Neuroscience Says You Need A ‘Personal Curriculum’ For 2026

This article was written by Jessica Stillman, Contributor, and was originally published on Inc.com.

Every month, it seems, a new self-improvement trend takes over TikTok. Many of them are terrible. A few are actually backed by science. But the latest might be the most unlikely yet. The new “personal curriculum” trend insists adults should give themselves homework. 

Wait, Didn’t We All Hate Homework Back In School? 

If you’re anything like me, rocking through the assigned reading or a few sets of math problems isn’t your fondest memory from your early years. So why are influencers telling their followers to bring back homework? 

Reportedly started by creator Elizabeth Jean, the craze has non-specialists setting themselves specific topics or questions to explore — from the history of capitalism to how to bake the perfect cookie — then assigning themselves a stack of books or other materials to master it over a fixed period like a month, season, or quarter. 

Many participants frame their participation as a way to fight brain rot. “I think it is tiring to get these bursts of 90-second clips in your eyes all the time, and it’s so overstimulating that people want that slowness,” TikToker Clare Yeo told CNN about her self-directed deep dive into the theme of good and evil. 

But neuroscientists and other researchers suggest the benefits can go far beyond exercising your diminished attention span and showing off your smarts on social media. A personal curriculum taps into deep human drives for learning and accomplishment while also doing great things for your brain. This is one TikTok craze you might actually want to adopt for the coming year, they say. 

Neuroscience Endorses The Personal Curriculum Trend 

On LinkedIn recently King’s College neuroscientist, Ness Labs founder, and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff explained that, while few of us miss the early morning wakeups and dicey social dynamics of high school, our brains crave the structured learning and steady advancement school provides. 

“The brain thrives on cycles of challenge, feedback, and progress, yet adult life rarely makes space for that kind of experimentation,” she writes. Research shows that our brain’s learning centers light up when we encounter challenges that push us outside our comfort zone. They dim when we’re just doing the same old things day after day. 

Setting a personal curriculum is a way to turn the lights back on, Le Cunff continues: “You don’t need to return to a classroom; you can design your own learning journey around your curiosity.”

If you’re older it might also be a way to turn back the clock on your brain. Separate research found that just signing adults up for a recreational class of some kind improved their performance on cognitive tests as if they were 30 years younger. 

“Every year teachers and parents observe how summer vacations lead some children’s academic progress to backslide,” the study authors wrote, explaining their motivation. “After formal education and job training ends, many adults experience years, if not decades, of reduced or nonexistent learning opportunities.” A personal curriculum is a one DIY way to keep your brain from rusting out from disuse in adulthood. 

So Do Productivity Experts 

Not only is the personal curriculum trend a winner from a neuroscience perspective. It also structures learning and self-improvement in a way productivity experts would approve. We are motivated by new beginnings, they note. This is called the “fresh start effect.” It’s why many people feel a lift of energy during back-to-school season, even if you’re long out of school. 

The personal curriculum idea harnesses this effect, giving you a clearly defined new project to get excited about. The approach also works with our seasonal fluctuations. Most of us tend to have more exergetic and more reflection or recuperative periods throughout the year.  

Back in 2023, journalist Allie Volpe suggested we harness those ups and downs by adopting a semester-based approach to adulthood.  

“Just as students tackle specific courses while working toward a degree or certification, you can apply that same focus on targeted aims for clearly defined periods of time, inching you closer to your larger goal in the process,” she wrote. Personal curricula are basically just a learning focused, social media-ready version of this same advice. 

Assigning yourself a short course allows you to tailor our efforts to our seasonal mood and take advantage of your brain’s irrational but useful love of new beginnings. 

How To You Set A Personal Curriculum 

Convinced this might be one TikTok trend you’d actually like to partake in 2026? Joining in is simple. “Whether you’re interested in the psychology of envy, medieval bread-making, or how K-pop fandoms organise online, you can create your personal curriculum,” Le Cunff explains. 

Just follow these three steps: 

• Choose a topic you’re curious about.
• Select one book + one podcast episode + one long-form video about the topic to study
• Do one “homework” assignment such as writing a short essay or making a collage

If you need help locating materials, there’s always the internet. But librarians are also standing by waiting to help, the heroes at the New York Public Library reminded the public in a blog post. “The Library is an excellent resource for fulfilling your curriculum,” it notes before offering tons of online resources and sample curricula on topics like the women of the Harlem Renaissance and personal finance to inspire you. 

If you’re  looking for entrepreneur-focused material for your personal curriculum, here on Inc.com we’ve got lists of books to better understand AI, DIY an MBA, or the psychology of why humans are so weird to get you started. Happy learning!