Build a Personal Curriculum That Works

What I’ve Been Smiling About for 2 Months 😁 5 Lessons to Transform Your Learning Journey

What if these chapter notes and ideas that keep coming to me are not in the shape of a book?

That was the question pulling at me. I sat at a small table outside a local coffee shop and ate my egg and ham croissant sandwich. I stared at the sky and then watched a few sparrows chatter at each other in the nearby trees.

If I am being honest with myself, I don’t want to take on another book-writing project right now. It requires so much of my focus and time that I just don’t have in this season. I also feel the strong urge to get these ideas out there now, quickly, while they feel fresh and practical for my community.

A car drove into the parking lot near my sidewalk table and pulled me back to reality. I set down my sandwich and then stared down at the blank page. I flipped back to my sporadic notes and random bullet point lists.

That’s when it hit me: What if this content took the shape of an online class?

Suddenly, I was writing down ideas as fast as I could.

I decided to forgo proper spelling, format, and legible handwriting to just get the words on the page into my idea book. My brain felt like it was running downhill, catching momentum, and racing ahead. Pieces that previously felt random and disconnected now had a solid through line.

Not only would I get to use my 17+ years of teaching experience, but I can also share what I’ve learned in my burnout recovery journey. Everything that I was relearning in my new application to personal curriculum suddenly took on new importance. How can I distill these ideas to share them?

my delicious sandwich, chai latte, and writing notes - Oct. 3, 2025

After that insight hit me that day, I spent any extra writing time, the weekends, and some late nights working on creating a complete online class. I have devoured research to support my work, tackled learning the online platform of Teachable, and studied the structure of online classes that stick.

This whole process has been fueled by joy, a love of learning, and excitement to make all these “April-specific” connections that I know will make a practical impact.

Anyone who has chatted with me in the last 2 months has seen my beaming smile and felt my excitement about what I am working on. 😁 So, what exactly did all that work turn into?

Today I get to share it with you!!

The self-paced online class is organized into five sessions, each one building on the last to help you create a life of intentional learning. It’s structured to give you the clarity and motivation that inspired my own breakthrough.

So, are you ready to see what it’s all about...?? 🤓🙌

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Here’s the quick overview:

Class Title: How to Build a Personal Curriculum

#1 - How to Set Up Your Personal Curriculum

#2 - Making It Happen: How To Plan It Out

#3 - Roadblocks: Crazymakers & Making Space

#4 - The 9 Invisible Rules Holding Us Back

#5 - The Secrets to Momentum

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What do the lessons discuss and what are they about?

Hey, thanks for asking!! 😜

Let’s break it down.

Check out the full syllabus! ⤵️

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Here’s what you can expect from each session:

Lesson #1 - How to Set Up Your Personal Curriculum

• Why create a Personal Curriculum?

• 5 ways a personal curriculum can positively impact your life

• the science behind challenging your mind and engaging in higher level cognitive tasks

• the 4 study types and how to use them to help you

• nitty gritty details on Home Base Texts

  • how, why, and what to do with them (with detailed examples)

• saying “yes” to side-quests and what that looks like

• how to let the emotional and intellectual work together

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Lesson #2 - Making It Happen: How To Plan It Out

• the 7 key elements of a syllabus and how to make them work for you

• deciding on a time frame that works for you

• How to divide up material to make a reasonable plan.

• autonomy: you get to decide what your pace looks like

• pausing to notice growth and progress (how & why)

• policies - written with self kindness in mind

“The purpose of well-rounded planning is to keep your interest alive and your learning layered.”

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Lesson #3 - Roadblocks: Crazymakers & Making Space

5 Practical Steps for Making Space for Rest & Learning

• Who are Crazymakers and how do they create harm in my life?

• specific examples and details to understand what they do

• how to love others while also taking care of ourselves

• simple tips that provide structure for when you want it

• concrete ways to eliminate decision fatigue

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Lesson #4 - The 9 Invisible Rules Holding Us Back

• my recovering from burnout approach

• how Hyper-Instrumentalization is killing creative work

• guidelines in stiving for excellence

• applying the idea that: “when you improve what you care about, you get better problems and a better life”

• my book DNF policy

• expectations, mindsets, and cultural pressure that mess us up

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Lesson #5 - The Secrets to Momentum

• my #1 tip to making quick progress

• building practices that sustain you

• how to clarify thinking and spot blind spots

• serendipity & synchronicity

• 6 reasons why we celebrate

• rewards that deepen your learning

• practical ideas from someone who struggles to have fun

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Each class session contains:

• 📝free PDF lists and downloads

• discussion questions

• opportunities to interact with the community

• interactive quizzes

• simple action steps

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I can’t wait for you to catch the same excitement about what’s possible here!! 😁

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Whenever I stop feeding my own mind, I feel the slow fade of apathy and burnout. Rebuilding my personal curriculum was what pulled me out of overwhelm. It helped me find direction, creativity, and energy again.

This class is my way of passing that on: helping you rediscover curiosity, create a learning rhythm that feels doable, and reconnect with the joy of growing for its own sake.

If you have read any of my posts and felt seen and equipped, then this class is for you!! 😁 100%

I hope you’re as pumped as I am to dive in and see how this can spark your learning! I had so much fun creating this and making it a high-quality resource that you will love.

💻See you in the class sessions!

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P.S. — I know it’s a big ask to buy a class, but everything else I share on Substack (and my blog) is free and will stay that way. Your purchase helps me keep creating practical content.

This class is my invitation to go deeper, and your support would mean so much to me!!