Crafting Realities: Work, Happiness, and Meaning from edX

This course draws upon positive psychology, neuroscience, sociology,and philosophyto guide participants in proactively crafting their own work experience. It weaves inputs from these various fields into a series of lectures and experiential exercises.

This course is for anyone who wants to reinvent the way they currently approach and experience their work and their career. It takes an inside-out approach to create change. The focus is on working on one’s own mental models and beliefs with regard to work, career, success, failure, and identity.

Participants will benefiton three levels.

At an intellectual level, they will learn how the brain functions, the way emotions influence the functioning of the brain, and the way the brain receives, processes and makes sense of information. Participants will understand how sensemaking in the brain directly and indirectly translates into behavior; thereby influencing a person’s subjective as well as objective experience at work.

At an experiential level, participants will get to participate in reflective exercises that will allow them to gain a richer and deeper awareness of their own past experiences. They will be able to see and understand the role that their own choices, attitudes and beliefs played in the way their life has unfolded so far. They will also be able to realize the role that other people and society have played in the shaping of their beliefs and attitudes.

At a practical level, participants will learn tried and tested tools that will help them create the change they desire and craft their own future work experience with greater levels of confidence and effectiveness. These include emotional tools from the field of positive psychology, psychological tools that are used in coaching, and established behavioral tools from the field of organizational behavior.

The course is practical, engaging, and potent in its design with a unique mix of lectures, stories, and reflective exercises. These reflective exercises have been shown to create deep and lasting change for the participants. They have been derived over a span of eight years from the instructor’sown experiences teaching this material to MBA students and corporate executives.

What's inside

Learning objectives

How beliefs, thoughts, and emotions influence behavior and experience
Waysto assess your own mental models and attitudes and recognize how they have shaped your experiences so far

Practical tools to leverage your own mental models and emotions to craft your future work experience

How beliefs, thoughts, and emotions influence behavior and experience
Waysto assess your own mental models and attitudes and recognize how they have shaped your experiences so far
Practical tools to leverage your own mental models and emotions to craft your future work experience

Syllabus

Week 1: Crafting Realities

How we make sense of the world around us and our experience in it?

The role of our mental models in the way we process information from the world

Distinguishing between objective and subjective reality

Understanding how confirmation bias can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy

Week 2: Demystifying Success

How we define success for ourselves?

The role played by society in shaping our definition of success

Creating an awareness of our personal values to help us navigate this complexity

Decoupling our own dreams from the expectations of other stakeholders in our lives

Week 3: Accepting Failure

Understanding the label of failure and the effects it has on us

Exploring the attributes of perfectionism and how to overcome them

Understanding resilience and tools to help us become more resilient

Cultivating a healthy and realistic attitude to failure

Week 4: Redefining Work

Nature and utility of work in everyday life

Introduction to the flow state and its benefits

Crafting a more empowering inner definition of work

Consciously cultivating meaning and purpose in work

Week 5: Leveraging Emotions

The connection between happiness and productivity

Overcoming our innate bias towards the negative and dealing with negative emotions

Shifting our happiness baseline and choosing to play to our strengths

Cultivating emotional intelligence and using mirror neurons to our advantage

Week 6: Continuing the Journey

Creating and sustaining change

Cultivating an innovation mindset and avoiding generalized conclusions

Digging deeper with Integrative thinking

Savoring the journey and managing personal energy

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explains how beliefs, thoughts, and emotions shape experiences and behavior

Provides practical tools and techniques to enhance emotional intelligence

Covers a range of relevant topics, including success, failure, work, and emotions

Incorporates a mix of lectures, stories, and reflective exercises

Draws upon various disciplines, including positive psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy

Suitable for individuals seeking to enhance their subjective and objective work experiences

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Crafting Realities: Work, Happiness, and Meaning with these activities:

Organize Your Course Resources

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Staying organized can help you efficiently access and review course materials, enhancing your learning experience.

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Create a dedicated folder or notebook for course materials.
File and label notes, assignments, and other resources.
Review your organized materials regularly.

Explore Career Exploration Resources

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Taking advantage of career exploration resources can broaden your understanding of potential career paths and enhance your job search strategies.

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Utilize online career assessment tools and personality tests.
Research different industries and job roles.
Connect with career counselors or mentors for guidance.

Engage in Peer Support

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Connecting with peers can provide a sense of community, facilitate knowledge sharing, and enhance motivation.

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Join online forums or discussion groups related to career development.
Attend industry events and conferences.
Connect with classmates or colleagues on social media.

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Explore the Science of Well-being

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By providing a practical guide to happiness, this book can complement the course's exploration of positive psychology and emotional well-being.

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Read the book at your preferred pace.
Take notes or highlight key concepts.
Reflect on how the ideas align with your own experiences.

