Everyday AI Podcast – How to Actually Use ChatGPT in 2026: The 7 Rules to Quickly Become a Power User

Host: Jordan Wilson
Date: January 7, 2026
Episode Theme:
A practical deep dive into Jordan Wilson’s “7 Rules” for maximizing ChatGPT’s power in the workplace and beyond for 2026. Wilson demystifies ChatGPT’s evolving ecosystem—from models to modes, from free to team plans—showing listeners how to level up from casual users to power users who gain significant personal and business advantages.

Main Theme Overview

Jordan Wilson addresses a common issue: despite ChatGPT’s massive user base (nearly 900 million weekly), most people—even at work—only scratch the surface of its capabilities. Delivering actionable advice, Wilson reveals the “7 Rules” that set true ChatGPT power users apart in 2026, focusing on features, best practices, and the mindset needed to ride the wave of constant AI change.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Urgency for True Power Usage

• Staying Current: The rapid evolution of AI models and feature updates makes casual use obsolete. Using ChatGPT as you did in November 2022 leaves value on the table.
• Competitive Advantage: Mastering ChatGPT at work is described as having a “competitive cheat code.”

“It’s like being given keys to a Ferrari, but you just use it to keep dry and cover up when it rains. It’s not how you should be using it, especially for teams, because ChatGPT at work is an actual competitive cheat code.”
— Jordan Wilson [00:20]

The 7 Rules to Become a ChatGPT Power User

Rule 1: Do NOT Use the Free Version

• The free plan uses a limited, less capable model (“GPT5.2 Instant”) that lacks reasoning and depth.
• Even at $20/month, paid plans are “criminally cheap” for what they deliver in time savings and output quality.

“Single prompts to me have saved me dozens of hours... you have to be able to quantify and put a price tag on that your time is valuable.”
— Jordan Wilson [07:15]

Rule 2: Always Use Thinking Models

• Paid versions offer “thinking” models which reason, plan, and produce higher-quality outputs.
• The temptation for speed with “instant” models leads most users to settle for much worse performance.

“The difference… this is not just some, you know, dorky benchmark. This is facts. This is stacks. This is science. This is outputs. All right, this is your career.”
— Jordan Wilson [12:50]

Rule 3: Context Switch Between Models, Modes, and GPTs

• ChatGPT lets you switch modes/models within a chat without losing history, unlike competitors.
• This prevents loss of context, repetitive manual work, and fragmented workflows.

“You can keep it going using the different modes and not have to start over, right? Not having to re-explain yourself, not having to copy and paste anything.”
— Jordan Wilson [16:11]

Rule 4: Use Projects and Custom GPTs More Than You Think

• Projects and GPTs are no-code, customized ChatGPT versions with attached data—ideal for personal and collaborative workflows.
• Many users default to “New Chat” when they should organize and leverage these advanced features.
• Project-only memory, especially for shared team use, is a massive advantage.

“Projects are a good way to organize your chats… but the other big advantage… is having project-only memory. That’s huge.”
— Jordan Wilson [18:32]

Rule 5: Continue to Use Connectors (Now “Apps”)

• Connectors now function as “apps” that integrate ChatGPT with business data (Drive, Dropbox, email, CRM, etc.) for dynamic enterprise workflows.
• Types of connectors have shifted to “apps with file search,” “apps with deep research,” and “apps with sync.”
• The interface and terminology have changed, but the importance of using these integrations is greater than ever.

“You can just click a couple buttons and the world’s most powerful language model has access to dynamic data from your company and you don’t have to do really anything. That’s amazing.”
— Jordan Wilson [22:38]

Rule 6: ChatGPT is Best for Teams

• The shift to team/business accounts is non-negotiable for workplace AI transformation.
• Features like shared project memory and collaborative GPTs empower coordinated workflows.
• Massive enterprise adoption statistics cited: 92% of Fortune 500s, 1M+ business customers, and a 320x increase in “reasoning token” usage year-over-year.

