This year for real! Yes, yes. Who are we kidding here? By week 3 at the latest (and that's already ambitious), the good New Year's resolutions go out the window again. As soon as everyday life returns, we suddenly forget that we no longer wanted to eat at desk and the breathing exercise in the morning gives way to the 2nd cup of coffee (which we actually no longer wanted to drink).

But this year, everything will really be different! We'll show you how you can use artificial intelligence to implement your resolutions and, above all, stay motivated in doing so.

We have taken a look at the absolute classics of New Year's resolutions and provide you with useful prompts for inspiration. That's the first step. But sticking with it is the problem. That's why you'll also find instructions on how to use ChatGPT to find out what your personal motivators are!

1. More exercise 

Concretisation and planning 

We've all had it before. Without a plan, the desire for more exercise often remains just that: a desire. ChatGPT can turn a generally formulated resolution, such as ‘I want to exercise more,’ into a specific, realistic, and measurable goal. Not sure yet how much exercise you want to do and to what extent? Then let ChatGPT ask you a few questions about it.

Prompts: 

💡 ‘I want to exercise more next year, but I don't know how to make it happen. Please ask me questions so we can work out a specific plan.’

💡 ‘How can I break down my fitness goals into smaller milestones over a 3-month period?’

💡 ‘I want to go jogging, but I'm a beginner. Can you give me a plan for the first 4 weeks?’

Tips for staying on track 

Let ChatGPT be your cheerleader!

Prompts: 

💡 ‘I never get off the sofa! What strategies help me to integrate exercise into my daily routine, even when I have little time?’

💡 ‘How can I motivate myself to exercise after a hard day at work, especially when it's wet and cold outside and it's really cosy at home?’

💡 ‘What would be a good reward after a workout that doesn't consist of sugary foods?’

Ideas and inspiration 

To stay sporty in our daily lives, it helps if we really enjoy the sport and if doing sports is uncomplicated. Maybe this year is the time to try a new sport? ChatGPT can of course help here:

Prompts: 

💡 ‘What unusual sports can I try to make exercise more fun?’

💡 ‘My best friend hates walking and riding a bike. How can we still be active together?’

2. Be more mindful 

Concretisation and planning

Mindfulness is often perceived as a vague idea. What even is mindfulness? ChatGPT helps you to translate mindfulness into concrete daily routines.

Prompts: 

💡 ‘Help me develop a morning routine that includes 5 minutes of mindfulness and at the same time doesn't make me sleepy again.’

💡 ‘How can I structure my day to be more mindful of my time?’

💡 ‘I have about 3 minutes each day waiting for my toast to be ready. What mindfulness exercises can I do during that time?’

Tips for staying on track 

Mindfulness thrives on consistency. Small exercises and reflections keep motivation high:

Prompts: 

💡 ‘I don't like meditation. What other simple mindfulness exercises can I do daily to help me relax?’

💡 ‘How do I know if I'm making progress in living more mindfully?’

💡 ‘Suggest reflection questions that I can ask myself each week to monitor my progress.’

Ideas and inspiration 

Mindfulness is more than meditation and takes many forms. Find exciting ways to integrate it into your life.

Prompts: 

💡 ‘What playful ways are there to incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities like cooking or going for a walk?’

💡 ‘Can you help me keep a gratitude list and update it regularly?’

3. Better nutrition  

Concretisation and planning

This is a resolution that everyone has probably had at some point. More vegetables? Smaller portions? Improve your overall health? What exactly do you want to achieve with your resolution?

Prompts: 

💡 ‘Create a weekly meal plan for healthy meals that I can prepare in 30 minutes or less and that don't include meat or mushrooms.’

💡 ‘What ingredients should I always have in stock to cook healthy meals spontaneously?’

💡 ‘How can I analyse and improve my current eating habits?’

Tips for staying on track 

The key to long-term success is practicality and flexibility.

Prompts: 

💡 ‘What are some tasty alternatives to crisps or sweets that are easy to eat on the go?’

💡 ‘How can I plan meals in advance so I don't eat unhealthy on the go?’

💡 ‘What small steps can I take to slowly get used to a healthier diet?’

Ideas and inspiration 

Fancy something new? Be inspired by new recipes and trends to create variety and find new favourite recipes.