Emotional Regulation Exercises

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Regular practice of emotional regulation techniques can enhance your ability to manage emotions and navigate challenging situations effectively.

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Practice mindfulness and deep breathing exercises.
Identify emotional triggers and develop strategies to respond healthily.
Seek support from trusted individuals or a mental health professional if needed.

Craft a Personal Manifesto

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Developing a personal manifesto can enhance self-awareness, clarify values, and provide a roadmap for shaping your work experience.

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Introspect and identify your core values.
Reflect on your past experiences and note turning points or significant moments.
Articulate your aspirations, goals, and dreams.
Synthesize these elements into a coherent and inspiring personal manifesto.

Attend a Meaning and Purpose Workshop

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Participating in a workshop dedicated to meaning and purpose can help you clarify your values, align your work with your passions, and find greater fulfillment.

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Identify and attend a workshop focused on meaning and purpose.
Actively participate in exercises and discussions.
Reflect on your experiences and insights.

Design a Personal Development Plan

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Creating a personal development plan can help you set clear goals, identify areas for improvement, and track your progress towards your desired outcomes.

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Assess your current skills and strengths.
Identify areas for development and set specific, achievable goals.
Develop a plan outlining strategies and resources to achieve your goals.
Regularly monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed.

Career center

Learners who complete Crafting Realities: Work, Happiness, and Meaning will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Psychologist

Crafting Realities studies the behavioral relationships between mental models and experiences in our subjective reality to build practical tools. The course's unique mix of lectures, stories, and reflective exercises will give you greater insight into how perspectives shape experience and behavior. In this role, you will study the mind, including the conscious and unconscious processes that influence thoughts and actions, and apply this knowledge to a variety of settings.

See salaries and explore the career path for Psychologist

Motivational Speaker

Leveraging positive psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and philosophy, Crafting Realities offers the opportunity to study how beliefs, thoughts, and emotions influence behavior and experience. You will build a foundation to understand and use motivational tools to influence the subjective experiences of others and yourself.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motivational Speaker

Marketing Manager

How do you use emotions to craft a narrative that translates into better outcomes? Crafting Realities can help you understand how your target audience's models, beliefs, and behaviors interact with your product or service. The course will help you use this knowledge to improve marketing campaigns and create more effective messaging.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Organizational Psychologist

Crafting Realities can help students enter this career by helping them understand the behaviors of teams and individuals within an organization. The course will teach you to apply this knowledge to improve team dynamics and increase employee engagement and productivity.

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Social Worker

Crafting Realities can help Social Workers understand the subjective realities of their clients. The course will help you understand how these realities form, how they can be changed, and how to use existing social tools to create more positive outcomes for your clients.

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Career Counselor

Through the study of positive psychology and behavioral change, Crafting Realities can help current Career Counselors advance in their careers. The course materials will help you understand how beliefs and mental models inform the behaviors of those you counsel.

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Life Coach

Taking Crafting Realities may help you build a better foundation as you move forward in this career. It will give you a deeper understanding of how mental models and beliefs affect behaviors and outcomes. This knowledge can help you help your clients achieve their goals and live happier, more fulfilling lives.

See salaries and explore the career path for Life Coach

Environmental Psychologist

Crafting Realities emphasizes understanding relationships between subjective realities, behaviors, and external stimuli. This understanding is crucial to the work of an Environmental Psychologist, who studies how the physical environment affects our behavior. Taking the course could help you develop specialized expertise in the field.

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Anthropologist

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Anthropology. It will provide you with insight into how cultural factors can influence our mental models and beliefs, which can help you better understand the behaviors and practices of different cultural groups. This knowledge can be valuable for conducting anthropological research.

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Sociologist

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Sociology. It will provide you with insight into how social structures and institutions can influence our mental models and beliefs, which can help you better understand the behaviors and dynamics of different social groups. This knowledge can be valuable for conducting sociological research.

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Philosopher

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Philosophy. It will provide you with insight into the nature of reality, the mind, and the self. This knowledge can help you better understand the fundamental questions that philosophers have been asking for centuries.

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Neuroscientist

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Neuroscience. It will provide you with insight into how the brain works and how it affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This knowledge can help you better understand the neural basis of our subjective realities.

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Educator

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Education. It will provide you with insight into how people learn and how to create more effective learning environments. This knowledge can help you become a more effective teacher or educational leader.

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Graphic designer

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Graphic Design. It will provide you with insight into how visual elements can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This knowledge can help you create more effective and engaging visual designs.

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Writer

Crafting Realities may be useful for those interested in Writing. It will provide you with insight into how language can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This knowledge can help you become a more effective writer and communicator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Writer