The 100 Years Club Installment #108: What’s New? 7 Days of AI & Analog Habits

This month’s theme is “DO THE NEW.”

We know that change (although often terrifying) can keep us sharp, grow our brains, and help us live and remain employed longer.

Adopting new things can be slow as we learn to walk one step at a time (often falling on our faces).

Sometimes, we face unexpected events (illness, accident, death, termination or resignation at work, weather delays, technical failure) that push us quickly and roughly into a new situation. The longer we live, the more adept we become at stumbling and falling as life’s surprises get in our path or we move so quickly that we knock ourselves out.

So, what’s new in the first seven days of the new year?

Thankfully, I haven’t fallen on my ass as we’ve all started to return to our post-holiday activities, although I have faced my share of last-minute glitches, tech fails, and schedule changes.

As we take those first steps or swing at the ball, we must remember that even the best plan can fall apart in seconds.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take risks or simply change a habit we’ve had for years.

What seems to be freaking out many of my friends and colleagues in 2025 is AI.

Thankfully, I started thinking and writing about it back in 2017, so I was somewhat prepared. (And yes, I need to update it…but I’m looking for a new co-author. If you’re interested, please get in touch!)

AI is not inherently evil.

Think of it simply as the next evolution of technology. We went from manual typewriters to electric ones to miniature keypads. We traded in our mops and buckets for Roombas.

AI, if used correctly, can speed up our work, fix mistakes, give us new creative ideas, and lead to new ideas and learning.

For example, I just searched “habit change” as I worked on this post, and AI immediately gave me a dozen self-help sources, along with the links. We’ve come a long, long way from the “card catalog” system of my youth.

So, if you’re just starting out in your AI journey:

• Fear not the “bots”
• Start small with some functionality that might make your life/work easier
• Read, read, read
• Take a class if you learn better with a group or a structured program

And what about new analog stuff?

We all have daily routines — good and unhealthy — that rule our lives. Take a deep breath and be prepared to feel slightly uncomfortable.

For example, I abandoned my evening “crunchy snacks” for greens and tomatoes. I baked a batch of kale chips (I know…you may think kale sucks, but it’s the concept that matters), so I would have something at the ready when my crappy reality TV shows go on. What baby steps can you take to mix it up this year?

• Sign up for a gathering (professional or social group) to expand your circle
• Read a book or watch a movie that’s not your typical genre
• Try a new “look”
• Eat a new food
• Talk to someone who has radically different ideas from yours. You may learn something.

As you “push that walker” along the floor, take pride in your progress and journal the steps you take each week.

Celebrate the bruises that you may get when you “fall,” because you’ll emerge stronger, smarter, and more resilient to change!