Gain Learning

Living in Motion Program represents a series of 4 sequential courses designed to give women the understanding, skills, and motivation to develop their best life and create the best version of themselves.  The central theme of this program is for women to develop an improved understanding and appreciation of key concepts and strategies important to living a balanced, fulfilling, and productive life.  The 4 course series cover a wide array of psychological concepts that aim at helping women take a step-by-step approach to begin with the process of self-exploration and end up with a plan of action.  Each course provides a variety of supplemental reading materials, videos, worksheets, self-assessments, and a variety of suggested self-help readings. Access to the instructor through the course platform is also available.

1. Who am I?  Exploring Mind, Body, and Spirit 

Who am I? is a question that may be among life’s most defining questions.  In order to have a full understanding of who am I, we need to explore our true identity.  Our identity is our all-encompassing system of memories, experiences, feelings, thoughts, relationships, and values that define who each of us is.  It is the stuff that makes up our “self”.  Therefore, identity is a critical component of understanding who we are.  Few of us choose our own identity.  Instead, we simply internalize the values of our parents or the dominant cultures (e.g., pursuit of materialism, power, and appearance).  Sadly, these values are often not aligned with our authentic self and create unfulfilling life. We, as living beings, search for and find comfort in a solid sense of identity.  It grounds us.  It gives us confidence.  And our sense of identity affects every single thing in our lives – from the choices we make to the values we live by. 

By the end of this course, you will:

• Explore abilities, talents, and interests to identify your  potential

• Identify your uniqueness and how to incorporate it in your life

• Develop your self-awareness to live a balanced, fulfilling, and a productive life

• Explore your roles and responsibilities & their relationship to the links/connections you make in your life

• Examine your power and strength

• Be aware of your emotions

• Learn the stages of behavior and needed change

2. What Do I Want? Exploring Purpose

What do I want to do with my life? It is a question all of us think about at one point or another.  For some, the answer comes easily. For others, it takes a lifetime to figure out.  It is easy to just go through the motions and continue to do what is comfortable and familiar. But for those of you who seek fulfillment, who want to live a life with purpose, asking this question is the first step on your road to self-discovery.  Your life purpose consists of the central motivating aims of your life—the reasons you get up in the morning. Purpose can guide life decisions, influence behavior, shape goals, offer a sense of direction, and create meaning. For some people, purpose is connected to vocation—meaningful and satisfying work.

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand the role relationships play in your life

• Differentiate between healthy and unhealthy relationships

• Explore your communication patterns and learn about communication styles

• Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs and how it applies to your life

• Describe self-actualization and discuss various paths towards its achievement

• Learn how to construct your own mission statement

• Learn how to set SMART goals based on mission statement

3. How Do I Get Things Done?  Exploring Daily Living

We all wish we could get more work done in less time. If we were more productive, we would get closer to our goals much faster, we would have more personal time to do what we wanted, and we would feel less stressed about our to do list. Unfortunately, you cannot bully yourself into working harder and there is no switch you can flip to suddenly make yourself a task-executing, process-churning machine.  There are, however, a number of different strategies and methods you can use to create an environment that naturally encourages you to do your best.  Keep in mind that every person is unique, with unique preferences, and unique strengths and weaknesses.  

By the end of this course, you will:

• Learn about organizing your work, personal space, and tasks

• Develop productivity skills by learning how to prioritize by first things first

• Learn time management skills to reduce stress and increase productivity

• Learn how to better manage your finances

• Explore your career options

• Identify your resources, support systems and expand on them

• Develop a passion

• Identify hurdles and how to overcome them

• Remove negativity and end your worrying

• Learn how to be grateful for your life’s blessings

• Learn how to let go of the past

• Improve your decision-making skills

• Put a plan into action and track your progress

• Set up a system of self-reward

4. How Do I Let Go and Live in the Moment?  Exploring Letting Go and Living in the Moment

How many of us get so tied up in things we have to do, things happening tomorrow or the next day, or things that happened in the past, that we forget what is going on in front of us now? Being able to be present, and mindful, of where we are in the moment can be very tough. Life has a lot of demands, and we are constantly working to keep up with them.  However, there are ways to be present, to be in the moment and to be mindful. That is a term we hear a lot about nowadays.  Practicing mindfulness, and being present takes some know-how and some practice, but it is doable and it is life-changing. Incorporating these techniques requires determination, motivation, and constant practice. 

