Creating an Intentional Life: Attention, Values, and Purpose
University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera Specialization
Overview
Google, IBM & Meta Certificates – 40% Off
One plan covers every Professional Certificate on Coursera.
Unlock All Certificates
Creating an Intentional Life equips learners with evidence-based frameworks for designing a life aligned with their values, reclaiming attention in a distraction-driven world, and leading themselves with clarity and purpose. Drawing on neuroscience, positive psychology, and leadership development, including research from the University of Colorado Boulder's PRISM program, learners will build practical skills that translate directly into personal and professional growth. Whether navigating a career pivot or seeking greater meaning, this specialization offers science-backed tools for lasting change.
Syllabus
- Course 1: Thriving 101: Designing a Fulfilling Life & Career
- Course 2: Reclaim Your Attention: Values-Aligned Media Consumption
- Course 3: Leading Oneself with Purpose and Meaning
Courses
-
Before we can lead others well, we must first learn to lead ourselves well. Knowing your why is an important part of this journey. In this course, you will identify your core purpose and recognize meaning in your life, explore the power of spirituality and embracing our mortality, create a lasting impact by serving a greater good, describe your character and practice personal excellence. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.
-
Are you ready to enhance your life?  Are you craving more fulfillment and less stress?  Is it possibly time to make a career change? Before aimlessly and impulsively diving into changes in your life, it’s a smart move to take the time to learn what the science and other experts have revealed truly leads to fulfilling lives and careers.    This course will help you design a life well-aligned with who you are, and it will empower you to confidently make meaningful changes moving forward.  You’ll learn about what science has demonstrated enhances one’s happiness level in life.  You’ll also discover effective strategies to utilize when making a career choice.  In a world that is often unpredictable and chaotic, obtaining the knowledge presented in this course can help you feel much more confident designing a fulfilling life and career.  For a preview of the course, watch the following video: https://youtu.be/mu7ZxkHMLk8 Course logo by Gian Luca Pilia on Unsplash
-
Reclaim your attention. Realign your mind. Rediscover what matters. We reach for our phones when we want to rest, scroll when we mean to connect, and check notifications in moments meant for quiet or focus. Most of us don’t want to be doing this. The attention economy is designed to keep us hooked, shaping not just how we spend our time but how we think, feel, and relate to others. Your attention is your most valuable resource the foundation of your creativity, relationships, and mental health. This course helps you reclaim it. You’ll learn to align your media habits with your values, reduce digital overwhelm, and cultivate clarity, joy, balance, and purpose, skills that enhance well-being and focus in every area of life. This neuroscience-based course builds on eight years of research and teaching from the PRISM program at the University of Colorado Boulder, which has helped thousands of participants feel less stressed, more focused, and more connected. We’ve distilled the most effective, science-backed practices into a concise, time-efficient learning experience, so you can see real impact without adding more to your plate. Each week includes short videos, guided reflections, and practical tools designed to help you make lasting shifts in how you relate to technology, and to yourself. This course is for you if... You check your phone first thing in the morning and feel drained before the day begins. You find yourself scrolling when you meant to rest, create, or connect with people you love. You want to understand the neuroscience behind attention manipulation and how to resist it. You’re a leader, educator, or professional who wants to model digital balance for others. You struggle to stay focused at work or school, even when the task matters to you. You crave more presence, creativity, and meaning — and less mental clutter. You’re ready to take back control of your mind and rediscover what truly nourishes you.
Taught by
Annie Margaret, Jordan I Maness and Ron Duren Jr.