I’m in my early 40s, that awkward stage where people take stock of their lives and examine what they have amounted to so far. Concepts like meaning and significance gradually take on more importance than money. I’m no different from my contemporaries, except that I’m thankfully not in the middle of a mid-life crisis.

This year, I decided that I wanted to live a life of legacy, something that only I could do in my own unique way. Something that would mark my contributions to the world when I’m gone. I don’t need to become popular or famous but I do want to leave my idiosyncratic imprints on this world. So, I have been toying with things to do - outside of my job and family. Something authentically mine.

I went as far to set up a Medium account because I’m passionate about Japanese culture and want to blog my witty observations about Japan. But real life got in the way, so I ceased blogging there. In the meantime, I was exploring ChatGPT to enhance the productivity of my work. I won’t say that I’m an expert in prompt engineering, but I managed to create a niche for myself. To the extent that I was invited to do a sharing on ChatGPT at a national gathering for educators in my country.

So, the biggest decision I made this year was resolving to be proficient in the use of ChatGPT and other AI tools. Hopefully, I will enhance my expertise in them such that I can have the bargaining chips to pivot my career in exciting ways.