“People are putting their highest resource workflows in rebuilding the future of how their company works inside of ChatGPT... Projects as an insights and answer machine.”
— Jordan Wilson [25:52]

Rule 7: Leverage Chain of Thought Summaries

• Thinking models provide stepwise reasoning—read the model’s “chain of thought” to verify and improve outputs.
• Power users examine this reasoning trail to detect context issues or model missteps, elevating both personal and team performance.

“If you really want to separate yourself... you need to be doing this. Sometimes they’re not going to go right. Normally that’s because maybe you didn’t give it enough context.”
— Jordan Wilson [30:54]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can’t do that on the free version of anything. Period.” [09:41]
• “While you’re waiting [for a thinking model], do some push-ups, send someone a text... don’t doom scroll.” [13:50]
• “ChatGPT doesn’t skip a beat when you change a model or mode.” [16:34]
• “No code, low code… anyone can do it, and then share across your organization. So much untapped potential.” [27:39]
• Story about showing a chain-of-thought summary to his stepdad, who was amazed at how the AI’s problem-solving mirrored real human reasoning. [31:41]

Detailed Walkthrough & Demos – Applied Power User Workflow

Jordan demonstrates, step by step, the application of these rules for an AI prediction analysis:

[33:20] – Using Connectors/Apps with Google Drive

• Example: Pulling a “2026 AI Predictions” Google Doc with ChatGPT by toggling on the relevant connector and requesting a summary.

[34:36] – Context Switching and Deep Research

• After the initial summary, switches to Deep Research mode for in-depth trend analysis (allowing 7–18 minutes).
• Example prompt: “Please research these main core recurring themes…give me categories, a likelihood score, and impacted industries.”

[35:50] – Reading Chain of Thought Summaries

• Shows where to find the summary (“grayed out font” near the output).
• Walks through the step-by-step problem-solving the model undertook.

[37:00] – Using Custom GPTs in Canvas Mode

• Invokes a self-built custom GPT (“SaaS Dashboard Canvas”) to turn structured info into an interactive business dashboard.

[38:31] – Outcome: Automated KPI Dashboard

• “This is how I like to learn… I don’t like reading plain text anymore. I’m interacting with data.”
• Live test: Filters, drop-downs, and visual summaries—all built from scratch by the AI with minimal manual chore.

The Power User’s Mindset

• Shift from “AI as a chatbot” to “AI as the operating system” for personal productivity and team/business transformation.
• Don’t wait—organizational adoption and skill development are critical now.

Key Rule Recap [39:00]

Jordan’s closing summary of the “7 Power User Rules”:

1. Don’t use free ChatGPT
2. Use thinking models
3. Context switch between models/modes/GPTs
4. Use projects/custom GPTs liberally
5. Leverage connectors/apps
6. Use team/business plans for collaborative advantage
7. Read chain-of-thought summaries and iterate

Final Encouragement & Community Call-to-Action

“If you can stick to these seven things, your personal growth, your company’s trajectory, your business’s outcomes are going to drastically improve. Period… Let’s all dominate 2026 together!”
— Jordan Wilson [39:25]

For early access to advanced tutorials & the free course, repost the episode on LinkedIn.

Learn More / Subscribe: youreverydayai.com

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:20 – The ChatGPT user problem and episode preview
• 06:21 – Rule 1: Why paid plans matter
• 12:50 – Rule 2: Thinking models vs. instant models
• 16:11 – Rule 3: Context switching advantage
• 18:32 – Rule 4: Projects & custom GPTs explained
• 22:38 – Rule 5: Connectors (Apps) and their evolving role
• 25:52 – Rule 6: Teams/Enterprise adoption data and collaborative features
• 30:54 – Rule 7: Chain of thought summaries as a pro move
• 33:20 – Real-life workflow demo (Google Drive connector)
• 35:50 – Using custom GPT and Canvas mode for dashboard output
• 39:00 – Rapid-fire rules summary & call-to-action

Language & Tone:
Direct, energetic, practical, and motivational—Wilson adopts a mentor's voice, balancing urgency (“stop using the free model!”) with insider tips, and plenty of humor and personal anecdotes to keep it relatable.

Summary Contribution:
This episode is a must-listen (or must-read!) for anyone wanting to move from basic to advanced ChatGPT usage as team member, manager, or operator in 2026’s AI-driven workplace.