By the end of this course, you will:

• Learn how to live each day with purpose

• Evaluate what you have achieved

• Draft a plan for yourself and steps to achieve it

• Identify areas in need of further work

• Assess changes you are making and learn ways to maintain those changes

• Learn how to relax, reflect and meditate
  
  

Planning and Managing Time Effectively

Many people do not understand the important role of planning in the achievement of career and personal goals.  Frequently they become so involved in managing their day-to-day activities, earning a living, taking care of children, and maintaining their homes that they do not take time to plan for the future.  Little thought is given to the process of selecting short-term and long-term goals or identifying and completing the steps necessary to achieve them.

Planning is especially important for people who want to better themselves by obtaining more education or vocational training.  Planning to achieve goals of this type is complex because such goals may take many years to achieve.  People who want to achieve these goals must have the ability to persist, to engage in consistent action over time and to plan for alternative actions when they encounter barriers or obstacles in the pursuit of their goals.  

Often times, these goals may be unclear, are not achievable in the spare time they have available, may not have been broken down into easily managed steps, may seem so far away that it is difficult to start on the first steps, and are typically abandoned or set aside rather than modified when obstacles arise.  

At the end of this course, you will:

• Learn about goal selection and criteria for identifying goals that are aligned with your mission and purpose

• Select realistic personal and professional goals.

• Recognize the specific planning needed to achieve those goals

• Identify the time management skills required for success.

• Acquire the planning skills for effective goal setting 

Want to Study in the US? Gain the Knowledge and Prepare for Success

This course targets parents and students who are contemplating to pursue higher education in the US or Canada.  It explains the goals of study abroad experience as cited by parents.  It provides an overview of the values of American education and the culture that dominates US or Canadian educational institutions.  It equips parents with information about the soft skills that college-bound students need to succeed in their academic career.  It also provides step-by-step instruction on the process of college admissions in the US and Canada.  Finally, it emphasizes the concept of good beginnings ensure good endings and launches the students and their parents on the journey with a positive attitude. 

College Boot Camps: Get Ready to Study in the US

This is a course that simulates a College Prep Boot Camp for students who wish to study in the U.S.  The purpose of this boot camp is to provide international students with all the information they need to help them pursue successfully an education in the U.S.  The Boot camp will provide students with the knowledge they need to succeed and avoid the pitfalls that are common for international students.  

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand what it means to be an international student

• Explore the benefits of new experiences and more promising opportunities

• Identify the common challenges posed by being immersed in a different culture.

• Recognize what it takes to study in the U.S and learn the steps needed to become an international college student in the United States: Applications, Visas, General Admission Requirements, Undergraduate Admissions Exams (SATs, ACTs, TOEFL), Graduate Admissions Exams (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL), English language proficiency (preparing for the TOEFL, E.S.L classes)

• Assess your career counseling needs to help you construct a good match between the right major of study, and an appropriate educational institution.

Have You Chosen Your Major Field of Study Yet? 

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing global economy, loyalty to a company – or to an employee for that matter – is unheard of.  Add to this the fact that entry level jobs are no longer for the recent graduates and young people, but more and more often fall to the more seasoned job –changers.  Therefore, it is not surprising that colleges have taken to preparing their graduates to excel in the job market with classes on career development.  This course will help you acquire the skills needed to conduct a thorough assessment of your personal attributes for the purpose of choosing an appropriate major field of study and therefore an optimal career choice.

At the end of this course, you will:

• Have a clear understanding of yourself, aptitudes, abilities, interests, resources, limitations, and other qualities.

• Obtain knowledge about the requirements and conditions of success, advantages, disadvantages, compensations, opportunities, and prospects in different lines   of work.  

• Select an occupation from the data you have accumulated about yourself and about your environment.

• Take a career Assessment online.

• Understand the relationship between your personality type and career choice.

• Understand the relationship between your personality type and learning style.

• Explore your career choice by gender and job outlook.