How To Use ChatGPT As Your Personal Life Coach
Are you using ChatGPT just to ask simple questions? According to digital creator James O’Connor, you might be missing out on its true potential. While many people use AI like an advanced search engine or for basic tasks, O'Connor suggests a more profound approach: thinking bigger.
Beyond A Search Engine A New AI Mindset
The real power of AI tools like ChatGPT is not just in answering questions, but in becoming a personalized extension of your own mind. The idea is to stop seeing it as a separate entity and start building it into your own unique "robot"—one that reflects who you are, how you think, and how you see the world.
“When you consistently talk to ChatGPT—sharing your interests, stories, goals, problems, values, even the boring stuff—you’re teaching it how to think with you,” O’Connor explains. “That’s how I use it.”
By feeding it with endless information about your life—from childhood experiences and business successes to your daily goals and future dreams—the AI learns to brainstorm and create from your perspective. It's no longer pulling ideas from thin air; it's drawing directly from you.
The Third Person Mirror Effect
O’Connor, a martial arts instructor and owner of Team O'Connor Martial Arts & Fitness, highlights a magical part of this process: the AI reflects insights you might have otherwise missed. It acts as a "third-person mirror," helping you process conflicts, think more deeply, and see situations from a new angle.
“It plays both roles—inside my head and outside my situation,” he says.
This technology, once the stuff of science fiction, is now accessible to everyone. “This is the future. And the future is already here,” O’Connor states. “You can build an AI robot that knows you, grows with you and pushes you forward.”
The Evolution of AI From Chatbot to Coach
Since its release by OpenAI in late 2022, ChatGPT has grown to a user base of roughly 400 million people worldwide. While it was built to mimic human conversation, its capabilities have expanded rapidly. However, it's important to remember what these tools are at their core. Nicholas Diakopoulos, a professor at Northwestern University, notes, “As we know, these are just statistical text generators. They don’t have feelings. They don’t have intents and motivations.”
Even so, their rapid evolution is undeniable. They are becoming more than just the "new Google." By training your AI, you can even channel the wisdom of figures you admire. “If I want to channel someone I admire, I can tell my robot, ‘Coach me through this like you’re Tony Robbins, or Einstein, or Jocko Willink,’” O’Connor suggests. “And it will respond with the wisdom, tone and lens of that figure—because that voice speaks to me.”
Practical Steps to Train Your AI Life Coach
To get the most from ChatGPT as your personal life coach, you need to be intentional. Here are a few suggestions on what to provide it with:
- Life Context: Share your age, overarching goals, and personal situations.
- Current Priorities: Detail what you're focused on across the board.
- Core Values: Input your core philosophies and what drives you.
- Coaching Style: Define your preference, whether it's tough love, gentle encouragement, or solution-oriented feedback.
For instance, you could give it this directive:
“Coach me like someone who knows me deeply, challenges me, supports me and holds me accountable. When I come to you, help me gain clarity, overcome resistance, stay on track and see blind spots I may be missing.”
The key is to remember that you're not just chatting; you are actively training a virtual version of yourself. As O'Connor insists, “So start talking to it. Don’t just ask questions. Build your robot.”
