Sticking With It
Getting back on track with our 2026 resolutions.
January always arrives with the pressure to do something new. Be better. Change your life. Become someone new. We resolve to learn something, get stronger, focus better, or live with more intention.
Our big aspirations rarely last. Popular running app Strava deemed January 19 “Quitters Day.” Around 80% of resolutions get dropped by the second week of February.
Most of our earnest intentions dissolve — not because we didn’t want them badly enough, but because wanting isn’t a system. Wanting isn’t the same as showing up every day.
Last year, I suggested AI literacy as a resolution. I still believe it’s important; AI can be good and bad for us, and the future of your career and critical thinking is now or will be altered by it. How that happens is up to you. When I think about the positives, I come back to how we change. We can use this powerful technology to sharpen our minds and improve our lives instead of dulling our senses. This year, I thought I’d offer examples — some I’ve personally benefited from, some adjacent and more theoretical — to help you pick (or pick back up) a good resolution and stick to it.
Learning a Language
The goal: Build a learning plan around your schedule, with guidance on linguistic rules and progression.
Apps with streaks and gamified content are helpful, but they often flatten learning into a point system. Many also lack a robust curriculum for less popular languages. AI has powerful translating capability, but it’s better for project plans. Articulate your language goals and ask for a plan that accommodates your ideal learning schedule. Be open to suggestions on in-person lessons and well-reviewed apps that offer your preferred language. If you find yourself making the same mistakes, ask for an explanation. You can also generate practice drills based on your error patterns and simulate conversations on topics you care about or expect to bring up.
The prompt: “Give me a lesson plan to <become fluent/learn practical words for travel/achieve B1 proficiency> in <language of your choice>. Ask clarifying questions to help me build a plan that meets my schedule and learning style, and suggest steps and benchmarks along the way.”
The follow-up: Use the chatbot or your phone’s reminder function to set dedicated practice time or total time for the week. Check in monthly to gauge progress and identify opportunities to make your plan more effective.
Fitness That Adapts to Your Body
The goal: Build strength, consistency, resilience, and performance.
Working out can be a huge chore. If you aren’t familiar with the gym and proper form for muscle workouts, it can feel unapproachable. If you stick to the same exercises, it can feel monotonous. Most free or low-cost fitness sources are also trying to please the most people at once, not address your individual needs.
I’ve been using ChatGPT as my fitness coach for about a year. It analyzes the stats on my smart scale, switches my routine to keep things fresh, folds in targeted exercises to help me cross-train for ballet class, and provides easy recipes and fast-casual food orders that support my nutrition macros. I also use Notion to track my progress. It’s been slow going, but I’m 20 pounds lighter, put on 5 pounds of muscle, and feel better than I have in a long time. I talk through plateaus, proper form, and tailored routines.
The prompt: “Give me a workout plan to reduce fat and build muscle. <Add in stats like weight, muscle mass, etc. if you like, along with a goal weight>. Ask clarifying questions to identify areas of focus.” <You can also send a picture of yourself if you’re looking to improve your figure or target a certain area.>
The follow-up: Check in every two weeks with updated stats and the weight you used for each workout. Articulate any struggles (including stress, lack of motivation), areas of interest, or injuries. I also ask for a new workout plan (which swaps some, not all, workouts) and a meal plan with new or different meals that still meet my nutritional goals.
Learning an Instrument
The goal: A low-stress way to build musical proficiency wherever you are.
Playing an instrument can be a tricky thing to learn — even to come back to if you grew up practicing. Creativity is a muscle, and it can be frustrating to not perform the way we want to or once did, especially with the pressure of doing it in front of others.
Start with a learning plan, including drills and songs to learn. Set reasonable expectations for how much you can practice in a week and reminders for after work or on weekends. Ask for suggestions on accessories or supplies if you need them: perhaps a tuner, picks, reeds, or even a new instrument from a reputable dealer if you’re starting from scratch. As you learn, use your chatbot of choice to source more lessons on topics you’re struggling with or songs you want to learn.
The prompt: “I want to learn <instrument>. Give me a lesson plan for <30 days/60 days/90 days> with benchmarks, and any supplies I’ll need to get started.”
The follow-up: Check in to see if your plan is working and if you’re comfortable with your speed. Ask questions to help you identify the songs you might enjoy playing or learning and the theory behind them. Eventually, you can ask for recommendations on where to get lessons once you feel comfortable with the basics.
Time Awareness Instead of Time Management
The goal: Align your values and energy to the things you spend time on.
Full calendars aren’t always fulfilling. In the slow creep of habits and obligations, we can find ourselves looking back and realizing we let some of the most important things fall away. Think through the things you want to spend time on, and why. Talk through how much time makes sense or what would feel good to preserve. Then, identify how your existing routines can be changed and prodded into something better. Be honest with your desires and gentle with your current self.
The prompt: “I want to have more time for <goals>. Help me identify meaningful measures, practices, and nudges to make that happen.”
<As part of that process, you can write out what you spend time on or give your LLM of choice access to your calendar. Suggestions will likely be more specific and robust with calendar access, but it’s not required if you have privacy concerns.>
The follow-up: Check in every month to see what worked and what didn’t, then tailor accordingly. Note whether changes created tensions. Log your progress somewhere so you don’t lose sight of wins of every size.
Nutrition as Pattern Recognition
The goal: Sustainable energy and health that grows with you.
One-size-fits-all nutrition rules won’t change your diet on their own. Everyone has their own relationship with food: eating habits, available food sources, and skill in the kitchen affect us substantially. Many recipe sites are loaded with ads and preambles. What if you could identify a plan that worked for you, and go from there?
The prompt: “Help me set nutritional goals and build a meal plan for <number of days>. I’d like to cook <X> days and eat out/order <X> days while meeting my nutrition goals. Suggest manageable recipes or batch prep options.” <You can also add restrictions on ingredients>
The follow-up: Check in and say how many days you stuck with it. Ask for recipe swaps if you don’t like any of the suggestions. Mention notable chefs if you like what they make and want to follow something similar. Craft a taste profile and don’t be afraid to ask for new suggestions if repetition makes you more likely to abandon the plan. Log meals that you liked, but don’t obsess over calories.
Quick Hits
Habits that don’t collapse under pressure: “Help me build a habit tracking system that matches my style and keeps me on track without making the habit feel like a chore.”
Getting out more: “Suggest <topic> events happening near me this weekend.” <ChatGPT Pulse has smart, customizable suggestions that can always be tweaked to your tastes.>
Staying flexible: “Give me a 10-minute stretching routine that I can do anywhere.” <With practice, you can add more difficult stretches and longer routines where possible.>
Current events: “Give me a daily news roundup on <topic>. Identify interconnected topics and factors.” <Avoid relying on summary bullets and look out for hallucinations>
None of this works if you’re looking for shortcuts.
AI won’t give you discipline. It won’t give you talent. It won’t give you the patience to practice something badly for a long time. What it can give you, if you let it, is structure where there was only intention, and feedback over guesswork.
The work is still yours. Your goals still have to be given shape. The weight still has to be lifted. The instrument still has to be played, again and again.
Most resolutions fail because they rely on willpower alone. Systems endure. Used carefully, AI is like scaffolding: temporary, adjustable, and ultimately removable. It helps you see patterns you’re too close to notice. It holds plans steady when motivation wavers. It keeps you honest without being punitive.
You’re giving the person you already are a better chance to show up tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, until it sticks.
Brilliant! I had no idea it could be utilized in this manner!