I don’t usually set New Year’s resolutions.
Not because I’m against self-improvement, but because I’ve never loved the idea that change needs a specific date to begin. If something needs fixing, improving, or rethinking, I’d rather start immediately.
That said, this year was a little different.
I’ve been using ChatGPT heavily, across work, planning, reflection, and problem-solving — and it occurred to me that it probably has a surprisingly accurate picture of how I operate, what I value, and where I’m stretched.
So I decided to try something a bit different.
I asked it one simple question:
“Based on what you know about me, give me three potential things to make my New Year’s resolutions to help me grow as a person These could be professional or personal.”
What came back was more interesting than I expected.
Resolution #1: Build a Scalable Growth Engine
The first suggestion was business-focused:
Build a scalable, repeatable growth engine that doesn’t depend on you personally.
On paper, this is great advice.
It talks about moving away from being the delivery bottleneck, building systems instead of relying on individuals, and creating something closer to a subscription-style operation rather than purely organic growth.
The problem?
We’re already doing a lot of this.
We sell licences for tools like Asana and Pipedrive, we’ve built repeatable processes, and growth is already system-driven rather than pull-based. ChatGPT didn’t have full context here, so while the recommendation itself was solid, it didn’t really push me into new territory.
Good advice, just not the one to focus on for 2026.
Resolution #2: Create a Long-Term Health Framework
The second suggestion was health-focused, and honestly, it landed much better.
The idea was to establish a “peak vitality blueprint” not a short-term fitness goal, but a long-term framework for health over the next decade.
I train hard.
I use the sauna.
I cold plunge.
But over the past year, I’ve also had a couple of unexpected health flags, including thyroid issues and an episode of atrial fibrillation. (How I cold-shocked my heart into AFib, which is… a lesson in itself.)
What this resolution highlighted was the lack of an overarching system.
Being fit isn’t the same as being monitored.
I liked the idea of building something more intentional:
quarterly or annual check-ins, regular blood tests, professional consultations, a framework that reduces the risk of being blindsided.
This one was compelling.
But it still wasn’t the one.
Resolution #3: Create Intentional One-on-One Time With Each Child
The third suggestion stopped me.
It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t productivity-driven.
And it definitely wasn’t “soft”.
The recommendation was to create intentional, legacy-level family rituals, including regular one-on-one time with each child, and with my partner, separate from the rest of the family.
This is the one that really stuck.
I’m fortunate to work from home. I have flexibility in my business. I already spend a lot of time with my family.
But time and intentional time aren’t the same thing.
We’ve had our third child this year, which naturally divides attention. And it’s something my partner, Hayley, has also mentioned — wanting more focused, one-on-one time with each child, especially after so much attention has gone to our newborn.
This resolution didn’t ask me to change my life.
It asked me to be more deliberate about the life I already have.
And that’s why it’s the one I’m choosing to focus on for 2026, not just for me, but for our entire family.
Turning This Into Something Real
The next step is practical.
I’m starting a new thread in ChatGPT and giving it more context:
- Each child’s age
- What they enjoy
- Their personalities
- How they like to spend time
From there, I’ll use it to help design realistic, personalised one-on-one activities — not as a replacement for parenting, but as a tool to support intentionality.
If you want to try this yourself, you can copy the original prompt below and see what comes up for you.
Prompt:
“Based on what you know about me, give me three potential things to make my New Year’s resolutions to help me grow as a person. These could be professional or personal.”
If ChatGPT gives you something unexpected, or something that genuinely makes you pause, I’d love to hear about it.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in 2026.
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