When I think of a life coach, I picture that relentlessly upbeat person who meets every crisis with a serene smile and a herbal tea. They’re the ‘winners’ of the world, overflowing with a brand of boundless positivity that – perhaps it’s just my British sensibilities – leaves me feeling distinctly nauseous.
That’s why I was pleased to learn that Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*, had developed a life coach app. Hanson is known for his aversion to what he calls “toxic positivity” in favor of honest feedback, and the app promised that same dose of honesty. I knew I had to try it.
Homescreen heroes
This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn’t live without. Read them all here.
Grounded in behavioral science and Manson’s signature no-nonsense philosophy, the app focuses on converting high-level reflection into small, actionable steps that build real-world momentum. It’s designed to help people navigate life transitions and burnout, but can be used as a more general life coach to guide you through the day.
Pulling no punches
Purpose begins with an onboarding assessment with questions about your values, current life challenges, and areas where you feel stuck. The app uses this to build an initial psychological profile so it can begin to chat with you.
I answered the questions and was surprised how quickly the app “got me”. It’s obviously got nothing on that old friend or partner you’ve known for years, but from a psychological perspective, I found it to be pretty accurate.
As I continued to converse with the app, it built up contextual memory by remembering my previous conversations, identifying recurring themes, and generating long-term goals. It used this data set to recognize if I was repeating the same self-sabotaging patterns, and if it felt it needed to, it would call me out on them.
Relating to the chatbot took a bit of getting used to. It’s not like asking Gemini a fact-based question. This is much more personal. I was letting Purpose into the inner workings of my mind, and that felt a little uncomfortable to begin with. If I’m honest, I’m not sure it ever felt “natural”, but maybe it’s good that interacting with an AI life coach didn’t feel natural.
Actions that lead to long-term change
Purpose invites you to join it on quests, which are specific missions or projects you undertake to help you solve the problems identified when chatting with the AI mentor. This functionality moves you from passive reflection to active personal growth. Quests focus on specific areas of life, such as career clarity, relationship health, or breaking bad habits.
Each quest follows a multi-step flow including structured reflection, micro-actions, progress tracking, and pattern recognition. Each step is expertly tailored towards your specific recurring struggles, which means you can experience active growth in targeted areas.
I loved going through the Personal Growth Potential quest, which revealed my mindset type, found my inner voice, and discovered my grit. It forced me to reflect on my experiences, and I found the AI insights to be surprisingly helpful for enabling me overcome recurring patterns of thinking and behavior.
Are you up for some tough love?
If you’re after a “yes-man” life coach, then the Purpose app is not for you. You’ll get offended, your nose will be put out of joint, and you’ll probably get frustrated at its pushback. With Purpose specifically programmed to challenge your logic, if it thinks you’re making excuses, it won’t pull any punches.
If it’s a regular dose of tough love that you need, though, then Purpose is a breath of fresh air. You can download Purpose on iOS and try a free seven-day trial before subscribing to a premium plan for $19.99 / £19.99 per month.
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