As we dive into a new year, many of us find ourselves reflecting on where we’ve been and where we want to go. After about 5 minutes of pondering my future, I picked up my phone. Procrastinating with a little TikTok scrolling felt easier than narrowing down I would accomplish my lofty goals.
I couldn’t help but stop scrolling and watch a video from influencer Kate Weids. She used ChatGPT to help create a dream plan for herself in 2025 and tells her followers how to do it. Her video was inspiring and, having used AI to help plan out my resolutions for 2025, I knew she would find success using one of my favorite chatbots.
@kateweids ♬ original sound - KATE WEIDS
Define your bucket list goals
Thinking about my own future, I decided to try out the TikTok trend myself. Just as Kate Weids did, I took my scattered thoughts about my dreams and goals and shared them with ChatGPT and asked it to create a plan to accomplish everything in my 5-year bucket list. Now, instead of getting stuck in the endless loop of procrastination, I turned to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s powerful AI assistant, to help me strategize.
The results were better than I imagined. There is definitely something to this trend; not only did ChatGPT help organize my ideas, but it also asked thoughtful questions and tailored a personalized roadmap to make my goals achievable. Here’s how you can use ChatGPT to create your own 5-year bucket list plan just as so many are trying on the popular social media platform.
Before logging into ChatGPT, I brainstormed five meaningful goals to focus on over the next five years. In many ways, just thinking about narrowing down what my goals are for the next few years felt like a personal performance review. My goals needed to be specific, exciting, and achievable. But, just for fun, I even threw in “Drive a racecar” to see if ChatGPT was up for the challenge.
While my own goals are pretty personal, here are a few relatable goals that I came up with to showcase just how specific ChatGPT gets and how it can help anyone achieve what they set out to do. The following are bucket list goals I used and many people can relate to.
1. Travel to three bucket-list destinations.
2. Write and publish a book.
3. Run a marathon (or a half-marathon).
4. Start a successful side hustle.
5. Learn a new language.
Let ChatGPT ask you some questions
Once I had my goals, I turned to ChatGPT for help. The key to success? Treating ChatGPT like a coach or mentor. I started with this simple prompt:
"Here’s my 5-year bucket list. Ask me any questions you need to create a personalized plan to help me achieve these goals."
ChatGPT immediately responded with clarifying questions. For example:
“What are your top travel destinations, and what’s your estimated budget for each trip?”
“Have you started writing your book, or are you starting from scratch?”
“What level of fitness are you starting from for your marathon goal?”
“Do you have any skills or hobbies you’d like to turn into a side hustle?”
“Do you prefer self-paced language learning apps or formal classes?”
I answered ChatGPT by adding my response under each question. This provided ChatGPT with the information it needed to tailor its advice to my lifestyle, current progress, and resources.
At this point, I was completely honest – and you should be too. Here’s your chance to let the AI know that you haven’t ever run more than 3 miles, or you don’t have a passport, or you really don’t have much money to travel. Letting ChatGPT know where you are in your journey towards accomplishing your goals can help it craft the most detailed and realistic plan possible.
Read through your actionable plan
After answering all the questions, each with an honest response, ChatGPT broke down my goals into manageable steps, complete with timelines and strategies. Here’s how it mapped out two of them so you can get an idea of the detailed response.
1. Write and publish a book
Although I’ve previously written a few books, I wanted to see how ChatGPT would keep me on track over the next few years. While the idea of writing another book seems daunting, when I see the plan broken down, it actually seems really feasible. I might even tweak this later and have ChatGPT make this a 2-year goal.
Year 1: Outline the book and dedicate 1-2 hours weekly to writing.
Year 2: Complete the first draft and revise. Seek feedback from beta readers.
Year 3: Query literary agents or self-publish.
Year 4-5: Market the book, engage with readers, and consider writing a follow-up.
2. Start a weekend hustle
My husband is always taking odd jobs as a handyman on the weekends. To be honest, I get a little jealous that he has a cool side hustle. I wondered what that would look like for me on the weekends and added it to my goals. I really enjoy calligraphy and when I give my crafts away to friends and family as gifts, they always rave about my work. While this 5-year plan feels slightly vague, I will be sure to re-prompt ChatGPT to break down each year to help me further plan out my weekend crafting.
Year 1: Identify your niche and create a basic business plan.
Year 2: Launch the side hustle, focusing on small, consistent efforts to grow.
Year 3-5: Scale your efforts, increase income, and explore expanding into new markets.
Implement and adapt
Some of my goals are pretty lofty, but the beauty of using ChatGPT is that it’s not a one-and-done solution. As I progress in my endeavors, I can always return to ChatGPT for updates and advice. For example:
“What’s the best way to budget for a trip to Japan on $3,000?”
“Can you suggest a beginner-friendly marathon training plan for a busy schedule?”
“Help me draft a pitch for my side hustle to attract clients.”
ChatGPT’s flexibility helps you stay on track, troubleshoot challenges, and celebrate milestones along the way.
Why it works
No matter when you start thinking about your goals, be it in January or June, and no matter how big your goals, ChatGPT cna help. Whether your goal is to climb Mt. Everest or write a movie pilot, using ChatGPT to create a 5-year bucket list plan works because it combines structure with personalization. It can support you to accomplish big dreams by breaking your goals into manageable steps. Unlike asking a human, ChatGPT doesn’t come with judgement and is more likely to help you find ways to achieve your goals than to respond with “That’s impossible,” like even the most well-meaning friend.
By asking clarifying questions, ChatGPT helps to identify gaps in your plans then offer practical strategies tailored to your resources and timeline. Best of all, it’s available whenever you need a little guidance or encouragement. As an added bonus, the chat is just between you and the AI so you don’t have to feel sheepish about exploring your most ambitious dreams.
My 5-year bucket list felt pretty overwhelming until I let ChatGPT in on my goals. Now, with AI as my guide, these exciting dreams actually feel more achievable. The actionable roadmap and timeline has given me a realistic approach—something I’ve been needing. So, whether your dreams involve traveling the world, tackling fitness goals, or launching a side hustle, or something else entirely, ChatGPT can help you turn ideas into action.
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