If you had told me a year ago that I’d be handing over my life’s planning to an AI, I would have laughed. Until a little over a month ago I had never used any sort of AI technology at all besides the odd retro photo generator tool for Instagram. How could I ever have contemplated that my hopes and dreams could be put together by an Artificial Intelligence in an easy to follow spreadsheet, with the next 365 days of my life completely sorted out. It sounds to me like some sort of sci-fi novel where robots gently take over the world one clueless 34 year old at a time.
But here I am, staring at the most detailed, romantic, and oddly insightful yearly plan I’ve ever had. And the strangest part? It gets me. It’s even called my plan “Ro ちゃん’s YEAR OF MAGIC™” and added the trademark itself, because it’s funny like that. Actually I’ve felt myself quite moved by some of the conversations we have had this past week when leading up to my experiment.
So this year, April 2025-May 2026 is the year which I’ve promised to stop waiting for clarity to arrive on it’s own (proactive?) and start embracing structure (terrifying!), spontaneity (refreshing!), and creativity in equal measure (necessary). This will be a time when I let myself dream, but also show up for those dreams.
And yes, I’m doing all the planning hand in hand with my unlikely bestie- The AI chatbot known as ChatGPT.
Why I needed this right now, a backstory to this strange tale:
I’m in my 30’s, living in Japan, teaching English to tiny, chaotic, hilarious humans in a Bilingual Hoikuen (Japanese daycare). I moved here in 2019, and somewhere between COVID, Kissaten, and my deep love for trying seasonal ice creams, I built a life here with my husband, Yusuke. Sure, it seemed as if I only just moved here thanks to the years lost in the midst and echoes of the pandemic, but I feel finally settled down and am grateful for all the choices which lead me here.
But lately, a question has been gnawing at me: What now?
I want to start a family, but what if it takes time? What if it doesn’t happen? What does a fulfilling life look like for me, in any case?
2024 was the year I couldn't get pregnant. It was the year I realised this may be a long journey for me, one without guarantees. And it wrecked me. I spent last year feeling depressed, unmotivated, stagnant—like I was stuck in this limbo where nothing moved forward. I stopped going out, talking to friends, and every month (or three, thanks to PCOS) felt like another cruel rerun, another reminder that I wasn’t where I wanted to be and where everyone I knew was heading. I saw myself turn into a jealous friend and saw a side of myself I never want to see again. As much as I tried to keep my pain inside, I was hiding every part of myself away from my world. I didn’t just lose time; I lost myself.
That’s why this plan exists. I can’t live like that anymore.
Yeah, yeah- I’m still young. I still have time. But I can’t spend every waking moment waiting, holding my breath, measuring my worth by a single outcome I can’t control. I need to focus on each day, in the present. And if a baby does come into this magical life I’m building? It will be coming into a situation that will give it the best possible start. And if a baby doesn’t come? Then I will be giving myself the best possible life. And then there’s the fear:
What if I’m not a good mum?
What if I never get the chance to be one at all?
Because I have PCOS it means getting pregnant might not be as easy as simply deciding to try. I also don’t want to live my life checking off society’s checklist just because it’s expected or an expectation I’ve unconsciously put on myself. I want to check my own list—the one that makes sense for me. Maybe, Baby? Maybe not!
This plan moves me forward—away from one of the hardest years of my life, and into something better.
I know I want to be more creative and self-fulfilled. I have half-finished crochet projects, a lingering fascination with silver clay rings, a deep urge to document life through video, and an ever-growing love for journaling and building a community both on and offline. I also want to be more present in my work and my teaching—bringing fresh ideas to my students, celebrating the seasons in all aspects of my life, and honouring both my Aussie roots and the Japanese culture I love.
But structuring all of this? That’s where I struggle. I thrive on variety, but I also crave consistency. I love romanticising my life, but I also need accountability to actually do the things I dream about.
What I Asked AI to Help Me With
I knew I wanted a structure that supported growth but didn’t feel suffocating—a balance of routines and rituals that would help me build momentum toward a life I love. Some of the key things I wanted my yearly plan to include:
Creative Pursuits → I’m deeply creative, but I tend to collect hobbies rather than master them. I wanted help making space for all the varying passions I have—but in a way that felt natural, not forced.
Romanticising Life → I wanted my life to feel beautiful in the small moments. Sipping a sakura latte in April, taking an ID photo booth self-portrait on a special occasion, making handmade gifts for loved ones, celebrating the changing seasons—not just rushing through them.
A Stronger Connection to Japanese Culture → I love the traditions of Japan, and I wanted my year to reflect that. Ōsōji (end-of-year deep cleaning), Yuzuyu (taking a hot bath with yuzu on winter solstice), and Hari-Kuyō (praying for broken sewing needles)—these aren’t just rituals; they’re ways of marking time with intention.
A More Mindful Digital Life → I love sharing my journey, but I don’t want to be consumed by social media anymore. Instead, I want to focus on more thoughtful, long-form storytelling—maybe through YouTube and Substack, where I can create a real sense of community. End the doomscrolling and start being present.
And, of course, I wanted to tackle the biggest question of all:
What does a fulfilling life look like if I do have children?
And what does it look like if I don’t?
If Motherhood Happens…
I want to enter that chapter of my life as the best version of myself—physically and mentally ready for the challenges that await me.
This coming year is proof that I can commit to routines, nurture my creativity, and take care of myself—all things I’ll need to be a stable, loving, present mother.
