A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you’re encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Week One
Lesson 01 - Born Decision Makers
Wednesday
Your brain is amazingly well-equipped with all kinds of tools for making great decisions! Natural skills, such as pattern matching and problem framing, often help you make wise choices. But just owning tools doesn't mean you know how to use them skillfully. The first lesson will discuss how to make the most of some of your natural abilities and also avoid some common pitfalls, like bias, myopia, and overconfidence.
Lesson 02 - Needs, Wants, and Actions
Friday
Did you know that you make decisions virtually every minute of every day, even in your sleep? Just as drops of water, given enough time, can carve out a canyon, all those decisions—even the little ones—will eventually have a huge impact on your life. In this lesson, you'll learn about five kinds of decisions you make every day, as well as the critical difference between actions and intentions!
Week Two
Lesson 03 - Achieving Personal Goals
Wednesday
What's the difference between a goal and a dream? A goal is something you can control through your own efforts, where a dream depends on luck or fate. When you want something, how do you know if it's a dream or a goal? How can you make your wishes come true? You'll find many of the answers in this lesson. The lesson will talk about short-term and long-term goals, the steps for achieving goals, and how to know when you should change your goals.
Lesson 04 - Making Everyday Decisions
Friday
This lesson will discuss when and how to pay close attention to those little, seemingly unimportant everyday decisions that really do make a difference. You'll learn how to identify three types of decisions—conscious, unconscious, and subconscious—and know when decisions for change need to be made. You'll develop some very useful skills for planning, prioritizing, and dealing with that thief of time, procrastination.
Week Three
Lesson 05 - Dealing With Crisis
Wednesday
What is a crisis? Is it something that happens outside of you, or is it how you feel? What are the qualities that make a situation critical? How can you make the best decisions possible when time and information are limited but you're under a lot of pressure to take action? This lesson will help you cope with uncertainty and prepare for the unexpected. You'll learn techniques that can help you relax and cope better, regardless of what may be happening around you.
Lesson 06 - Dealing With Emotions
Friday
Life would certainly be dull if you didn't have feelings! Good feelings—like love, joy, and laughter—give you pleasure. Bad feelings—like confusion, sorrow, and guilt—can help you learn and grow. But feelings often conflict with logic and reason and get people into trouble. How do you know whether to listen to your emotions or ignore them when it comes to making decisions? You'll find some of the answers in this lesson.
Week Four
Lesson 07 - Making Decisions With Others
Wednesday
Like emotions, other people certainly help to make life worth living. But boy—can they ever complicate things when it comes to making good decisions! This lesson will discuss some important skills for setting good boundaries with others and dealing with disagreement. You'll learn how to develop attitudes that are essential for good relationships and how to work effectively with others to make the best possible decisions.
Lesson 08 - Learning to Manage Risk
Friday
You've heard the expression "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Sometimes you have to risk a little to gain a lot. But when is it best to go out on a limb, and when is it best to hold on to the trunk? This lesson will go over some foolproof guidelines for managing risk. You'll also decide if you're basically a risk-taker, a play-it-safe type, or somewhere in between.
Week Five
Lesson 09 - Understanding Luck
Wednesday
Luck happens. But are you completely at its mercy, blown around on the sea of life by the winds of change? The answer is no! In this lesson, you'll learn how the element of luck affects what you expect from life and how to use that to your advantage. You'll find out how to avoid being misled by superstition and wishful thinking, as well as how to use positive expectations to help steer your life the way you want it to go.
Lesson 10 - Recovering From Mistakes
Friday
Have you ever made a mistake? Do you expect that you may someday make another one? If so, then the topics you'll explore in this lesson are important! You'll learn about some of the main reasons people make poor decisions, as well as both healthy and unhealthy ways to respond to your own errors. You'll learn how to recover from mistakes, turning them into opportunities to learn and grow.
Week Six
Lesson 11 - Changing Habits
Wednesday
Habits can be terrific time-savers! They often allow you to do the right thing automatically, without even having to think about it. On the other hand, there are also those other kinds of habits—the ones that lead you to do the wrong things automatically! This lesson will give you power over your own habits as you learn skills for developing good habits and getting rid of the ones you don't need.
Lesson 12 - Decision-Making Tools and Resources
Friday
Throughout this course, you'll use a journal to help you learn about and practice some good decision-making skills. In the final lesson, you'll learn more about the power of journaling. You'll also get some ideas for how to use other very useful decision-making tools, including notes, lists, and diagrams. Finally, you'll get some good ideas about when to consult experts and when to wing it on your own.