Get fit, AI shifts, new identity

🌱 HEALTHY

Jump Yourself Fit This Year

A $5 jump rope delivers better returns than most equipment.

Five to ten minutes is all you need for meaningful benefits. The efficiency alone makes it worth trying. Ten minutes of jumping rope gets you comparable cardiovascular results to 30 minutes of jogging, give or take. Either way, it's effective.

But the real value goes beyond cardio.

Jump rope is one of the easiest ways to train plyometrics safely. Each landing creates roughly three times your bodyweight in impact, which strengthens muscles, tendons, and bones. Your quads, glutes, calves, and feet all get worked in ways that build springy, resilient legs.

It's also exceptional for injury prevention. Conditioning your feet, ankles, and Achilles through consistent jumping reduces the risk of lower-leg problems down the line. And those benefits carry over to hiking, running, cycling, or just moving through life without feeling fragile.

Boxers use it for rhythm and footwork. The coordination aspect improves your movement quality and trains your nervous system in ways steady-state cardio doesn't.

And most importantly, you can do it anywhere. No gym, no commute, no excuses.

Takeaway: Start simple: 30 seconds jumping, 30 seconds rest. Repeat until you hit five minutes total. Expect to feel awkward at first. Your conditioning will catch up faster than you think.

🪙 WEALTHY

AI Tools Are Worth Learning

You've probably heard the phrase by now: "AI won't replace you, but someone who knows how to use AI will."

Apparently about 40% of enterprise software is expected to include AI agents this year, up from under 5% in 2024. These agents handle multi-step workflows like customer support, data analysis, and reporting.

Most jobs aren't disappearing. They're shifting into human-AI hybrids where you direct the tools and focus on strategy, judgment, and problem-solving while AI handles the repetitive tasks.

Your ability to prompt AI, refine its output, and integrate it into your workflow is becoming as important as the work itself. It's less about technical knowledge and more about knowing how to manage these tools effectively.

Some people are already integrating these tools into their workflow. Others haven't found the right entry point yet or aren't sure where to start.

The gap between the two groups is growing because the people who know how to use these tools effectively are getting more done in less time.

Your ability to work with AI is becoming valuable. It's less about deep technical knowledge and more about understanding how to get useful output and integrate it into what you're already doing.

Takeaway: If you haven't explored AI tools yet, pick one that's relevant to your work and spend some time learning how it actually works. The advantage goes to people who start sooner rather than later.

📚 AND WISE

You Can Shift Your Identity

James Clear talks about this in Atomic Habits. Real change happens when you shift your identity, not just your actions.

The example he uses is smoking. If someone offers you a cigarette and you say "No thanks, I'm trying to quit," you still see yourself as a smoker fighting against temptation. But if you say "No thanks, I don't smoke," you've already made the shift. You're not trying to become a non-smoker. You are one.

Most people approach the new year listing behaviors they want to change. Exercise more. Eat better. Save money. Those changes rarely stick because the identity underneath hasn't shifted.

You don't need to overhaul everything at once either. Charles Duhigg writes about keystone habits in The Power of Habit. One to three core habits that naturally improve everything else when you get them right. The 80/20 principle applied to your routine.

The version of yourself that got you here did its job. But if there's something you've been trying to achieve and haven't been able to, letting that old identity die might be what unlocks it. Not because you hate who you were, but because you're ready to become who you need to be this year.

Takeaway: Pick one identity you want to claim this year. Figure out what that person does daily. Embody that identity.