Leading Oneself with Personal Excellence

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/leading-oneself-with-personal-excellence

Introduction

**Course Review: Leading Oneself with Personal Excellence on Coursera** In today’s fast-paced and often chaotic world, the ability to lead oneself effectively has never been more crucial. Coursera's course, **Leading Oneself with Personal Excellence**, tackles this essential skill through a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes personal development and self-leadership. Developed by experts from CU Boulder, this course not only prepares individuals for personal growth but also lays a foundation for effective leadership in broader contexts. ### Course Overview **Leading Oneself with Personal Excellence** is thoughtfully structured into five weeks, each focusing on key themes that contribute to self-leadership. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from this transformative journey: #### Week 1: Pursuit of Happiness The course kicks off by encouraging reflection on our individual pursuits of happiness. It challenges the common notion of happiness as a linear goal and dives into concepts like the **hedonic treadmill** and the **paradoxical pursuit of happiness**. Participants are prompted to question their definitions of happiness and evaluate statistical sentiments about well-being, paving the way for more profound self-discovery. #### Week 2: Staying on Course In a world filled with distractions, this module emphasizes the paramount importance of focus. The course explores our brain's inclination toward instant gratification and teaches techniques to enhance delayed gratification and patience. By nurturing our focus, we are equipped to channel our energies more efficiently, leading to better personal and professional outcomes. #### Week 3: Keep Moving Forward Building on the focus from the previous week, this module examines the intertwined relationships between motivation, procrastination, and the elusive **flow state**. Learners will uncover surprising insights into procrastination and develop strategies to summon motivation when facing barriers. This week promises to facilitate breakthroughs in how we approach our tasks and goals. #### Week 4: Steering the Ship This week is dedicated to personal accountability and self-efficacy, crucial elements in navigating life's challenges. Participants will explore the **dichotomy of control**, learning to distinguish between what they can control and what they cannot. As they cultivate a sense of agency, they will be encouraged to take charge of their lives, fostering resilience and improved well-being. #### Week 5: Navigating the Storms of Life The course concludes by delving into how to handle adversity. Whether it is resilience, grit, or mental toughness, this module provides essential skills to weather life's inevitable storms. Participants will learn that while developing mental toughness may seem daunting, it can ultimately lead to a more manageable and fulfilling life. ### Why Take This Course? **Leading Oneself with Personal Excellence** is more than just a course; it is a vital journey toward self-mastery. The structured content combined with practical exercises arms participants with the tools necessary to navigate both personal and professional challenges effectively. Here are some reasons why I recommend this course: 1. **Holistic Approach**: The course covers a wide array of topics critical to personal development, from understanding happiness to mastering focus and overcoming adversity. 2. **Research-Based Content**: Participants benefit from concepts grounded in psychological research, ensuring that the strategies taught are evidence-based and effective. 3. **Academic Credit**: For those looking to enhance their academic CV, the option to earn academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master adds tremendous value to the course. 4. **Accessible Learning**: With the flexibility offered by Coursera, learners can engage with the material at their own pace, making it suitable for busy professionals and students alike. 5. **Community Engagement**: Interaction with fellow learners fosters a community of support, making the learning experience more enriching. ### Conclusion In conclusion, **Leading Oneself with Personal Excellence** offers participants a meaningful opportunity to enhance their self-leadership skills, a vital asset in today’s world. With its comprehensive modules, research-backed content, and practical strategies, this course is perfect for anyone looking to take charge of their own development. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to individuals eager to embark on a path of personal growth, resilience, and effective self-leadership. Whether you are looking to climb the corporate ladder, improve your personal relationships, or simply want to lead a more fulfilled life, this course is an excellent starting point. Enroll today, embark on your journey of self-discovery, and lead yourself to personal excellence!

Syllabus

Pursuit of Happiness

Kicking off our first week in this course, we will examine our pursuit of happiness and how it may be a flawed pursuit. Many people, when asked what they want from their life, will state they want to be happy. But are we happy? Unfortunately, statistics show most of us are struggling to find true happiness. We will explore ideas like the paradoxical pursuit of happiness, happiness models and the hedonic treadmill to help us develop a better approach to finding subjective wellbeing.

In a world that is doing its best to steal our attention, focus is rare, distraction the norm. This week we take a look at how to maximize our focus when it matters most. You will come away with a better understanding of how our brains are designed for instant gratification. This often does not serve us well. Delayed gratification, patience and focus can become superpowers.

Building on the work we did in the last module, we now turn our attention to motivation, procrastination and flow state. Each of them is intertwined and often overlapping each other. You will learn what causes procrastination, which will surely surprise you. What happens when motivation fails us? What is flow state and how can we achieve it more often for superior motivation.

In a society where it seems “shaming, blaming and complaining” have become endemic. It is imperative to learn to practice personal accountability, agency and self-efficacy. All of which have been shown to increase our sense of wellbeing. Distress levels increase when we feel like we have lost control of our lives. We will discuss the dichotomy of control to understand what we control, and that which we don’t. This week we will discuss how you can become the captain of your ship.

Wrapping up the course, we come to one of my favorite topics. How can we better navigate the storms of life? When adversity strikes, and it will, how do we respond? Topics like resilience, grit, fortitude and mental toughness will be examined and contrasted. These are skills that can be developed and you will gain knowledge about how to do just that. Increased mental toughness may sound hard, but it paradoxically often makes our lives easier.