How to use ChatGPT to inspire your year ahead

I had a kickoff call for a new mastermind group I joined for 2025. I've found mastermind groups to be SO HELPFUL in running my business, because frankly, it gets lonely. It creates a group of virtual “coworkers” that I can lean on for support, guidance and ideas. (This is also why I created my group programs for leaders!).

Our leader, (Dorie Clark - I HIGHLY recommend her books and Linkedin Learning videos) asked us if we had made any New Year's resolutions. Most of us in the group agreed - we don't make resolutions because they simply don't work. 

Frankly, a long list of resolutions (or even one of those IN & OUT lists I keep seeing), that I need to remember to uphold feels exhausting. I stopped setting New Year's resolutions about ten years ago. Honestly, they just felt so stressful and forced, and most of my resolutions were unsustainable health and fitness goals. 

However, many of us did share a word or intention of the year.

Why have I switched to this method for the last several years? Choosing a word or theme for the year serves as a True North, it helps me consider if my actions are moving me closer to the type of person I want to become. Because it's flexible and intentional, I can keep moving forward even as life changes.

For 2024, my word of the year is COURAGE. Not courage in the sense that I need to take a bunch of risks, but the courage to endure criticism. If the phrase “endure criticism” makes you cringe, I feel you. However, I've found two things to be true in my own life and in my work with leaders:

• The ability to endure criticism is essential as you advance as a leader because you will enforce decisions, make statements and take actions people will disagree with. And given how easy it is now via media channels (both corporate internal and external) to voice dissent, you are likely to hear about it as a leader. You will need to learn to upset the right people to make a lasting impact.

• In my own practice, as my business continues to grow and my articles, books, Tedx Talk and social media posts are shared, I've learned that people have LOTS OF OPINIONS, to which they are 100% entitled and I need to remain unbothered by. To continue to advance my mission of advancing women to the rooms where decisions are made, I also need to learn to endure the criticism of my ideas that are continually shared with a wider audience.

This is all going to take a lot of courage to advocate for what I stand for to make a meaningful impact. 

I had a friend tell me that “enduring criticism” felt cringey and awful. I agree . I also asked, “What is my/our INABILITY to endure criticism holding me/us back from doing/saying/impacting?” 

Do you have a word or intention for the year? Share in the comments!

PUT THIS IDEA INTO ACTION

Want help coming up with your word or theme of the year? 

Step 1: Complete this “By This Time Next Year” exercise from my book, Closing The Confidence Gap: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential & Your Paycheck:

1: Where do you want to be by this time next year? 

Be specific:

• How do you want to feel?

• Who will you be with?

• What results will you be enjoying?

• Why do you want to accomplish this? What will it create for you?

• Who is the type of woman who accomplishes this?

• Who can help you?

2: Reverse engineer your goal with my 9-6-3-1-1-1 process:

• What do you need to be/do/accomplish in nine months? Who is helping you?

• What do you need to be/do/accomplish in six months? Who is helping you?

• What do you need to be/do/accomplish in three months? Who is helping you?

• What do you need to be/do/accomplish in one month? Who is helping you?

• What do you need to be/do/accomplish in one week?

• What do you need to be/do/accomplish in one day?

3: Write out your smallest, bravest next step (remember, these can look quite unimpressive, like drafting an email): 

Hint, these should involve action and other people, not procrasti-learning steps like learning more, reading more, etc.

4: Is there a word or phrase for the year that aligns my energy in the direction I want it to go? Or, feels necessary to move me closer to the person I want to become?

Step 2: Put your results into ChatGPT if you want some help coming up with your word or mantra

• Prompt 1: Based on our previous interactions (if any) and the goal setting plan outlined below, please provide five words (or mantras) of the year that would align with my intentions

• Prompt 2 (for fun): Based on our interactions (if any) and the goal setting plan outlined below, if you could choose five different and inspiring Taylor Swift song lyrics that would inspire a good mantra for me in 2025, what would they be? Hint: You can swap Taylor with your favorite artist ;) 

TRY THIS NEXT: Start with Step 1, Question 1! You could even plug those question 1 answers into chatGPT and ask it to reverse engineer it for you in the 9-6-3-1-1-1 framework. Have fun and Happy New Year.