In the ever-evolving digital age, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a transformational force, and self-learning is one domain where its impact is particularly profound. As an avid learner and as someone who’s always on the lookout for effective learning tools, I found ChatGPT to be an exceptional ally. Its ability to understand and respond to my prompts in a detailed, coherent manner makes it a versatile learning companion, and along the way, I’ve discovered a couple of self-learning prompts that’s really allowed me to expedite my learnings and my daily tasks too! I’d like to share my personal experiences of utilizing ChatGPT in three distinct areas of my life: project management, Python coding, and marathon training.
Accelerating Learning with the 80/20 Pareto Principle
Recently, I’ve really been wanting to learn how to take my leadership skills to the next level and enhance my future career by diving into project management, and potentially studying for my PMP certification in the future. In fact, I even just enrolled into Coursera’s Google Project Management course. However, the sheer volume of information available was overwhelming, and I realized that I needed to streamline my learning process. That’s when I decided to employ the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, which postulates that 80% of results can often be attributed to just 20% of efforts.
With this principle in mind, I turned to ChatGPT for assistance, using the following prompt: “I would like to learn more about project management and how I can become better as a leader. Can you identify 20% of the topic that would yield 80% of the result, to create a focused learning plan for me?”
ChatGPT responded with an insightful, well-thought-out learning plan. It identified key areas such as team dynamics, effective communication, and strategic planning as crucial to project management. It also highlighted the importance of understanding different leadership styles and their applicability in various scenarios, the principles of Agile and Lean methodologies, and the significance of conflict resolution techniques. In fact, ChatGPT does such a great job in explaining key terms such as “Critical Path Method (CPM)” to me in a way that was easily digestible to remember.
Learning Python for Data Scraping and Web Automation
The deeper I dive into automation, the more I want to learn how to use Python myself for the simple daily tasks that I find myself tackling. Python is a versatile programming language widely used for data scraping and web automation. As part of my professional development, I wanted to learn Python. I’ve also been using a scraping software called Axiom.ai, which honestly is a great tool, but I thought having a good foundation of Python in forming a basis for other coding languages in the future. I was already familiar with HTML and CSS, as well as Shopify Liquid, but Python is always a great language to know.
Whenever I encountered a roadblock, I would use the prompt, “ChatGPT, can you help me debug this Python code? I can’t understand why it’s not helping me do X.” and paste the code in directly. The responses were invariably helpful. Not only did ChatGPT identify errors in my code, but it also explained them in an easy-to-understand manner, allowing me to learn from my mistakes. It also suggested more efficient ways to achieve the same result, helping me write cleaner, more efficient code.
Over time, I found myself relying on ChatGPT not just for debugging but also for learning new concepts. Whether I was trying to understand the intricacies of BeautifulSoup for web scraping or figuring out Selenium for web automation, ChatGPT was always ready with clear, concise explanations and code examples.
Creating a Personalized Marathon Training Plan with ChatGPT
Physical fitness has always been a priority for me as it keeps me sharp and focused. I’ve been gearing up to complete the Abbott World Majors to become a 6-star finisher! And this year, I’ve been training for the upcoming TCS New York Marathon in November, I wanted a training plan tailored to my specific needs and capabilities. I needed a mix of regular runs, interval training, and long runs every weekend to help me increase my pace week after week. My requirements were quite specific: “Can you create me a personalized training plan where I want to run at least 4 times a week with a day of upper body training, as well as long runs every weekend? I am 5’7 and weigh about 180 lbs.”
Drawing from its extensive knowledge base, ChatGPT devised a detailed, multi-week training plan that included the optimal mix of short runs, long runs, interval training, and rest days. It also incorporated weekly upper body workouts (which I personally hate doing…), ensuring a well-rounded approach to fitness. The plan started with a relatively light schedule at about 24km a week, progressively increasing in intensity, allowing my body to adapt to the increasing physical demands as it rounds up to about 50km a week by Week 12.
In addition to the workout plan, ChatGPT provided guidance on nutrition, emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet for maintaining energy levels and facilitating recovery. It suggested that I pay attention to my protein intake to support muscle recovery, ensure adequate hydration, and increase carbohydrate intake as the intensity of my training increased. I have never been very good at this, and while I’ve had personal trainers in the past, it’s always been quite costly. With ChatGPT, it’s practically free!
ChatGPT’s personalized training plan and guidance have been invaluable in my marathon training journey. With each passing week, I’ve seen noticeable improvements in my running pace and endurance. I’ve also learned to listen to my body and adjust my training and nutrition based on my body’s responses.
In conclusion, my personal experience with ChatGPT has been nothing short of transformative. Whether I’m trying to streamline my learning process, debug Python code, or prepare for a marathon, ChatGPT has proven to be an invaluable resource, providing detailed, personalized responses to my queries. These are just some of the prompts that I use in my daily life. There are much more to share in the future!
