Five prompts that will help you get ahead in 2026

In partnership with

While you’ve been using your favorite LLM to be more efficient in your job/life, it’s been learning a lot about you. Now it’s time to use that information to set you up for a successful 2026.

One of the most powerful things large language models can do is help you slow down and think more intentionally about what you are doing. With the right prompts, they stop feeling like tools and start acting more like a coach, a mirror, or even a thinking partner.

The prompts below are some of the best we have seen for reflecting on the past year, spotting patterns in your work and life, and turning big hopes for 2026 into realistic next steps.

From our sponsor:

Earn a master's in AI for under $2,500

AI skills are no longer optional—they’re essential for staying competitive in today’s workforce. Now you can earn a fully accredited Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from the Udacity Institute of AI and Technology, awarded by Woolf, an accredited higher education institution.

This 100% online, flexible program is designed for working professionals and can be completed for under $5,000. You’ll build deep, practical expertise in modern AI, machine learning, generative models, and production deployment through real-world projects that demonstrate job-ready skills.

Learn on your schedule, apply what you build immediately, and graduate with a credential that signals serious AI capability. This is one of the most accessible ways to earn a graduate-level AI degree and accelerate your career.

Learn More

First of all, we love this one from Drake University grad Greg Swan (subscribe to his newsletter here). It assumes that you use an LLM frequently and that it knows some things about you:

Analyze everything you have learned about me over the past year. Look at my decisions, interests, habits, creative patterns, tech experiments, family stories, professional themes, and the questions I return to the most. Identify the forces that drive me, the ideas I chase, the tensions I wrestle with, and the signals that show up again and again in my work and life. 

Break your response into four parts. 
1. What you have learned about who I am. 
2. The patterns and themes that define my year. 
3. What those signals suggest about where I am headed. 
4. What I should do next to strengthen my work, grow my impact, and move closer to the version of myself I seem to be building. 

Write it like a thoughtful annual mirror. Be honest. Be specific. Focus on meaning, not fluff.

Here's another forward-looking prompt that will set you up for a successful 2026:

Based on what you already know about me, help me understand where I am right now and where I have the most potential to grow this year. 

• Identify 3 strengths I underuse 
• Identify 2 patterns or habits that may be holding me back 
• Describe one direction or focus area that would create the biggest positive change in my life 
• Suggest 3 concrete actions I can take in the next 30 days to move in that direction 
• Ask me 3 thoughtful questions that will help me reflect and refine this path 

Present this in a clear, encouraging, and honest way.

If you are looking to make more money in 2026 (who isn't?), Sabrina Ramonov shared this string of prompts to use to get focused on your goal:

Based on everything you know about me, what is the fastest way for me to make my income goal. Limit to one offer and one channel?

---

Who is the number one person I should learn from to succeed?

---

Pretend you are that person. Create a very simple 90-day action plan that needs less than $1,000 up front, has a 95 percent success rate and gets me my first paying customer asap.

If you're not an active users of an LLM already (meaning it doesn't yet know you well enough to offer suggestions), this prompt will walk you through becoming more strategic about your goals for 2026.

Act as a thoughtful coach and strategic guide. Help me clarify my goals for 2026 by asking me one question at a time. Start broad, then gradually get more specific. 

Begin with reflection questions about what energized me, drained me, and mattered most in the past year. Then ask questions that help me define what success looks like for me in 2026 across key areas such as work or career, learning and creativity, health and energy, relationships and community, finances, and personal growth. 

As we go, help me notice patterns, tradeoffs, and priorities. Challenge vague answers by asking follow-up questions that turn ideas into clear, realistic goals. 

When we finish, summarize my top 5 goals for 2026 in simple, actionable language and suggest one meaningful first step for each. 

Only ask one question at a time and wait for my response before continuing.

Setting a New Year's Resolution is easy. Making it happen is hard. Your favorite LLM can help with this simple prompt:

My New Year's Resolution this year is to _____. Help me create a plan to make this happen.

You do not need a perfect plan for 2026. You need a clearer sense of who you are, what matters most right now, and where your energy will have the biggest payoff.

Pick one or two of these prompts, take your time with them, and see where the conversation leads.