9-Step Claude Power User Setup

Step 1. Claude Opus 4.7 with Adaptive Thinking - Click the model dropdown (top of chat). - Pick Opus 4.7 & toggle Adaptive Thinking ON. - Same chat. Better model. Real reasoning. Step 2. Move from Chat to Cowork - Open the Claude desktop app & click "Cowork". - Cowork holds your files, folders, and context. - Stop re-explaining your work in every new chat. Step 3. Build your About-Me file - Open a blank text file. Save as about-me .md. - Write your voice, taste, rules, and goals. - Spend 2 hours once. Use it forever. Template to copy paste: - Who you are: "[role + context]" - How you write: "[short sentences, no jargon]" - What you reject: "[banned words & phrases]" Pro tip: - Don't write what you like. Write what you reject. - 80% of the file should be your "do nots." Step 4. Connect your real apps - Open Claude Settings -> Connectors. - Connect Gmail, Drive, Slack, Granola, Calendar. - Claude now sees your actual work. - It stops being a chatbot. It becomes a co-worker. Step 5. Prompt with action verbs - Name the output. Name the order. - Don't say: "Review this." - Say: "Find the 3 biggest risks. Suggest edits. Rewrite the intro clearly." Step 6. Define length, format, tone up front - Tell Claude the length: "in 120 words." - Tell Claude the format: "as a 3-bullet list." - Tell Claude the tone: "direct, no fluff." Step 7. Use positive instructions only - Don't say what you hate. Say what you want. - Not: "Don't be too formal." - Yes: "Write like you're texting a smart friend." - Say the thing. Not the opposite. Step 8. Quote the wrong part, fast - When Claude misses, don't rewrite the prompt. - Paste the bad line. Say what's wrong. - Short. Direct. Move on. Step 9. Reset when memory fills - After 8-10 long back-and-forths, quality drops. - Copy the best output into a new chat. - Fresh tokens. Same brain. Clean slate. Before your next Claude prompt, check these three: - Am I on Opus 4.7 with Adaptive Thinking on? - Am I in Cowork with my about-me .md loaded? - Did I tell Claude the length, format, and tone?