My Self-Made 2 Year MBA for the Future

Are you looking for a way to elevate your personal and professional growth through an extreme, self-directed learning experience? As a fellow lifelong learner, I am embarking on a one-year challenge to push myself beyond my limits, and I’m excited to share my custom-made curriculum with you. This intense learning plan is designed to help me think critically, operate efficiently, and prepare for the high-stakes future world.

Curriculum and Learning Plan:

Part A

1. Time Management and Productivity

   • Learn: Overview of different time management types
   • Resources: “Getting Things Done” by David Allen, “Deep Work” by Cal Newport
   • Goals: Implement a personal productivity system, track and improve daily productivity, set and achieve monthly goals, attend time management workshops, optimize daily routines, and eliminate distractions

2. Critical Thinking and Advanced Problem Solving

   • Learn: Analyze principles, legal principles and arguments, high impact court cases, huge world problems, and how they were solved, how to improve as a problem solver
   • Resources: “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, “The Art of Strategy” by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff
   • Goals: Analyze high-impact court cases, solve complex real-world problems, participate in debates, attend workshops and conferences, develop a logical and systematic approach to problem-solving

3. Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Skills

   • Learn: High Stress and Performance, Adaptability and Resilience, Mindfulness, Modelling, understanding this field deeply
   • Resources: “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, “Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown
   • Goals: Develop self-awareness, empathy, and adaptability, practice mindfulness, attend workshops and courses, apply skills in real-life situations, manage stress and perform under pressure

Future

1. Leadership and Management

   • Learn: Motivation, how to lead, stories of leaders, vision, people’s motivation. How people learn and grow
   • Resources: “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
   • Goals: Identify and develop a personal leadership style, study great leaders, participate in leadership workshops and training, apply leadership skills in real-life situations, inspire and motivate others

2. Networking and Relationship Building

   • Learn: Macro, goals, and micro targets, who are the people I want to network and build relations with? Look and make a list, and then look at improving my interactions and skills in different situations
   • Resources: “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
   • Goals: Build a diverse network, attend networking events, develop a targeted list of contacts, improve interpersonal skills, create strong, long-lasting relationships

3. Conflict Resolution and Negotiation

   • Learn: Studying all types of conflicts and breakdowns and negotiation strategies and real-world case studies
   • Resources: “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher and William Ury, “Crucial Conversations” by Kerry Patterson
   • Goals: Resolve real-life conflicts, negotiate successful deals, practice mock negotiations, attend workshops and training sessions, analyze case studies, develop advanced negotiation techniques

1. Ethics and Philosophy

   • Learn: From history to now, and key ethical questions, and problems people make
   • Resources: “The Republic” by Plato, “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius
   • Goals: Understand key ethical theories and philosophical concepts, apply ethical principles to real-life situations, participate in philosophical discussions, read great works of philosophy, develop a personal ethical framework

2. Scientific Literacy

   • Learn: Understand core scientific principles on a molecular level, including math
   • Resources: “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking, “The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene, “Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning” by A.D. Aleksandrov

9. Technology and Digital Transformation, Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence

   • Learn: Core concepts and trends in technology, biotechnology, and AI
   • Resources: “The Singularity Is Near” by Ray Kurzweil, “Superintelligence” by Nick Bostrom, “The Second Machine Age” by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee
   • Goals: Understand the impact of technology on various industries, attend conferences and workshops, explore applications of AI and biotechnology, collaborate with experts, build a project or prototype

10. Data Analysis and Visualization in various fields

• Learn: Business and world data analysis, using Google Sheets and AI for analysis
• Resources: “Python for Data Analysis” by Wes McKinney, “Data Science for Business” by Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett, online courses on data visualization
• Goals: Analyze real-world datasets, create visualizations, attend workshops, master relevant tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau), apply data analysis skills to business or personal projects

11. Data Security and Network Security

• Learn: Field overview, core security principles, macro and micro issues, business applications
• Resources: “The Art of Invisibility” by Kevin Mitnick, “Applied Cryptography” by Bruce Schneier, online security courses and certifications
• Goals: Understand cybersecurity threats and countermeasures, implement security measures for personal and business use, attend conferences and workshops, earn relevant certifications (e.g., CISSP)

12. Health and Wellness Optimization

• Learn: Physical fitness, health, exercise, tracking and pushing yourself
• Resources: “The 4-Hour Body” by Tim Ferriss, “How Not to Die” by Michael Greger, online fitness and nutrition courses
• Goals: Develop a personalized fitness and nutrition plan, track and optimize health metrics, participate in physical challenges (e.g., marathons), maintain consistent exercise routines, learn about different diets

13. Global Affairs and Cultural Intelligence

• Learn: Language learning, multicultural competence, improving Chinese, Spanish, and Russian, understanding how countries think
• Resources: “The World in Six Glasses” by Tom Standage, “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari, language learning apps and courses (e.g., Duolingo, Pimsleur)
• Goals: Achieve conversational fluency in target languages, attend cultural events, connect with native speakers, understand global political and economic trends, travel to target countries

