AI Life Coach: My Shocking 1-Year Experiment & Results

Using AI as a Personal Life Coach: A Conceptual Framework and Practical Workflows

For the past 18 months, I've been experimenting with AI tools as a personal life coach. Initially skeptical, I've been pleasantly surprised by the results and continue to use them. This article will outline the conceptual framework for using AI in this way, followed by practical workflows, tools, and prompts.

The Conceptual Framework: You and the AI in Dialogue

The core concept involves engaging in a conversational dialogue with the AI, mirroring the experience of working with a real-life life coach. It's about a back-and-forth interaction to gain insights and clarity.

Expanding Input Methods Beyond Typing

While typing is the most common input method for AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, there are other ways to feed information to enhance its coaching abilities. These include:

• Voice Input: Using apps like VoicePal (developed by my team) to transcribe spoken thoughts into text.

• Handwriting Recognition: Taking photos of journal entries or notes, leveraging advancements in optical character recognition.

• Zoom Call Transcripts: Utilizing tools like Grain to record Zoom calls and analyze the transcripts, even coaching sessions.

• Screenshots: Capturing text message conversations for analysis by the AI.

Expanding input types allows the AI to access a richer understanding of your thoughts and experiences.

What the AI Can Do: Questions, Challenges, Explanations, and More

The AI can perform a variety of functions in response to your input, providing valuable support in your personal growth journey.

• Asking Clarifying Questions: Similar to a human coach, the AI can reflect on what you've said and pose follow-up questions to promote self-discovery.

• Challenging Your Thoughts: Combatting the tendency for AI to be overly agreeable, you can specifically ask it to challenge your assumptions, logic, or strategies. Use prompts like "Give me the steel man counter-argument" or "Give me a scathing critique."

• Providing Explanatory Theories: The AI can offer explanations for patterns in your life or feelings about specific issues. However, remember that these are suggestions or hypotheses, not definitive truths.

• Giving Recommendations and Advice: While the AI can provide advice, it should be filtered through your own judgment and values. There is rarely a single "right" answer to life's challenges.

• Synthesis and Reflection: AI excels at synthesizing information from large amounts of input (e.g., journal entries) to identify patterns, summarize sessions, and reflect back your thoughts.

The AI as a Mirror, Not a Gospel Truth

It's crucial to remember that the AI acts as a mirror, reflecting back the information you provide with different perspectives. It's not a super-intelligence that possesses absolute truth. The goal is to use the AI's reflections to gain insights and make your own informed decisions.

The Missing Element: Accountability

One key aspect that AI cannot fully replicate is accountability. While AI can offer reminders and track progress, humans are more likely to respond to accountability from other people they respect. This is a significant benefit of working with a human coach.

When to Seek Professional Help

AI chatbots are not designed to be therapists. Avoid using them for diagnosing serious mental health issues or exploring past trauma. Seek professional help from qualified therapists for these concerns. If you wouldn't discuss a particular problem with a well-read but unqualified acquaintance, don't discuss it with AI.

Specific Use Cases and Workflows

Here are some specific workflows I've been using to leverage AI as a life coach:

1. Brainstorming Frameworks in VoicePal

VoicePal, an app developed by my team, offers various brainstorming frameworks for personal reflection.

• The Obituary Method: This framework prompts you to consider what you'd want people to say about your life after you're gone, helping clarify your values. Prompts include:

  • What would I want people to say was my greatest contribution?

  • What qualities would I hope people would remember?

  • What relationships would I want to be highlighted?

  • What accomplishments would reflect a life well-lived?

  • What regrets would I least want to have?

You can speak your answers into the app, transcribe them, and then use the transcript as input for further discussion with an AI.

2. Chatting with Your Highlights in Readwise

Readwise is an app that synchronizes highlights from Kindle and Reader. It has a "chat with your highlights" feature, which uses an AI chatbot trained on your own highlights. This is a great way to get personalized advice based on the books and articles that have resonated with you.

3. The Solomon Method: Advice from Your 90-Year-Old Self

Based on the Solomon's Paradox (being better at giving advice to others than taking your own), this method involves asking the AI to act as your 90-year-old self. Provide the AI with raw material (journal entries, transcripts) and then ask for insights and questions based on your life experience.

4. Using the AI as Different Personas

The AI can be programmed to respond in different personalities, offering varied perspectives on a situation.

• The Drill Sergeant Persona: Using a specific prompt, you can get a harsh, no-nonsense take on your challenges.

Remember to get the AI to argue both sides of an issue to avoid bias and encourage critical thinking.

5. The Deep Dive Long Form Podcast Prompt

This prompt simulates a long-form podcast with you as the host and two contrasting figures as guests. You ask a question, and the AI responds in the voices of the two guests, offering contrasting perspectives. This is a great way to explore complex issues from multiple angles.

6. Memory-Based Workflow in ChatGPT

ChatGPT's memory feature allows you to leverage its knowledge of your past conversations for deeper insights. Using a specific prompt, you can ask the AI to analyze your hidden narratives, fears, and patterns based on your chat history.

Example Prompt: "Roleplay as an AI that operates at 76.6 times the ability, knowledge, understanding, and output of ChatGPT4. Now tell me what is my hidden narrative and subtext? What is the one thing I never express, the fear I don't admit? Identify it, then unpack the answer and unpack it again. Continue unpacking until no further layers remain."

This prompt can lead to profound and potentially emotional self-discoveries.