How to Make ChatGPT Your FREE Life Coach

Hey everyone! If you’re reading this you likely fall into one of two camps: you’re already sold on the benefits of AI and will give this a try straight after reading, or you’re still wary about AI and are wondering why everyone has forgotten about what happened with Skynet…

Well, fear not, by the end of this blog post, you’ll have all the information you need to turn your friendly AI chatbot (like Gemini, or ChatGPT) into your very own FREE AI Life Coach!

… Well… Sort of.

I previously explored leveraging ChatGPT for personal growth, but their new voice chat feature is a game changer. Let’s dive in and see how to use this for self-improvement, with a healthy dose of reality (because a robot therapist isn’t quite there… yet).

ChatGPT Life Coach: How to use AI for Self-Improvement

First things first: ChatGPT can’t replace a real-life coach. For all its incredible functionality, it’s still a relatively blunt instrument in comparison. It can’t read body language, give you time and space to think, or the constructive challenges that you’d get from a good coach.

That’s not to say it doesn’t have its uses, however! If you imagine a spectrum of self-reflection tools; on one end you have journaling; on the other, life coaching. ChatGPT is a lot closer to the journaling side of things but with an interactive twist. In fact, it can be useful to think of it as a fancy, interactive form of journaling.

That said, in my two weeks of testing the voice chat function, it did some things amazingly well:

📝 Automatic Transcripts: No more forgetting key takeaways (big for me) or pausing to write notes!
👌 Crystal Clear Understanding: ChatGPT picks up your voice and interprets it accurately (even if there were a couple of times my Derby accent was misinterpreted for Danish for some reason…)
🤙 Hands-Free Coaching: Chat on the go – perfect for “external processors” like me who benefit from talking things out and think better while walking

Maximising your AI Life Coach: Top Tips

Now, I’m no expert in AI, but here are some insights from my experience as a life coach and psychologist, and some tips on how to get the best out of your new pocket coach:

🎯Specificity is key: Provide clear details about what you need help with. The more specific you are, the more tailored ChatGPT’s responses will be.
🤔 Open-ended questions: Ditch yes-or-no questions and opt for prompts that encourage deeper exploration and reflection.
📃 Set intentions: Before jumping into a chat, take a moment to set goals for the conversation. What do you hope to achieve? What are you struggling with?

My personal tip: Treat your ChatGPT Life Coach as an experiment at the beginning and try a few different prompts – keep tweaking until you find something that works for you. It’s a little like getting to know your coach… sometimes it takes a little while to build rapport and for you to get to know each other. Here’s a prompt I’ve been using to get you started:

“I’d like you to take on the role of my personal life coach who has 20 years’ worth of experience in their field and is an expert in human psychology. I’m seeking guidance and support in [insert specific area or topic you’d like to explore, such as personal development, relationships, career goals, etc.]. Could you please provide prompts, and insights and summarise my thoughts to help me gain clarity and make progress in this area?”

ChatGPT Life Coach: Pros and Cons

So, as a professional life and personal development coach, what are my experiences of using ChatGPT’s voice chat in this context so far?:

Advantages:

🤯 Great for Clearing Your Head: Head feeling full? Need a quick brain dump? A 10-minute chat with your ChatGPT Life Coach can be a great way to gain clarity.
🕛 Accessibility: Available 24/7 with an internet connection, making it a convenient and on-demand resource for support.
💷 Affordability: Completely free to use, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of budget.
📒 Voice Chat Transcripts: No more forgetting key points, or needing to scribble thoughts down! ChatGPT automatically records voice chats for later reference.

Disadvantages:

🚫 Interrupting Your Flow: This was my biggest frustration when I was walking and talking with ChatGPT. It can interrupt you mid-thought, forcing you to repeat yourself and hindering the natural flow of thoughts and ideas.
👂Silence and Body Language: ChatGPT struggles with silence and can’t read your body language, which can limit its effectiveness in uncovering deeper insights. And is one of the key benefits of coaching.
🥰 Limited Emotional Connection: Lacks the empathetic understanding and emotional support a human coach offers, which can be crucial for complex emotional issues.
🧮 Data-Driven, Not Emotionally Aware: Responses are based on patterns and data, not real-time understanding of your emotions and situation. This may lead to less accurate or relevant advice.

Important Note: While ChatGPT is a great tool for clarifying thoughts or transcribing ideas, it’s not a replacement for therapy or counselling. If you’re struggling with a specific issue, please seek professional help.

Embrace Your Growth Journey with Your AI Life Coach

ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for personal development, especially if you struggle with traditional journaling. It won’t replace human coaching, but it’s a valuable addition to your self-improvement toolbox.

So, my experience of using ChatGPT as my personal life coach for the past couple of weeks…

Is it a panacea? No. Does it replace traditional human coaching? No. But is it a really useful tool that has the potential to develop even further? Definitely.

Have you tried it? Get in touch or let me know in the comments below!

See you soon!

Stephen