Imagine (it might not be hard for some of you) that your sometimes brilliant but extremely literal 13-year-old son follows instructions exactly as you give them. You say, “Make me a sandwich” and he’ll stare at you blankly. But if you say, “Take a slice of bread, add mayo, turkey and cheese (all Canadian products of course), and put the top slice on” then boom, you’ve got a sandwich. That’s how ChatGPT works.
If you give vague instructions; garbage in, garbage out. But if you take a few minutes to set things up properly, you’ll get consistent, useful responses every time. This article will guide you through setting up ChatGPT so it actually understands what you want—before we even start asking it to do anything important!
Please note that these instructions are current as of April 12, 2025. As OpenAI is releasing rapid updates, these may become out of date quickly.
Step 1: Open Your Paid ChatGPT Account and Navigate to Settings
Before you start conversing with ChatGPT, let’s make sure it’s set up correctly. Here’s how:
- Log in to ChatGPT and click on your profile picture (Top Right Corner) – This opens up settings and customization options.
- Select ‘Settings’ – This is where you’ll configure how ChatGPT behaves.
Pro Tip: Think of this like setting up your phones autocorrect—if you don’t adjust the settings, it’s going to keep suggesting words you never meant to type.
Step 2: Enable Memory for Smarter Responses
ChatGPT is better when it remembers things. Just like you don’t want to keep reminding your partner how you like your coffee, you don’t want to keep repeating yourself every time you open a new chat.
- In ‘Settings,’ scroll to ‘Personalization.’
- Ensure ‘Memory’ is ON.
- Click ‘Manage Memory’ to see what ChatGPT remembers about you. If there’s anything incorrect or unnecessary, click the garbage can icon to remove specific memories.
Why This Matters: With Memory ON, ChatGPT gets smarter over time. It will remember that you prefer bullet points, structured responses, and concise answers—saving you from frustration later.
Step 3: Customize ChatGPT’s Instructions to Fit Your Style
This is where you train ChatGPT to think like you do (or at least, as much as a 13-year-old AI can).
- In ‘Settings,’ go to Personalization, go to ‘Custom Instructions.’
- Fill in the following fields:
- ‘What should ChatGPT call you?’ – Give it a name you want it to call you.
- ‘What do you do?’ – Describe what you do to help shape its answers better.
- ‘What traits should ChatGPT have?’ – Define how it should interact with you.
3. Under ‘What should ChatGPT know about you?’ – You can provide even more guidance. ChatGPT also has a vocabulary that screams “written by AI”. Based on numerous studies and research by AI aficionados, a common list has been identified. Below is a sample of how this configuration could be made. You should adjust this based on your own preferences and work style.
4. Under ‘Anything Else ChatGPT should know about you?’ – Customize any additional preferences you may like:
Responses are to be created in tables and charts as much as possible. Please create the output in a professional format. Do not begin any suggested emails with “I hope this email finds you well”. Finally, do not use lengthy introductions, do not provide generic advice. Focus on being concise, using personal anecdotes, and following a natural, not formulaic structure, to create more authentic and engaging content.
Avoid the following words: Delve, imperative, landscape, evolving, context, insight, nuanced, comprehensive, framework, facet, dynamic, intricacies, holistic, iterative, synergy, confluence, pivotal, nuance, robust, transformative, underpinning, spectrum, trajectory, in-depth, Indeed, Absolutely, Clearly, Finally, Consequently.
Avoid these phrases: “a myriad of”, “on a broader scale”, “in the context of”, “from a holistic perspective”, “a dynamic interplay”, “intricacies involved”, “a pivotal role”, “underpinning principles”, “the spectrum of”, “transformative impact”, “In fact,”, “Because of this,” “In other words,” “To put it simply,” “That is to say,” “Such as,” “Even though,” “Despite,” “While it may seem,” “In summary,” “Imagine if,” “Suppose that,” “What if,” “Have you ever wondered,” “What would happen if,” “More importantly,” “Even more,” “Less significant but,” “Conversely,” “The key issue is.”
5. Under ‘Advanced Settings,’ ensure all options are checked.
6. At the bottom, turn on ‘Enable for new chats.’
Pro Tip: This is like telling your GPS that you hate highways—it won’t put you on one unless absolutely necessary.
Step 4: Choose The Right ChatGPT Model (Because Not All Are Equal)
Not all versions of ChatGPT are created equal. If you’re doing writing or any structured work, you want the best engine available—which means using GPT-4o.
- In the chat window, look at the model selector at the top.
- Select ‘GPT-4o’ for the best quality responses.
- Avoid lighter models unless needed:
- GPT-3.5 – Faster, but less nuanced and structured.
- o1 – Best for quick, low-priority tasks where accuracy isn’t critical, such as brainstorming rough ideas or summarizing casual conversations.
- o3-mini – A lightweight model designed for speed over depth, useful for simple back-and-forth queries or when rapid responses are needed.
- GPT-4 Turbo (if available) – A balance between speed and quality, but not always better than 4o.
- GPT-4o with Scheduled Tasks, GPT-4.5 Research Proview, o3-mini-high are all new models recently released.
Why: GPT-4o gives more accurate, structured responses. GPT-3.5 is like asking a 7-year-old instead of a 13-year-old—it’ll try its best, but it might color outside the lines. Lighter models like o1 and o3-mini are great for quick, informal interactions but should be avoided for detailed, structured work like resume editing, proposal writing, or precise business documents.
Step 5: Test Your Setup
Now that everything’s configured, let’s run a test. Start a new chat and ask ‘What do you remember about me?’ It should respond with some of your preferences. Want to try something fun? If you have been using ChatGPT for a while and have items in memory, ask ChatGPT to humourously roast you!
Final Thoughts: Why This Setup Matters
With ChatGPT, the more specific you are at the start, the less frustration you’ll have down the road. Now that we’ve set up your AI assistant, in the next article, we’ll cover how to actually talk to it without wanting to pull your hair out.