Prompts: 

😈 ‘Suggest 5 healthy recipes where I can sneak vegetables into my kids’ meals.’

💡 ‘What country-specific dishes are healthy and easy to cook (with lots of garlic)?’

4. More structure  

Concretisation and planning 

A big topic, where to start? It's easy to feel overwhelmed, which you should actually avoid with the resolution. ChatGPT helps:

Prompts: 

💡 ‘Help me plan my day so that I'm productive but still take breaks.’

💡 ‘How do I prioritise my tasks sensibly when I feel overwhelmed?’

💡 ‘I get distracted easily. What tools or methods are there to help me organise my workday and focus more on my tasks?’

Tips for staying on task 

Structure requires routine and flexibility at the same time, which is no easy feat. Fortunately, we can ask someone or something to help us overcome this problem:

Prompts: 

💡 ‘How do I incorporate [e.g. a new habit] into my daily routine without being overwhelmed?’

💡 ‘What methods help me to regularly reflect on whether my plans are working? How can I reward myself for achieving small goals?’

💡 ‘I'm having trouble sticking to my new routine. How can I use small setbacks to deal with them better?’

Ideas and inspiration 

Tools, methods, tips and tricks for more structure are a dime a dozen. To avoid feeling overwhelmed and getting stuck, here are a few ideas of how ChatGPT can help:

Prompts: 

💡 ‘What creative approaches are there for making to-do lists exciting and not forgetting them?’

💡 ‘I don't have a room of my own to work in. How can I organise my workspace so that I can work in a motivated and focused way?’

5. Personal development 

Concretisation and planning 

Read a book every month. Learn a new language. Finally set up that ETF savings account that friends keep nagging you about. Personal development has many facets. No matter what your goal, ChatGPT can help you get an overview.

Prompts: 

💡 ‘I want to read 5 books this year on the topic of communication in a professional context. Create a reading plan for me and suggest suitable books.’

💡 ‘I want to do something for the environment and am overwhelmed by the options. Please show me an overview of associations and organisations in my city and what their priorities are.’

💡 ‘How do I structure my time so that I can work on my hobby weekly?’

Tips for staying on track 

All projects require a certain amount of progress, which must be visible. Recognising this can be difficult.

Prompts: 

💡 ‘How can I regularly measure my progress towards my goal?’

💡 ‘What techniques will help me stay motivated when I experience setbacks?’

💡 ‘Give me ideas for how I can involve those around me to support me.’

Ideas and inspiration 

Not sure which resolution you want to achieve at all? Let ChatGPT inspire you:

Prompts: 

💡 ‘What activities can I do at home without a screen?’

💡 ‘Give me suggestions for small challenges that will help me to surpass myself.’

Motivators 

Why do some people stick to their resolutions and others don't? The key lies in motivation – and this varies from person to person. While some are spurred on by rewards, others are driven by challenges or social recognition.

If you know your motivator, e.g. competing with others, you can incorporate this into the prompt templates or give ChatGPT more context to stay motivated in the long term. For example:

What motivators are there? 

So, competition is a motivator! What else is there? First of all: a lot more than you might think! If you don't know what your biggest motivator is (and that's probably most people), here is an overview of the 10 most important motivators, roughly broken down:

• Responsibility/commitment: You feel motivated when you make a commitment or take responsibility to others (or to yourself).

• Community: Working together, interacting with others or feeling part of a team drives you.

• Self-fulfilment: You want to get to know yourself better, develop yourself and reach your full potential.

• Competition: You love challenges and thrive when you compete with others.

• Vision/future vision: You are motivated to work towards a clear goal or an inspiring vision of the future.

• Structure and habit: Routines and fixed structures (e.g. tracking) give you stability and keep you on track.

• Curiosity and fun: You are motivated when something is exciting, new or entertaining.

• Emotional connection: Positive relationships or emotional experiences inspire you.

• Autonomy: You want to be free and independent in deciding how to achieve your goals.

• Spirituality or values: You find motivation in your beliefs or in the search for meaning.

How do I find out what my personal motivator is? 

But that's not all. Specific motivators are particularly necessary for long-term motivation.

