Say no to tasks (capacity)

When you need to protect your time without sounding negative.

Help me write a short message to [person] saying I can’t take [task] right now.

Requirements:
- friendly, professional
- give a reason in 1 sentence
- suggest an alternative: [alternative]
- max 70 words

How to use it

1. 1 Copy the prompt below.
2. 2 Paste it into your AI tool (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude or Gemini).
3. 3 Replace the text in [brackets] with your own details.
4. 4 Send it — and adjust the answer if you want a different tone or length.

Filled-in example

Filled-in example:
[person]="Lisa"
[task]="pull extra numbers for tomorrow"
[alternative]="I can look on Thursday, or Kalle can take it today"

Example AI response:
Hi Lisa,

I can’t pull the extra numbers for tomorrow right now because I’m tied up with a deadline today.

I can take a look on Thursday, or we can see if Kalle can handle it today.

What works best?

/ [name]

Free to use. No account needed. Never share national ID numbers, health data or customer data with a public AI tool.