How I Set Intentions For My 26th Year Of Life

How to use ChatGPT to understand yourself better

If you read this newsletter you’re likely someone who wants to learn & grow, and you know that it’s a lifelong journey. You’re intentionally bettering yourself through good habits and may even share them on social media. That’s why I’m inclined to be even more vulnerable here than I am on social because you’re the type of person to understand and apply the thoughts and lessons in this newsletter.

One of the most valuable things I can give to you is how I’m solving my own problems in real-time, as you and I are likely quite similar.

I just turned 26 years old. I wanted to do an exercise to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the year to come. One of the best tools for self-reflection is ChatGPT. I’ve used it to do all sorts of self-reflection.

This morning I had chatGPT ask me 26 questions to reflect on the last year and set intentions for my 26th year on Earth.

I want to share some of my favorite questions and answers from this exercise. Not all of them will resonate with you, but I know there are at least one or two major nuggets for you to apply to your life.

I encourage you to prepare your mind to identify the nuggets that resonate with you and apply them to your current situation.

At the bottom of this newsletter, I’ll include the 26 questions ChatGPT asked me so you can answer them for yourself.

Let’s get started.

ChatGPT Prompt:

“I just turned 26 years old. I'd like you to give me 26 different questions to ask myself so that I reflect on the last year of my life, as well as set intentions for what I want for this year in the personal, business, health & spiritual realms. By the end of the exercise, I should have an incredible understanding of how last year went and the things I want to achieve this year, as well as the general direction I'd like my life to head towards and identify the thing I can do this year to get closer.”

What is the most important lesson you learned in the past year?

1. Who you surround yourself with matters. I grew up in a very small farm town in Michigan, and many of the kids I grew up with came from many generations that grew up in the town. People’s belief systems and mental reward systems get to be pretty robust when living in such a small town. When I moved out to New York City, I quickly realized I was rubbing elbows with people who had financial & social media success far beyond anyone I met in the first 20 years of my life. I regularly speak to social media influencers in the office. I generally don’t create a long-lasting relationship from those conversations. I could do a better job of that, honestly. I’m a bit timid in a first conversation, especially if I don’t know the person. Learning how to have a great first impression is a worthwhile skill for me to develop.

2. Morning routine is undefeated. A morning routine where I wake up at a decent time, get some exercise in, eat, then write in a journal will pay dividends. Writing is a form of communication that can easily be leveraged to make building a personal brand much easier. Writing clear longform content can be chopped into short form social media content on Twitter & Threads. A paragraph is basically a short form video script itself. I want to build a network of people who are interested in the same things I am in order to increase my opportunities of doing things I love to do. Social content (aka social as a public journal) is the modern way to achieve that.

What personal accomplishment from the past year are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of moving to New York City to literally live my dream of working at VaynerX. I had the intuition that I’d work for GaryVee one day, and it happened faster than I thought. Moving to New York wasn’t in the plan, but it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s caused a little bit of financial hardship, but if I can reframe that thought process as the price of admission for pursuing a dream, that’s helpful. Not everyone gets the privilege of having the income to live in NYC. I just barely do. Sometimes I get frustrated that I don’t have enough disposable income to go out to eat or do a camping trip, but perhaps that’s not what this season of my life is for, as much as I want it to be. Maybe this is the season of life where I ball on a budget and build the good habits that form the foundation of an incredible life.

How have you changed as a person in the last year?

I’ve become more confident as a person, as well as a better teammate. I wish I didn’t inherently see the negative as the default. It’s a conscious choice to see the good in a bad situation. I’ve been rubbing elbows with high achievers, which elevated my status and outlook on life. The phrase “If they can do it, so can I” comes to mind.

What spiritual goals do you have for the coming year and how do you plan to pursue them?

My goal is to speak more from my inner child. As a kid I was very creative with how I spent my time. I used to entertain myself with Starbucks lids. My mom saved all the iced coffee lids in a grocery bag under the sink. I’d carry the lids, a globe, a Sharpie, and a piece of paper to a puddle in the driveway. Then I’d study the globe, writing different countries on the inside of the Starbucks lids. Once each lid had a country assigned, I’d line them all up in the puddle and the wind would carry them to the other side of the puddle. I’d then take the list of countries and jot down which countries’ Starbucks lid won the race to the other side of the puddle. Even as a kid, my interest in geography and documenting just about anything I found interesting was thriving. Like the wind carried the Starbucks lids, I want to observe where my interests float to and share that with the world. I will no longer stifle what I talk about, or who I talk about them to, in order to conform with what’s accepted in society. I have an impressive range of interests and knowledge that deserve to be shared with the world. I’m a high achiever who’s accomplished the biggest goal I set in life, and I don’t give myself enough credit for that. In order to be more in tune with my spiritual self and inner child, I will write long-form pieces in the morning to empty my mind for the day to come, while solidifying my thought process and viewpoints of the world. Writing is the most leverageable form of communication. Writing can be distributed in long form & short form on social media, increasing the chances of growing my network and opportunities. Writing is the basis of every video you see online, so these long form writings can quickly be turned into me talking on camera for social media.

What did you enjoy most about the past year, personally?

I most enjoyed moving to NYC. That’s been an adventure that I do not regret one bit, and I am so glad I took the leap. It’s exactly what I wanted, and it’s putting me in an incredible position to excel in my personal and professional life.