ChatGPT is very good at asking questions that help you learn more about yourself. Here are a few ideas for prompts that will lead to a more in-depth, engaging conversation with ChatGPT:

💡 ‘Ask me 5 reflection questions that help me understand the sources of motivation behind my greatest successes.’

💡 ‘Give me 3 scenarios that appeal to different motivators and ask me which one suits me best.’

💡 ‘What motivators would best suit someone starting a hobby like [XYZ]? Ask me questions to find out.’

💡 ‘For a goal like “get fitter”, give me different approaches from different motivational perspectives (e.g. community, competition, vision) so I can find out what appeals to me the most.’

💡 ‘Imagine different rewards or incentives and help me identify which ones motivate me the most.’

💡 ‘Create a short quiz with 5-7 questions to find out what motivation type I am.’

💡 ‘Help me figure out which of the following types of motivation are most important to me by ranking them: community, competition, vision, habits, fun.’

If you like it playful, you can ask ChatGPT to package the questions as a quiz or to come up with scenarios to make your decision easier based on specific examples.

And here are a few ideas for motivation that you may not have tried yourself: 

As I said, there are many motivators. These motivators had a motivating effect on me when I read about motivation, which is why I don't want to withhold them from you 😉

1. Inspiration through other 

• success stories: Read or listen to stories of people who have achieved something similar. For example, there are some really exciting motivational videos for sports goals!

• Mentors or role models: Let yourself be inspired by someone who has already achieved the goal.

  
  

2. Reward system 

• Small milestones: Reward yourself for progress (e.g. a new outfit after 4 weeks of regular exercise).

• Celebrate success: Make a conscious effort to recognise your achievements, even the small steps!

  
  

3. Community and social support 

• Challenge groups: Join a group with similar goals. Not wanting to ‘show your weakness’ in front of the group can help a lot.

• Accountability partner: Have regular conversations with someone who motivates you and whom you also motivate. This can also be yourself!

• Sharing your progress: Post updates (e.g. on social media) if it helps you to stay on track. The pressure you put on yourself can move mountains!

  
  

4. Vision and positive visualisation 

• Vision: Visualise regularly what it feels like to have achieved your goal.

• Vision Board: Create a collage of pictures and quotes that represent your goal. You can hang it on the wall as motivation so you always have it in front of you.

  
  

5. Structure and routines 

• Fixed plan: Set yourself clear, achievable deadlines and tasks (e.g. fixed workout days).

• Micro-habits: Start with tiny steps that require little effort (e.g. a 5-minute jog). Incidentally, B.J. Fogg's book ‘Tiny Habits Method’ is highly recommended for this!

• Set triggers: Combine your resolution with an existing habit (e.g. drinking water immediately after getting up).

  
  

6. Measure progress 

• Tracking: Use apps, diaries or lists to visualise your progress. The applications themselves usually also have many small playful motivators (if you've ever forgotten to complete your Duolingo language lesson, you know what I'm talking about).

• Before-and-after comparisons: Record initial values (e.g. weight, steps) to see improvements.

  
  

7. Emotional anchoring 

• Why goals: Ask yourself: Why is this goal really important to you? Write it down and remind yourself of it.

• Positive emotions: Focus on the joy and good feeling that the goal gives you. Get your environment on board so that they also encourage you in your endeavour.

  
  

8. Reward through behaviour, not just through results 

• Reward the process: Celebrate taking action regardless of the outcome (e.g. ‘I'm proud of going to the gym today, no matter how long’).

  
  

9. Adaptation and flexibility 

• Adjust plans: Allow yourself to modify your resolution and be kind to yourself. Taking a break doesn't mean you've given up, just that you're taking a break.

• Failures as feedback: Use setbacks to learn instead of being discouraged.

  
  

10. Fun and variety 

• Add variety: Try new ways of achieving your goal to avoid getting stuck in a rut.

• Enjoy it: Choose resolutions that you enjoy, instead of just torturing yourself. That way, you're already half way to sticking with it.

  
  

Conclusion

What have we learnt? New Year's resolutions don't have to be a flash in the pan! With the right motivation and a clear plan, you can really achieve your goals in 2025 – and keep them for good. So why not get started right away? Try out the prompts and find your personal motivation. Good luck – and here's to a successful new year!