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First Week of 2026: A Weekly Reflection
It’s Monday again, which makes this a good moment to look back at the first week of 2026. To be honest, it didn’t go exactly the way I planned.
I set a simple goal for myself: write a weekly reflection. And I missed it. That means I failed my very first goal of the year.
My broader plan for 2026 is to ship several personal websites and document the process week by week. But last week felt stagnant. It was the typical “first week back at work” grind—catching up on tasks, meetings, and routine responsibilities. By the time the day was over, I hadn’t left much energy or time for side projects.
Still, not everything was a loss. There were a few small wins worth calling out.
Improving My Study Workflow with AI
One positive change was how I approached learning. Instead of passively reading articles or skimming links, I started using AI more intentionally.
Now, when I find a useful article, I feed it into an AI and ask it to quiz me on the key ideas. This small shift made a big difference. It forces me to actively process what I’m reading instead of consuming content on autopilot. For me, that’s been a much more effective way to actually retain information.
Using AI as an English Learning Partner
Improving my English remains one of my top priorities in 2026, especially speaking more naturally and confidently.
Lately, my favorite practice method is narrating my daily life with the help of AI. I’ll talk about my day using a mix of Chinese and English. Because the AI understands both, I never feel stuck or frustrated when I don’t know the exact word or phrase.
The most valuable part comes afterward: the AI rewrites what I said into natural, native American English. That comparison clearly shows the gap between “correct” English and how people actually speak in real life.
To improve my speaking, I’m focusing on two habits:
- Shadowing: I practice with Barack Obama’s speeches on YouTube to learn rhythm, stress, and intonation.
- Daily narration: I describe my everyday activities out loud and then use AI to refine my phrasing.
Final Thoughts
My first week of 2026 wasn’t perfect, and I didn’t hit all my goals. But I’m not stopping. Consistency matters far more than a flawless start.
I’ll keep writing, keep reflecting, and keep building—one week at a time.