Resources and Materials

This lesson re-visits much of that was explained in the Introduction course, which is included in a series e.g Lifestyle Design for Well-Being or the Harnessing Strengths and Valued Living Series. If you have completed the introductory course then this will be old news for you.

If however, you do not have access to a series and you are doing the Valued Living course on its own, then this lesson will contain useful information for you.

The below video has been copied from the Introduction course mentioned above, so it references other courses, however it is still very relevant.

Platforms

Each series uses two main platforms:

1. Teachable (the course hosting website you are currently reading this text on)
2. Google Drive (e.g. Google Sheets, Google Docs and Google Slides)

Teachable

Teachable is the main hub for each course. It allows you to track your progress and move through each lesson in an organised direction.

Google Drive

I have frequently used Google Drive as it is free to everyone and is easy to work with. If you don’t already have a Google Drive account then you will benefit from creating one now. You can then use it as your back-up store for all things related to personal development.

You can download Microsoft Office versions of a lot of the files I have created, however formatting and structure can sometimes change. I recommend using Google Drive if possible.

Log in or create an account

Log in or create a new Google Drive account here.

Create folders

Keep all your work organised by storing files in appropriate folders e.g. creating an overarching "Valued Living" folder. This will make reviewing our work easier in the future.

Make a copy

Ensure you make your own personal copy when downloading each Google Drive file. Otherwise you won't be able to edit it because it is locked to my personal Google Drive account.

To do this, simply click File > Make a copy, and save it to a folder that is relevant to the course you are on.

Saving your work

There is no need to manually save your work because Google Drive automatically saves everything online, so don't worry about remembering to save. However, if your internet connection cuts out and you try to close the window, you should hopefully get a warning message, telling you that will lose your work if you close it.

Devices

An internet connection is required to access the course. Some introductory lessons that just require reading can be completed on a phone or tablet. Exercises or lessons require reflection are probably best done on a computer, as navigating programmes like Google Sheets and Google Docs might be awkward and difficult on a small touch screen. Also, some of the exercises require a lot of typing, which again, could be awkward on a touch screen. You are welcome to write your reflections by hand if you prefer, however this might be slower and harder to organise overall.

Materials

You might occasionally need a pen, coloured pens and paper throughout each course, however the vast majority of exercises and alike can be done on your computer, or with physical action. You might personally find post-it-notes to be useful if the need to create reminders ever arises.

Organisation

Note taking apps

Some of the exercises and interventions that I've provided might be easier with the help of a note taking app. This will allow us to make notes on the move so we can record our various thoughts, feelings and reflections. It would be most beneficial if this app could sync across devices, so we can access these notes both on our computer and our phone. This isn't required to complete the course, however you might find it helpful.

Examples

Personally, I use the native Notes app that comes with the iPhone. However there are many others out there. Examples include:

• Evernote
• Ulysses
• Google Keep
• Microsoft OneNote
• and many more ...

Calendars and reminders

Similar to taking notes, we might also benefit from having a way to plan and remind us to do various things, such as work on a course, or to remind us of various exercises and interventions that we planned. This could mean setting reminders or blocking off time in our calendar.

I'm sure you all have your own existing methods of staying organised. So it's best if you do what works for you. If you're unsure how to organise your time, then you might benefit from a calendar app, such as Google Calendar, Apples' iCloud Calendar, and many others. I'll leave this to you.