How to Salvage New Year's Resolutions When They Blow Up in Your Face
4 Action Steps to Get Back on Track, and One ChatGPT Prompt to Make It Easier
They say life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.
In late 2024, I had plans—big ones.
I planned to post daily on Substack. I mapped it all out, full of enthusiasm and creative energy.
This was going to be the year of routine, the year of “I finally got my act together.”
Then life raised its hand and said, “Actually…”
On day one of vacation, I woke up with a sinus infection that would turn into pneumonia and last for the entirety of my time off.
A couple of days ago, my daughter was diagnosed with flu and strep.
During all of this, my dad had an aneurysm and stroke. He’s still in the hospital as I write this post, and it looks like he will be for quite some time.
Each crisis arrived on its own schedule, like uninvited guests at a party, until the whole thing felt like a circus act gone terribly wrong.
And so, my Substack plans fell apart.
But here we are, less than three weeks into 2025. It’s still way too early to give up.
If you’re reading this, maybe you’re feeling a bit derailed, too. If not yet, maybe you will be in another month or two.
I hope not. But it happens.
Maybe your plans get waylaid by a force outside your control. Or maybe it’s just been hard to start.
Whatever the case, consider this post an extended invitation to get back on track with me.
When Life Knocks You Off Track
Let’s be honest—falling off track is demoralizing.
It feels like those gym sessions you skipped turned into a mountain you’ll never climb again, or those creative projects gathering dust have moved into “never gonna happen” territory.
It’s easy to internalize that inertia as failure.
But here’s the truth: Falling off is part of being human.
And so is getting back up. If that’s where you’re at, here are some things you should do right away
1. Forgive Yourself.
Seriously, be kind to yourself.
Whether it’s health, family emergencies, or just plain burnout, life will sometimes demand your full attention elsewhere. And that’s okay.
It doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you’ve been living.
2. Remember Why You Started.
When I began planning for daily posts, it wasn’t because I wanted to hit arbitrary numbers.
Yes, I’d like to grow a following, and yes, I’d like to make money at this. But making money isn’t possible if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing.
I’m passionate about AI stuff, so I decided that would be my niche. Specifically, practical ways we can use AI tools to make our lives better.
I wanted to build a community around that. One where thoughts, stories, and advice could flow freely.
Revisiting that “why” makes the climb back feel less like an obligation and more like a return to something I love.
3. Keep a Sense of Humor About It.
When life’s rain turns into a downpour, hold onto your sense of humor.
That doesn’t necessarily mean laughing about it—though, by all means, do so if you can. It just means not taking life or yourself too seriously.
Even when the outlook on Dad didn’t look real good, my brothers and I have shared funny stories or in-jokes.
We’ve watched football and questioned coaching decisions as if we know better than the guys getting millions to do it.
We’ve found moments of serenity in the storm.
4. Celebrate the Wins No Matter How Small
My dad is a long way from being back to normal. But, the night of his medical emergency, he waited 14 hours for a surgeon to arrive and perform the operation.
He didn’t wake up at all the first day.
The next day, he spoke. (Not quickly or always coherently, but he said stuff.)
I went to see him on Saturday, and much of his mind was back—to the point that, I think, most of his recovery will be physical.
The point is, even when things so really, really south, you’re going to have “wins” along the way. You just have to look for them.
They may not be huge wins. They may not be what you want when you want it.
But, smaller wins give way to bigger ones. At least, they do if you’re mindful of them when they occur.
4 Ways to Reset
Getting back on track doesn’t have to be a Herculean effort. Start small, build momentum, and watch the habit grow.
1. Break It Down.
Start with micro-goals.
I’m committing to three posts a week instead of daily for now. It’s more manageable and gives me room to breathe.
To succeed, I’ll need to find time to write something for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday publications.
I can do it on the day of or the day before. Either way, it has to be done.
Starting with the end in mind helps you see all the milestones you’ll have to reach along the way to get there.
What do you want to accomplish? What has to be done first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, before you realize it? Reverse-engineer it from the ending if you have to.
2. Reframe Setbacks as Chapters.
Every time life throws you a curveball, it’s not the end of your story. It’s a new chapter.
You’ve gotta get through problem A before you get to problem B.
Dad’s gotta learn to stand before he can walk. That’s a hard one for him right now, but he’ll get there.
The kid has to beat strep and flu before she can go back to school.
I’ve got to get back to my systems for content creation and research before I can make a post. And, I have to post once before I can post twice.
Wherever you’re at, you don’t skip ahead. You deal with what’s on your plate at the moment.
3. Lean on Tools and Community.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Meta’s Llama, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s NotebookLM, have been lifesavers for me in turning Chaos into Structure.
Pick one or multiple. See which ones you like best, and put them to work for you.
Also, consider sharing struggles with friends. Talking to my readers about what I hope to accomplish makes me accountable to them.
Maybe it seems like I’m adding stress there, but I find it helps to ease the burden. Find someone you trust, and tell them what you will do.
4. Celebrate Progress.
When you meet even the smallest goal, treat it like the victory it is.
Read a book, listen to an audiobook or podcast, take a walk, have a cookie.
Let progress feel good. That way, you’ll start to crave it.
Reclaim Your Momentum Prompt
This post is the result of the advice I’ve given above. And, it was this prompt that helped me find my way back.
ChatGPT, I’ve fallen off track with my personal goals, and I want to get back on track. Here’s what happened: [BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR SETBACKS HERE]. My main goal is [DESCRIBE YOUR GOAL HERE]. Help me:
1. Break this goal into small, manageable steps.
2. Create a simple, encouraging routine to start rebuilding momentum.
3. Offer advice for staying consistent and motivated, even when life throws curveballs.Now, copy the whole prompt.
Go to ChatGPT.
Paste it into the prompt command box.
Overwrite the all-caps with whatever your setbacks and goals are.
Hit Enter.
Read the output. Embrace what you like. Chat about what you don’t.
Reiterate until you’re happy with the direction you’re going.
The Bigger Picture
Getting back on track is about perseverance, not perfection.
Allow any setbacks to shape you but not define you.
If you’ve been knocked off your path, join me in dusting off, laughing at the chaos, and taking the next step forward.
Let’s get back on track—together.
If you’ve faced setbacks, struggles, or just the chaos of being human, you’re not alone.
On my Substack, I share personal stories, practical advice, and actionable strategies, to help you reset, refocus, and reclaim momentum.
And, yes, I use AI to help me do that.