Podcast Summary: The ChatGPT Experiment – Ep 95: My Three Words For 2026

Host: Cary Weston
Date: January 6, 2026
Theme: Using Three Guiding Words (Framework, Make, Study) for 2026 and Leveraging AI like ChatGPT to Support Personal and Professional Growth

Episode Overview

In this episode, Cary Weston explores his process of choosing "three words" to guide his approach and intentions for the coming year. He shares both his reflections on the previous year and how he plans to harness AI tools—especially ChatGPT—in making his 2026 goals more achievable and meaningful. This is a practical, personal, and accessible look at building frameworks and routines for self-development, with real-life examples of using AI as both a tool and a partner.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflections on the Past Year’s “Three Words”

[03:45 - 09:05]

• Cary describes his tradition—borrowed from his friend Chris Brogan—of choosing three words, instead of traditional resolutions, to focus and motivate him each year.
  • 2025’s Words:
    • Connect: Purposefully maintaining social and professional relationships after shifting to remote work.
    • Routine: Creating systems for consistency and productivity.
    • Smile: Fostering a positive, lighthearted outlook.
• Cary grades himself on last year’s words:
  • “On 'connect,' I was probably in the C+ or B range...I started off really strong, then...toned off a little bit” (07:35).
  • On routine: “Certainly a tale of two halves of the year” (08:10).
  • On smile: “I’m going to give myself an A. That's probably the most important one...proud of that one” (08:37).

2. Introducing the Three Words for 2026

[09:07 - 11:18]

• Framework:
  • Focuses on organizing and documenting his professional insights, stories, and principles into accessible formats (“structures, resources, or assets”).
  • “The shoemaker’s kid goes barefoot. That is something that I need to focus on...so I can be more scalable, quicker with a lot of the philosophies and things I employ in my business” (10:15).
• Make:
  • Emphasizes hands-on creation—woodcrafts (e.g., cribbage tables) and expanding his usual cooking repertoire.
  • “I want to use my hands and create something...I’ve leaned on those three [recipes] a little too long. So I want to make food as well as make a hobby” (10:59).
• Study:
  • Going deeper beyond “surface curiosity” in areas of interest, using AI to help structure personalized learning experiences.
  • “I want to go deeper on a couple more...to dig in and really get kind of knowledgeable” (11:13).

3. How Cary Uses AI Tools to Empower His Goals

[11:20 - 17:00]

• Actively uses ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to bounce ideas, compare results, and refine thought processes.
  • “I’m running ChatGPT. I’m also running Claude and I’ve been testing Gemini...competition is good” (04:12).
• Framework Implementation:
  • Dictates thoughts to ChatGPT to capture oral histories, stories, and frameworks, converting them into articles and resources.
    • “Just start talking and getting these frameworks out—the conversations are going to turn into transcripts” (13:30).
    • “I talk much better than I type in terms of thoroughness and detail and pace” (15:23).
• Make as a Creative Process Supported by AI:
  • Used ChatGPT as a “woodcraft partner” for step-by-step DIY projects (e.g., table-making).
    • “I used ChatGPT for a lot of it...it was like having a woodcraft partner right there next to me” (16:01).
  • Plans to use ChatGPT for recipe brainstorming and documenting hobbies.
• Study Enhanced by AI:
  • Sees great value in using ChatGPT not just for quick facts, but as a way to design and structure deep learning journeys.
    • “Let’s create a curriculum, let’s create a pattern, let’s create an outline. Teach it to me like I’m an 8th grader” (17:12).
    • Stresses importance of translating digital learning into real-world, three-dimensional experiences:
      • “It has to go beyond the desktop. I have to get into the real world...that’s my accountability” (18:22).

4. Accountability and AI Memory as a Growth Tool

[16:27 - 18:00]

• Appreciates ChatGPT’s improved memory, which enables it to recall previous conversations and help track progress over time.
  • “It was my revisiting of the three words in 2025, using ChatGPT...to kind of go back and do that check-in, that led me to help brainstorm what I want to do for 2026” (17:18).

5. Invitation to the Listener Community and Personal Connection

[18:30 - 19:52]

• Encourages listeners to share their own plans and approaches for 2026, reinforcing the podcast’s sense of community:
  • “I’d love to hear what your plans are for 2026...what you’re tackling, how you’re tackling it” (19:00).
• Promotes upcoming 100th episode and solicits topic suggestions from the audience.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why he chooses three words, not resolutions:

  • “I don’t call these resolutions...These are more the things I want to focus on and do. It’s not giving up something and hoping I can do it. It’s basically purpose behind the days that we have.” (12:05)

• On the support from AI:

  • “ChatGPT specifically is my intern...It’s my amazing intern. It’s my employee. It’s my strategy advisor. It’s my accountability partner.” (13:10)

• On documenting frameworks:

  • “Literally having a conversation like this, just not with you but with ChatGPT, is just start talking and getting these frameworks out...then once I have the transcripts I can start to build articles and resources.” (13:29)

• On using AI in DIY:

  • “I used ChatGPT for a lot of it...it was like having a woodcraft, you know, partner right there next to me.” (16:10)

• On transformative learning:

  • “This is like your own personal master level course of whatever you’re interested in…when I say teach us something, not looking it up like a Google search and not using it like an encyclopedia… Let’s go deeper and kind of build your own course.” (17:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:45] – Recap and grading of 2025’s three words
• [09:07] – Introduction and explanation of 2026’s three words
• [11:20] – How AI tools are employed for each word and goal
• [13:30] – Using voice to document frameworks with ChatGPT
• [16:01] – The cribbage table project and ChatGPT’s role
• [17:12] – Creating custom learning journeys with AI
• [18:10] – The importance of bringing digital learning into real-world experience
• [19:00] – Community invitation and prelude to the 100th episode

Tone and Language

Cary’s style is friendly, practical, and encouraging, using personal anecdotes and conversational language. He balances self-reflection with actionable suggestions, and he regularly invites listener participation. Throughout, he emphasizes curiosity, self-improvement, and leveraging technology as an empowering tool rather than a replacement for human experience.

Takeaways for New Listeners

• Choosing a few guiding words each year can offer direction and intention without the rigidity of resolutions.
• AI tools like ChatGPT can be more than search engines—they can organize your thoughts, support creative projects, and structure learning.
• Building routines and frameworks with digital support allows for greater consistency, creativity, and growth—professional and personal.
• The ultimate goal: Use technology to help bring your aspirations and learning off the screen and into real-world practice.

“The best way to get any value from [a] tool like ChatGPT is your own curiosity. And the whole purpose of this podcast is to increase your confidence to be curious.”
(Cary Weston, 19:49)

For more episodes, resources, or to share your own “three words,” visit chatgptexperiment.com.