14. Financial Literacy, Investments and Wealth Building, Economics

• Learn: Overview of economics, wealth system, investing, and wealth building
• Resources: “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki, “The Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith
• Goals: Develop a personal investment strategy, understand key economic theories and indicators, manage personal finances, invest in stocks, bonds, and other assets, attend financial workshops and seminars

15. Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Investment and Investors

• Learn: Investment and innovation ecosystem, raising investment, investor expectations, startup investing
• Resources: “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries, “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel, “Venture Deals” by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
• Goals: Develop and pitch a business idea, attend startup events and conferences, connect with investors and entrepreneurs, invest in startups, learn from successful founders and investors

16. Personal Branding, Digital Marketing, Content Creation (Videos, Articles)

• Learn: Analyzing and understanding what works and doesn’t, setting goals, reaching 1 million+ YouTube subscribers
• Resources: “Crushing It!” by Gary Vaynerchuk, “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller, “YouTube Secrets” by Sean Cannell and Benji Travis, online marketing courses
• Goals: Develop a personal brand strategy, create and publish high-quality content, grow social media following, collaborate with influencers, track and optimize content performance, hit 1 million+ YouTube subscribers

17. Memory and Learning Techniques, and Brain Performance

• Learn: Measuring and improving brain performance, exercises
• Resources: “Moonwalking with Einstein” by Joshua Foer, “The Art of Memory” by Frances Yates, “Make It Stick” by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
• Goals: Master memory techniques (e.g., memory palace, chunking), participate in memory competitions, optimize learning strategies, apply techniques to other topics

18. Public Speaking and Persuasion

• Learn: Storytelling, writing and sharing personal stories
• Resources: “Talk Like TED” by Carmine Gallo, “Influence” by Robert Cialdini, “The Art of Storytelling” by John D. Walsh
• Goals: Join a public speaking group (e.g., Toastmasters), practice storytelling techniques, deliver speeches at events, refine and polish personal stories, attend workshops and conferences

19. Journalism and Media and Social Media

• Learn: Newspapers, stories, legalities, attention, different types, how it’s changing, future predictions
• Resources: “The News: A User’s Manual” by Alain de Botton, “The Influential Mind” by Tali Sharot, “Trust Me, I’m Lying” by Ryan Holiday
• Goals: Analyze and critique media sources, understand legal and ethical implications, predict future trends, create journalistic content, attend workshops and conferences

20. Close Relationships & Family

• Learn: Family unit, breakdowns, communication issues, pressures, resolutions
• Resources: “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman, “Hold Me Tight” by Dr. Sue Johnson, “The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work” by Dr. John Gottman
• Goals: Improve communication skills, understand family dynamics, resolve conflicts, strengthen relationships, attend couples and family therapy workshops

21. Relationship with Yourself, Understanding Yourself, Meditation, Mindfulness, Goal Setting, Mindfulness

• Learn: Personal understanding, meditation, mindfulness, goal setting
• Resources: “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod, “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer, mindfulness apps (e.g., Headspace, Calm)
• Goals: Practice daily meditation, develop self-awareness, set and achieve personal goals, attend mindfulness workshops and retreats

22. Chess Mastery

• Learn: Understanding and playing chess, learning from greats, practicing
• Resources: “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin, “My Great Predecessors” by Garry Kasparov, online chess platforms (e.g., Chess.com, Lichess)
• Goals: Study and analyze famous games, practice daily, participate in chess tournaments, achieve a high Elo rating

23. Creativity and Artistic Expression and Music

• Learn: Overview, different types of expression, improving creativity, music, art, and food (cooking)
• Resources: “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon, online courses for music, art, and cooking
• Goals: Experiment with different artistic mediums, create a portfolio of work, collaborate with other artists, participate in exhibitions, develop a unique artistic style, attend workshops and masterclasses

24. Jokes and Comedy

• Learn: Studying funny people, learning great jokes, practicing, developing personal humor
• Resources: “Comedy Writing Secrets” by Mel Helitzer, “The Serious Guide to Joke Writing” by Sally Holloway, stand-up comedy specials, improv classes
• Goals: Memorize and tell jokes, attend and perform at open mic nights, develop a personal comedic style, collaborate with other comedians, attend workshops and conferences

25. Reading and Rewriting Greats

• Learn: Reading and writing amazing literature
• Resources: “Reading Like a Writer” by Francine Prose, “On Writing” by Stephen King, classic literature, creative writing workshops
• Goals: Read and analyze great works of literature, practice writing daily, submit work to literary magazines, attend workshops and conferences, develop a unique writing style

A list of interesting topics I want to learn about

• International Admissions

• The Evolution of Universities

• How education is changing
  
• Chess
• Jokes & Comedy

• Youtube videos and building a Youtube channel

• Investment and Private Equity

• The greatest books of all time – plato, Bible and so on

• Piano

• Summarising Network Security Principles
• Summarise Key principles in Biology, Physics, and Maths and Chemistry