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Design a more fulfilling life for yourself this year

This time of year, many of us seek ways to enhance our lives whether by starting new or kicking old habits, finding more supportive mindsets, focusing on new goals or changing careers. And there is a lot of available research out there that reveals what truly leads to fulfilling lives and careers.

CU Boulder career advisor and life coach, Jordan Maness, has synthesized that research into Thriving 101: Designing a Fulfilling Life and Career, a 10-hour self-paced online course offered through the Coursera platform.

This course will empower you to confidently make meaningful changes in your life and to create a life aligned with who you are at your core. You’ll learn:

  • What science tells us about how to enhance our happiness and well-being,
  • Effective strategies for shifting your thoughts and beliefs to be more supportive,
  • Time management skills and habits that help you align your most valuable assets—time and energy—with your goals,
  • How to identify your strengths and values so you can make smarter, more tailored career choices
  • What the design thinking process is and how to apply it to create the career and life of your dreams.

The Thriving 101 course, which first launched in September 2023, was revamped this fall to make the curriculum more interactive and to provide more tailored and updated readings. The new curriculum will be available starting December 15, 2025.

“Completing the Thriving 101 course has been a deeply enriching experience, both personally and professionally,” said Dr. Subhra Dhar Biswas, a learner enrolled in the course. “It helped me shift from simply reacting to circumstances to thoughtfully experimenting, prototyping and consciously building the life I want to lead. Perhaps the most meaningful part of this journey was understanding flourishing and thriving as more than momentary happiness. The distinction gave me language and structure for something I’ve been sensing but unable to articulate — that a fulfilling life is not about constant positivity, but about alignment, growth, meaning, and engagement.”

"Thriving 101 is an experience that invites you to pause, reflect, and recalibrate your internal compass. It's clear that this offering delivers something many programs overlook: accessibility fused with depth. Jordan Maness brings a unique ability to take layered, often abstract concepts around thriving and well-being and translate them into practical tools that transform,” said Hassan Akmal, a work expert, author, and learner enrolled in the course.  “I’d recommend it to anyone seeking a more aligned and fulfilling life, especially those who know there’s more within them, but just need the right spark to begin."

Since the course is delivered through the Coursera platform, participants can move through the online coursework at their own pace. The course is free for CU Boulder students, staff and faculty when they login to Coursera using their IdentiKey credentials. Members of the public can access the first module of the course for free by previewing the course. The cost to complete the rest of the course, if you do not have a Coursera subscription, is $49. Learners will earn a certificate upon successful completion of the course. To date, the course has nearly 3,000 enrollees.

You can learn more about the course and enroll on the course program page.
 

For questions about the course, please contact Jordan Maness at jordan.maness@colorado.edu.