collaboration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">And one last question: <\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">What feels alive now?<\/span>}<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>After six day<\/strong>s, review your notebook and look for themes, surprises, and shifts &#8211; this is where the coherence and the impact of the parabolic arc become visible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re curious about how different AI platforms support this process, the technical appendix offers a simple overview.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The method is platform\u2011agnostic \u2014 but not all AI platforms can <em>actually<\/em> do it well.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Three Platforms Recommended (Simple, Mainstream, Teachable)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Microsoft Copilot (general-purpose reflective depth)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong> ChatGPT (creative divergence + narrative exploration)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong> Claude (gentle, introspective, meaning\u2011oriented reflection)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Use this process lightly, honestly, and with curiosity \u2014 the clarity emerges through the arc, not the effort.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For more information contact <a href=\"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/contact\/\">Ian Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parabolic Purpose Pattern Prompting Process \u201cI may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/brief-guide\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Brief Guide<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-821","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=821"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/821\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":858,"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/821\/revisions\/858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/we-q.net\/career-crafting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}