[This is the story of the start-up and app Purposely™. Each week I’ll chat about its purpose, progress, and possibilities. Let’s consider this the memoir of an app <smile>. If you’d like to be in touch, please drop me a line to [email protected]. And please take a peek at my latest book, Choose Your Life Purposes, which spells out the principles upon which Purposely is built.]
Let’s say that you want to lose thirty pounds. How can your sister support you in that intention? How can your teenage son? How can your elderly mother? How can that busy friend struggling to keep her business from failing? How can your grown daughter at college in Italy? How can anyone you don’t pay?
A health coach could support you—but out of friendship and not commerce? Maybe priests, pastors, rabbis and imams are in the non-commercial support business—but with regard to weight loss? Is your rabbi going to congratulate you for skipping that corned beef sandwich? That doesn’t sound all that promising.
Certainly, AI could support you. A diet app could send you cheerleading messages that sound like support and that maybe even feel like support. An automated weight helper, the cutest avatar you could hope for, could pop up on your phone and have a diet-related conversation with you. “Had your cauliflower yet today?” “No, I haven’t.” “Well, it takes just ten minutes to steam some!” And so on.
But support from real people? That is so much more elusive that it practically frames and defines the loneliness discussion. If everything is half-artificial, or fully artificial, what can life possibly feel like? Certainly not like holding a baby in your arms and comforting her by walking up and down your living room. Certainly not like chatting with your best friend at a café by the sea while you watch the boats come in. And certainly not like sitting beside your loved one in the dead of night, confessing a failure or whispering a hope.
And what kind of support would you want? A lot of cheerleading and mock cheerleading? A daily inspirational quotation, meditation, affirmation, or visualization? Just a word or two or three, like “Way to go!” A real conversation, maybe the equivalent of a mini-coaching session? Words of wisdom? Are these the right things? Are these what’s wanted?
Think about your own life. Picture something very important to you. You would love some support as you work toward that goal. What is it you need? As you think about this, doesn’t it seem like it is all very unique and idiosyncratic? Here you might want real information—just the facts, please. There you might want just a bit of cheerleading. Here you might want the voice of experience—someone who has been there and done that. There you might want actual, physical support—someone to move that piano. And so on …
If every situation, if every one of your life purposes, if every goal requires its own curated array of help, how can an app possibly handle that or even get anywhere near answering that cornucopia of conundrums? Well, we have not worked this out yet. Stay tuned!
**
[Purposely is slated to appear November, 2024.]
Unravel the myth of a singular life purpose ingrained in religious teachings and societal notions
Liberate yourself from the “life purpose trap.” Leading life coach, regular contributor to Psychology Today, and renowned author Eric Maisel presents a contemporary philosophy that challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding how to live.
Discover the transformative philosophy of Choose Your Life Purposes. Explore the step-by-step process to identify your core values, unlocking what truly matters to you. This groundbreaking book empowers you to embrace multiple life purposes, fostering personal growth and awareness. No longer confined to endless seeking, you’ll learn to live life now, irrespective of circumstances.
How to live your best life. Explore the art of crafting life purpose statements, mantras, and icons to reinforce your choices. Make living with purpose a daily practice, transforming your life into a purpose-filled journey. Say goodbye to fruitless searches for meaning and embark on a personal growth revolution.
Inside:
- Learn how to develop your personal values list
- Create a personal roadmap for a fulfilling and purposeful existence
- Have a guide at your fingertips on how to live with purpose daily
- Learn how to handle existential crises
- Acquire new tools to heal depression, anxiety, and addiction
If you liked From Strength to Strength, How to Ikigai, or Creating a Life That Matters, you’ll love Choose Your Life Purposes.
—
This Post is republished on Medium.
—
Photo credit: iStock
