As 2023 draws to a close, many of us find ourselves reflecting on personal growth and setting resolutions for positive change.
While the concept of a “new year, new me” often comes with lofty goals, taking small steps toward self-improvement can lead to significant transformations.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of readily available resources online that can help in this journey of self-discovery and development. In this blog, we’ve collated 5 short personal development courses to improve yourself in time for the coming new year.
(Note that this blog focuses more on professional development and productivity. Feel free to check out our previous blog on online hobby courses that focus on self-discovery through hobbies)
5 Short Personal Development Courses
Professional Resilience: Building Skills to Thrive at Work
Platform: Future Learn
Duration: 2 weeks (3 hours per week)
Self-paced: Yes for the paid version, limited access on free version
Price: Free version and paid version
Certificate: Included with the paid version
Resilience is a skill that you’ll find useful whether you’re still studying or you’re already in the workforce. Learning this skill empowers individuals to look at challenges as an opportunity for growth and to improve problem-solving.
This course from Future Learn will teach you what resilience is all about. You’ll develop resilience skills for yourself, making you ready for both professional and personal challenges. So regardless of whether you’re a student, an employee, or unemployed, you’ll benefit from this course, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on its free version.
The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know
Platform: Coursera
Duration: 11 hours
Self-paced: Yes
Price: Free
Certificate: Paid
Let’s face it, success doesn’t always come easy. Sometimes, luck plays a role, but it normally takes more than that. If you’re still lost on the road to success, this free course is for you!
The course speaks for itself – you’ll learn the science of success. It specifically aims to help you achieve the success you want in life, using methods backed by science that drive results. A rating of 4.8 stars from thousands of learners proves that the course has indeed helped a lot of people.
Introduction to Time Management
Platform: Alison
Duration: 1.5-3 hours
Price: Free
Certificate: Paid
Managing our time effectively is the key to productivity. This Alison course will teach you to finally become the master of your time.
Time management skills can be beneficial to anybody. However, this course will likely be most beneficial to people having difficulties with juggling their responsibilities and can’t seem to find time to do other things. If you’re one of those people, then this time management course is definitely for you.
Productivity Masterclass – Principles and Tools to Boost Your Productivity
Platform: Skill Share
Duration: 2 hours
Price: Annual plan at £6.85/month, monthly plan £14/month (with 7-day free trial)
Certificate: Paid
Speaking of productivity, here’s a course for all procrastinators out there. This productivity masterclass course from Skillshare teaches learners on the principles of productivity, as well as tools you can use to help boost your productivity.
While this course comes with a price, it does come with a 7-day free trial. On the other hand, if you’re willing to pay the cost, you’ll not only access this course, but also all the other courses on Skillshare’s website.
Learn to Fully Charge Your Work & Life by Tom Rath
Platform: Udemy
Duration: 3 hours
Price: £13.99
Certificate: Included in the price
Learn how to lead a meaningful life with this last course from Udemy. It unlocks the key to a profoundly meaningful life, emphasizing positivity infusion in daily interactions, maximizing talents for professional and personal growth, and discovering internal motivation.
With a whopping 36,000+ students and over 19,000 reviews averaging 4.6 stars, it’s safe to say the learners are happy with the course. While it does come at a cost, Udemy often has sales on their courses where you can get huge discounts for more than half the price so make sure to keep an eye out for it.
As the new year approaches, consider embarking on a journey of self-improvement through these personal development courses. Remember, the key lies not just by joining the course but in applying the knowledge gained to your daily life.
Let the coming year mark not just a change in your calendar but a transformation toward a more empowered, knowledgeable, and fulfilled you. Start small, stay consistent, and watch yourself grow.