If Motherhood Doesn’t Happen…
I need to know that I’ll be okay.
That my life can still be joyful, full, and rich even if the road doesn’t lead where I expected.
So I’m preparing a life that feels whole on its own—not one that’s waiting for a missing piece. A life where I:
✨ Continue growing creatively and intellectually
✨ Build deep, meaningful relationships and community
✨ Experience new things, both big and small
✨ Find ways to contribute to the world that feel fulfilling
The worst thing I could do would be to waste this year waiting—letting anxiety steal my time instead of filling it with love, adventure, and self-discovery.
The Experiment: Can AI Help Me Find Fulfilment?
I started by asking ChatGPT for help creating a yearly plan, expecting a list of mundane tasks. Instead, what I got was… well, beautiful. A mix of personal goals, seasonal inspirations, Australian and Japanese traditions, and creative prompts that made me actually excited to follow a routine.
Here’s the wild part: It didn’t just plan my days; it saw patterns in what I value and turned them into a framework for success.
I don’t know where this journey will take me. Maybe AI will keep me accountable in a way no planner ever has. Maybe I’ll discover unexpected joys in the rhythms it’s set for me. Maybe I’ll outgrow it, deciding I no longer need the guidance. Maybe by some stroke of luck I’ll fall pregnant and have to re-write this plan all over again!
Or maybe—just maybe—this will be the year I stop feeling lost and start feeling like I’m living on purpose. That’s what Ikigai is- Life’s purpose. But I can’t keep aimlessly searching, because it’s time to learn my purpose through action and reflection.
And to prove it’s not just theory, here’s one of my AI-designed days—the one that stopped me in my tracks because it felt so real, so achievable, so me:
Wednesday, June 12 ☀️ (Early Summer Day Example)
A balanced mid-week reset with a touch of creativity.
🌅 Morning (~30 min before work)
✅ Wake-up Routine: Drink water, stretch, light skincare
✅ Breakfast: Quick toast with homemade bread + seasonal fruit
✅ Personal Care: Simple but fresh look (light summer makeup, hair up?)
✅ Creative Boost: 5 min Pinterest research on summer jinbei ideas
👩🏫 Workday
🎲 Teaching focus: Engaging kids with summer-themed vocab games
🍱 Lunch: Packed bento (maybe leftovers from last night? Less conbini)
💧 Hydration Check: Keep a bottle of water nearby
🌆 Evening (~4-5 hours free)
🏋️ 40 min gym (light cardio + stretching, since it’s mid-week)
🛒 Quick grocery run (for fresh veggies & protein, no impulse buys!)
🍽 Dinner: Easy soba with cold dipping sauce (light for warm weather)
🧵 Creative Time: Start cutting fabric for jinbei OR finish a crochet project
📞 Check-in with family: Call mom while prepping fabric?
🌙 Night Wind-Down (~1 hour)
🛀 Relaxing bath or foot soak (nice after gym!)
📖 Gentle self-care: A short journal and curate your playlist, no screens before bed
🛏 Lights out by 11 PM (cooling ring ready for a good sleep)
Sure, some of the ideas are a bit cliche- and sure it called Mum, “MOM”- AI is bound to make mistakes and I’m aware how it’s going to miss the mark at times. But one of the great things about working with an AI partner is that you can make as many changes and edits to your plan as you like and it’s not going to scold you for being too picky or criticising it. I am constantly updating my requests for my plan as we speak, and full disclosure- I’m still waiting on the full 365 days to be given to me!
In fact I was sort of shocked when the chatbot told me it would take a week to fulfil the extent of my requests, and followed up by earnestly asking for my forgiveness for what would have taken me a lifetime to navigate. I’m more than happy to wait for my golden plan. My golden ticket to a new outlook on life and creativity.
AI has told me that my plan will be ready for print (A3 size as requested) by the first day of the fiscal year in Japan (April 1st), so with a little over a week to go I will be sure to update on it’s contents and the official first day of this experiment. I can’t quite visualise the format that it plans to cram all these delicious daily dreams into. Though it is so polite in asking me every so often if there is anything else I would like to add or how I prefer to use my journals and calendars. This is all a part of the experience and customised flow I suppose, but it feels like I’m window shopping for my dream life in an extremely fancy store with a shop assistant whose sole purpose is to keep me happy and sedated- perhaps the robots are taking over after all?! I’ll do my best to stay alert.
Why This Will Work?
Frankly, this is what living with intention looks like. A mix of routine, spontaneity, self-care, and creativity—all woven into daily life. It’s not a schedule that forces productivity; it’s a rhythm that honours what makes life feel meaningful to me. I’m no good at routines, so the roulette of AI choosing what to do each day guided by my many endless requests and dreams, slotting them and prioritising them in a way no human brain could ever possibly think to schedule it- well it’s just got to be better than the alternative, figuring it all out alone. This is the start of my Year of Magic™—a year where I embrace tradition, creativity, routine, adventure, and the unknown.
And if this resonates with you—if you’re also craving a sense of direction but want your life to still feel organic, beautiful, and free—then maybe, just maybe, you’ll find a little magic and inspiration here too.
I keep thinking about the phrase- “We all have the same hours in the day as Beyonce”, and while I’m sure that is motivating for some people it has been the bane of my existence for the past few years since it first entered my consciousness… At any rate, I do feel like I have a million super fast, intelligent assistants at my beck and call every time I ask AI for my life admin and we’ll see how close I get to embodying Beyonce at the 365th day of this experience I guess!
So, let’s begin.