Recipe №041 · work

Voice memo → clean to-do list in 30 seconds.

Record a messy voice note on the commute and turn it into an actionable to-do list before you sit down.

by mike·Feb 11, 2026·5 min read

① The goal

Take a rambling voice memo and extract clear, actionable items without losing nuance.

② The prompt

I'm going to paste a transcription of a voice memo I recorded on my commute. Extract every actionable item into a numbered to-do list.

Rules:
- Each item must start with a verb.
- If something is vague, flag it with [needs detail].
- Group related items under short headings.
- Drop filler, repeated thoughts, and "oh wait" tangents.

③ How it goes

Try 1

Pasted the raw transcript. Got a nice list but it included my "um"s as items.

Try 2

Added "drop filler." Much better — clean list, but lost one subtle point.

Try 3

Added the [needs detail] flag rule. Now it catches vague items instead of dropping them.

④ Variations