How to design a path for growth
By Isabelle Eyman | Published: 2025-11-04 11:00:00 | Source: Camille Styles
There’s a truth I’ve been wrapping my mind around lately: I’m tired of trying to be my “best.” Somewhere between microhabits, stacks of self-help books, and endless talk about improvement, wellness started to look less like care and more like performance. I found myself wondering, almost sheepishly: Has wellness gone further? And the uncomfortable answer I keep coming back to is yes.
“I don’t want to improve my life anymore—I want to live it. To feel curious, expanded, and inspired, not constantly refined. Instead of perfecting my routine or hacking my habits, what I crave is something more real: expansion, not efficiency. Depth over discipline. Learning not because I have to, but because it makes me feel awake again.”
A personal approach to living fully
That’s why, when I came across the idea of a personal curriculum, I felt like I was breathing. Not another discipline to overcome or practice to master, but a return to the simplest motivation: to pursue what fascinates me. I explore ideas, books, and skills because they spark something, not because they promise to make me better.
I’ve always believed that curiosity is my greatest superpower. I don’t claim to have it all figured out (far from it), but my instinct to follow what enlightens my mind has never led me wrong. He has kept me resilient, optimistic, and connected in every chapter of my life.
Learning for pleasure—not perfection—expands us in ways that achievement cannot.
A new way to grow this season
“This winter, instead of setting goals, I’m designing a curriculum—not based on productivity, but on fun, curiosity, and life. A personal curriculum isn’t about becoming a new person. It’s about returning to parts of yourself that felt pushed aside under the weight of self-improvement.”
So, if you feel the same pull, here’s what a personal curriculum really is, and how to create one that feels like a deep breath rather than a checklist.
What is a personal approach?
The Personal Curriculum is exactly what it sounds like: a self-directed “course” in topics and ideas that spark something within you. It is a practice rooted in curiosity rather than achievement – a return to learning for pure, unpolished pleasure.
Maybe this looks like a month immersed in poetry, a season spent learning to bake bread, or a quiet period studying philosophy or photography. No performance. No measurement. Just the slow and steady thrill of pursuing what feels nourishing to you now.
In a culture obsessed with progress, a personalized curriculum allows us to become students of life again – curious, playful, open-minded. We don’t strive, we expand, we don’t achieve, we wake up.
Why is it the antidote to winter fatigue?
Winter calls for a different pace. The light dims, routine becomes blurry, and our bodies tell us to turn inward. But instead of respecting that, we often try to bypass it with plans, decisions, and indulging in productivity.
The personal approach meets winter where it is. “It gives us a way to stay engaged—not through urgency, but through inspiration. Burnout comes from production without renewal. The personal approach is renewal, and it reminds us that growth doesn’t have to look like a relentless pursuit. Sometimes it feels like interest.”
How to find what sparks your curiosity
The first step is not planning, but observation. Curiosity emerges as a force of attraction: a book you keep picking up, a recipe you’ve memorized three times, a topic you research late at night.
Ask yourself:
- What am I drawn to without even trying?
- What ideas or themes keep coming up?
- What feels like nourishment rather than obligation?
- What makes me feel alive to learn about?
Start there. Your curiosity is already pointing somewhere, and your job is simply to follow it.
How to create your own personal curriculum
Once you feel that spark, give it enough structure to support it, but not so much that it seems rigid. Think clarity and rhythm, not rules.
1. Choose one or two topics
Depth, not breadth. Let this season revolve around one or two meaningful topics. Examples could be: poetry, seasonal cooking, philosophy, photography, art history or nature study.
2. Choose your learning formats
Once you’ve chosen your topics, decide how want to learn. A purposeful, personal approach blends input and expression, absorbs ideas, and then reacts to them. Consider choosing one format from each category:
entrance
- Reading (books, articles, sub-stacks)
- Watch/listen (lectures, documentaries, podcasts, talks)
an act
- Practice (writing, cooking, photography, drawing, language)
- Experience (museum visits, nature walks, workshops, classes, talks)
reflection
- Journal or voice memo
- Weekend notes about what moved you or something sparked you
Magic in the balance: you know? He does? reflects. It keeps your curiosity alive and helps your learning continue. Allow ideas to come, move through you, and transform you – this is where growth truly lives.
3. Set a gentle rhythm
Personal curriculum comes to life through rhythm. These seem like small, consistent touchpoints that help curiosity become part of everyday life. Choose simple anchors that you can look forward to, such as:
- Sunday morning reading ritual
- One winter walk each week to observe the light, stillness and seasonal change
- New recipe this weekend
- A monthly creative or cultural outing (museum visit, workshop, bookstore browsing, film, author talk, etc.)
The goal isn’t to fill your calendar, but to create moments to come back to.
4. Be flexible
Your interests will change as you explore. This is not a failure, it is part of the process. If the topic stops inspiring you, pivot. If a new curiosity begins to attract you, follow it. The personal approach is not meant to trap you; It’s meant to move with you.
5. Think weekly
Take some time at the end of each week to check in with yourself. You don’t need a spreadsheet or journaling routine — just a moment of honest observation.
Ask yourself:
- What sparked something in me this week?
- What seemed nourishing or meaningful?
- What do I want to explore more next week?
Ideas to explore
Don’t think of these as tasks, but as invitations—small ways to pursue your curiosity in everyday life. Pick one or two that feel exciting or simply interesting. Let inspiration, not pressure, be the guide.
creativity: Study a new poet each month, or comment on a single poetry collection, or a free weekly write-up or journal.
food: Dive into one kitchen, learn essential winter techniques (stocking, slow cooking, baking), and host a cozy dinner to share your learning
Philosophy and self-searching: Choose one thinker or school of thought, read one text slowly – chapter by chapter, and keep a notebook of questions and ideas
Study visual art: Choose an artist or movement, visit a museum or gallery once a month, and draw or photograph what inspires you
Nature and seasonal interest: Learn the plants or winter signs, walk the same route weekly to notice changes, and keep a simple nature journal
house: studying a single design philosophy or era, creating small seasonal images, observing and elevating a single moment of everyday life (a candle at dinner, a vase of flowers next to the bed, carefully plated meals)
The beauty of learning for the sake of learning
“Winter gives us the gift of slowness—an opportunity to slow down and turn inward, not in retreat but in soft expansion. The personalized curriculum honors this rhythm. It reminds us that growth doesn’t just happen through achievement. It thrives in curiosity, play, and the act of caring.”
As you progress through the season, let your interests guide you. Pick up books that excite you, follow a recipe that feels comforting, or take a walk just to notice the winter light in the trees. Let your learning be personal and your pace gentle. There is no finish line – just a path forward.
This is the winter season to rediscover the joy of learning.
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