Finish The Year Strong With 5 ChatGPT Prompts

What is the Great Lock In Trend

The internet's latest productivity trend, the "Great Lock In," is more than just a hashtag—it's a mindset shift. The idea is to treat the final four months of the year, September through December, as a dedicated sprint rather than a gradual slide into the holiday season. Instead of coasting, you intentionally lock in on key habits, goals, and projects to position yourself for a powerful start to the new year.

This timing is crucial. Q4 is when companies finalize budgets, managers decide on promotions, and entrepreneurs push to meet revenue targets. On a personal level, it’s a period where habits either become solidified or begin to slip. The "Great Lock In" resonates because these final months are short enough to create a sense of urgency but long enough to achieve significant progress.

Why Use ChatGPT for Your Great Lock In

This is where ChatGPT becomes an invaluable ally. You don't have to navigate this sprint alone. You can leverage ChatGPT as your personal strategist, accountability partner, and creative engine to help you stay motivated and on course.

Here are five expertly crafted ChatGPT prompts designed to give your Great Lock-In the structure and momentum it needs to succeed.

1. Craft Your Goal-Setting Blueprint

The Prompt: "Act as a strategic coach. Help me identify my top three goals for the next four months (Sept–Dec). Break each one into monthly milestones, weekly action steps, and daily habits I can track. Then, create a simple visual plan I can revisit weekly."

Why it works: Ambitious goals often fail due to a lack of structure. This prompt compels you to break down your aspirations into a manageable timeline of daily, weekly, and monthly actions. This layered strategy prevents overwhelm and establishes a built-in system for accountability.

How to use it: Transfer the output from ChatGPT into your favorite organizational tool, whether it's Notion, Google Calendar, or a simple paper planner. Set aside time each Sunday to review, adjust, and realign your plan. Treat it as a living roadmap that evolves with your progress.

2. Accelerate Your Skill Development

The Prompt: "Act as a learning designer. Develop a 90-day learning plan to help me enhance [insert skill]. Include the best free and paid resources, weekly practice assignments, and one public project I can share to show progress."

Why it works: Q4 offers a perfect window to develop a new skill—long enough for meaningful progress, yet short enough to maintain intense focus. By asking ChatGPT for resources, assignments, and a public project, you create both accountability and visibility, accelerating your learning and professional recognition.

How to use it: Select a single, high-impact skill relevant to your career or personal growth. Commit to the weekly assignments and share your journey on platforms like LinkedIn, with your internal team, or on a personal blog.

3. Boost Your Professional Visibility

The Prompt: "Act as a personal brand strategist. Rewrite my LinkedIn bio (pasted below) so it reflects my growth during the Great Lock In. Then, give me five post ideas per month that highlight my progress and keep me visible."

Why it works: Finishing the year strong is as much about perception as it is about effort. Employers and clients are already planning for 2026. This prompt helps you update your professional narrative and generate content ideas, positioning you as a forward-thinking and proactive individual. Use this time to actively build your personal brand.

How to use it: Paste your current LinkedIn "About" section for ChatGPT to revise. Implement the new bio and content calendar immediately. Schedule time for publishing consistently to compound your visibility and create new opportunities.

4. Optimize Your Energy and Routine

The Prompt: "Act as a performance coach. Design a daily routine for me that balances productivity, health, and recovery during the Great Lock In. Include a morning ritual, evening ritual, and adjusted versions for travel or low-energy days."

Why it works: Sustained momentum is impossible without managing your energy. This prompt helps you create a system that protects your productivity while embedding crucial recovery and flexibility. By planning for inevitable low-energy days or travel, you can stay on track without burning out. Ask for prompts to design your ideal day.

How to use it: Ask for several variations of your routine, such as an "ideal day," a "travel day," and a "reset day." Keep the output visible, either by printing it or pinning it digitally. The goal is to follow the rhythm, not to achieve perfection.

5. Build Momentum Through Reflection

The Prompt: "Act as an accountability partner. Create a weekly review template for the Great Lock In that includes five reflection questions, two celebration prompts, and a space to reset goals for the next week."

Why it works: Intense sprints often lose steam without consistent reflection. This prompt builds a regular check-in process to measure progress, learn from challenges, and celebrate small victories. Reflection ensures you are moving not just quickly, but also with purpose and in the right direction.

How to use it: Schedule a recurring block of time every Friday or Sunday for your review. Use the template to journal your responses. After 12 weeks, you'll have a powerful record of your growth to carry into 2026.

A Powerful Tool for Teens Too

The Great Lock In is a valuable concept for teenagers as well. It teaches them to practice consistency, reflection, and goal-setting during key periods. Instead of cramming for exams or waiting for a new year to get serious, teens can reframe the last quarter as an opportunity to build lasting habits.

Imagine a teen adapting these prompts to map out milestones for a side hustle, establish consistent study habits, or build a digital portfolio. Teaching young people to use ChatGPT for structure equips them with lifelong skills for success.

Finish Strong, Start Stronger

The Great Lock In isn't about working harder; it's about working with intention. Momentum is a powerful force, and these ChatGPT prompts are designed to help you build it. By using the last quarter as a launchpad, you're not just waiting for January—you're starting the new year already in motion, miles ahead of the starting line.