What personal goals do you have for the coming year?

I plan to put more attention into writing & journaling. I’ve been listening to Dan Koe, and his content has been eye-opening. The way he explains the creator economy and how to use social media is so clear and concise. His ideas are big, and the words are small. From writing and journaling, I’ll use the long form content to chop down into short form writing, video & images. I also plan to take more pictures! I love taking pictures, and I’ve fallen out of practice. The combination of these two will lead to a better network and more opportunities around the things I love. I can also get more serious about having a website that helps sell things on the side, so that I can make supplemental income.

How do you intend to better handle stress and improve your mental well-being in the coming year?

I’ll have a good spiritual routine of breathing exercise, mediation and journaling. Plus, a good perspective on life. I simply need to actually put in the work with no excuses and stay patient.

What are the key professional accomplishments from the past year?

I got a job working at VeeFriends! It feels high stakes. I’m happy with my manager, May. She’s very supportive and also pushes back on me when needed. I think I can really help VeeFriends grow. Since I’ve taken over, there have been a few instances where people comment, noticing the different style of content. I can improve on allowing other people’s ideas to float to the top if they’re good. I can also improve my skillset in communicating my ideas and directing others in real-time when a deliverable isn’t as good as I know it can be.

What are your career goals for the next year?

My career goals are becoming someone who’s more reliable and self-starting. I’d love to have more control of the VeeFriends IG and be able to go from idea to execution faster. I also want to make more money so that I’m not constantly in survival mode. I don’t operate best when I have to worry about being able to spend money on wants and needs. That will have to be achieved through side hustle work, as I don’t anticipate getting raise at 26 years old. I will also be more intentional about my ability to focus 100% on a task. My focus tends to bounce around many different places throughout the day. This can be done through focused, no-distraction time blocks. I used to set a timer for 45 minutes and put my phone out of sight and focus on the task until the timer ran out. Then, go outside for a 15-minute walk and repeat the process.

What skills do you intend to acquire or improve to achieve these goals?

I’m looking to increase my ability to focus 100% on one thing at a time, as well as my ability to sniff out social trends and understand the messaging of VeeFriends characters. If I am to become a manager in the future, I’ll also need to have the ability to clearly give direction to creators, as well as know the exact type of content we should run as a company and brand.

What is the one significant thing you could do this year to move closer to your ultimate career vision?

The one significant thing I can do is wake up early. That’s it. Waking up early, knowing my intentions for the day makes everything else easier. Upon waking up, do some breathing & meditating, then work out, eat healthy and then write.

Did you achieve your health and fitness goals last year?

I let my health decline this year. I picked up good workout habits, and let them slip away. I don’t like how my mental state is when I don’t do difficult, active things. I am happy to say that I liked how I looked at the beginning of year 25. This year will be one where I choose to do the hard things, because we do the easy thing now and regret later, or do the hard things now and benefit from them later.

How has your spiritual practice or understanding evolved over the last year?

Breathing exercises and meditation in the morning. I’ve started journaling in the second half of year 25 and that’s been super helpful for processing my thoughts. Journaling forces you to reflect on your beliefs. By explaining thoughts and beliefs through writing, you poke holes in your belief system, either strengthening them or evolving what you believe through reasoning.

What can you do to cultivate a sense of peace and purpose in your daily life this coming year?

Identify and accept what’s out of my control, and control what is.

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I hope one or two of these points are applicable to your scenario and we get to grow alongside each other.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this exercise in the comments below, and if it was helpful, consider this sentence a nudge to share the newsletter on social media :)

It took me about two hours to answer all the questions ChatGPT gave me. It was a great way to identify what I did well and what I’d like to improve on for this next year. I encourage you to set aside some time to do this exercise for yourself!

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Here are all 26 questions generated by ChatGPT:

1. What is the most important lesson you learned in the past year?

2. What personal accomplishment from the past year are you most proud of?

3. How have your relationships (with family, friends, or romantic partners) evolved in the last year?

4. How have you changed as a person in the last year?

5. Are there any regrets from the past year? What are they?

6. What did you enjoy most about the past year, personally?

7. What personal goals do you have for the coming year?

8. How do you plan to achieve these personal goals?

9. Who are the people you want to spend more time with this year and why?

10. How do you intend to better handle stress and improve your mental wellbeing in the coming year?

11. What are the key professional accomplishments from the past year?

12. What was a significant challenge you faced professionally in the past year, and how did you overcome it?

13. Are you satisfied with your current career trajectory?

14. How have you grown professionally in the last year?

15. What are your career goals for the next year?

16. What skills do you intend to acquire or improve to achieve these goals?

17. Are there any business relationships (with colleagues, partners, or clients) you want to improve or establish in the coming year?

18. What is the one significant thing you could do this year to move closer to your ultimate career vision?

19. How have your eating, sleeping, and exercise habits changed over the past year?

20. Did you achieve your health and fitness goals last year?

21. What health or fitness accomplishment from the last year are you most proud of?

22. What are your health goals for the coming year, and how do you plan to achieve them?

23. How will you incorporate regular exercise and a healthy diet into your routine?

24. How has your spiritual practice or understanding evolved over the last year?

25. What spiritual goals do you have for the coming year and how do you plan to pursue them?

26. What can you do to cultivate a sense of peace and purpose in your daily life this coming year?