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The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens
MAKING SMART CHOICES IN CHALLENGING TIMES
The challenges teens face today are tougher than at any time in history: academic stress, parent communication, media bombardment, dating drama, abuse, bullying, addictions, depression, and peer pressure, just to name a few. And, like it or not, the choices teens make while navigating these challenges can make or break their futures.
In The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, Sean Covey, author of the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, gives teens the strong advice they need to make informed and wise decisions.Using real stories from teens around the world, Sean shows teens how to succeed in school, make good friends, get along with parents, wisely handle dating and sex issues, avoid or overcome addictions, build self-esteem, and much more. Jam-packed with original cartoons, inspiring quotes, and fun quizzes, this innovative book will help teens not only survive but thrive during their teen years and beyond.
Building upon the legacy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, this is an indispensable resource for teens everywhere.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2005
325 people are currently reading
2380 people want to read
About the author
Sean Covey
133 books539 followersSean Covey was the starting quarterback for Brigham Young University during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. He was benched due to an ankle sprain. Following his college football career wrote a book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. It is a book based on the principles of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which was written by his father, Stephen R. Covey, but directed towards the life of a teen. A more recent book he has written is The 6 Most Important Decisions You Will Ever Make. The book directs the six big choices teenagers will make in their teenage years. The six decisions are: School, Friends, Parents, Dating and Sex, Addictions, and Self Worth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
April 28, 2013
This isn't really a review. This is more of a rant. I enjoyed this book until I got to the "dating and sex" chapter. It angers me so much that the only thing he was saying in here is "SEX IS BAD AND YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT IF YOU'RE A TEEN OR YOU AREN'T MARRIED. ABSTINENCE OR REGRET IT" and that makes me so angry. I literally had to force myself to read the whole chapter, and I still ended up throwing it against the wall and screaming with rage and fury. Yes, abstinence can be a good thing, and a good decision as well, but if there are teens having sex (which I'm not against) then you should educate them about knowing if they're ready or not, contraceptions, and whatever else, instead of shoving chastity bread down their throats.
December 23, 2017
My mom bought me this when I was about 15. It was utterly pointless. Covey tries way too hard to sound like "one of the cool kids." He tried, and failed, to be your understanding friend. It was embarrassing. I had to read 7 Habits the summer before the 8th grade, and I hated that book. This one wasn't much better. I completely understand where he is coming from, and I know that being a teen sucks and is full of difficult decisions, but he assumes that most teens think the same way. His thought processes in writing this book did not come anywhere close to matching mine. His commentary, honestly, was not helpful to teen me. 6 most important decisions? Ha! I'm almost 21 now, and I still have not been in some of these situations. Most of this book did not apply to my teenage years whatsoever.
March 3, 2014
This is like, one of the stupidest books ever. IT IS SO DAMN CHEESY. School chapter is nice, but sex, addictions and confidence chapters are awful. He obviously doesn't know anything about teenagers and I somehow have this feeling that he thinks that all teens are idiots, and the book refers to american lifestyle all the time... Sex chapter killed me. I almost thought that catholic church wrote that.. I could sum it up : 'SEX IS BAD DON'T DO THAT BEFORE MARRIAGE YOU'LL GET PREGNANT AND/OR GET SPD'. Nothing about prevetion and sexual education? This is not 19th century!
July 11, 2008
I'm reading 6 desicions! :D
Its rreeaally good! :)
I think all teens should read it.
Its rreeaally good! :)
I think all teens should read it.
April 26, 2010
This is the kind of book every teenager should have. It is colorful, eye-catching on every page, fun to read, and very blunt.
May 12, 2017
Very biased and only shows one point of view.
I would give it a negative rating if I could!
I would give it a negative rating if I could!
May 29, 2010
I absolutely love this book. These types of self-help books are what we need nowadays, since we all think we're the best people out there-- but in reality, we never are perfect. We human beings are naturally flawed, and as long as we try to improve on those faults, we are becoming better than we were before we tried. So that being said, this book is a great guide in helping us with becoming a more adequate teenager.
It is not a lecture book-- no one wants to buy another nagging machine, we get enough of those from our parents at home. But Sean Covey, author of many other self-help books, sets a tone that is advice-like and not lecture-like. He doesn't just tell you that you shouldn't have sex-- but ways to approach and react to it. (But honestly, follow the no sex ideal)
I would recommend this book to everyone who is willing to want to become a better person and prioritize their life.
It is not a lecture book-- no one wants to buy another nagging machine, we get enough of those from our parents at home. But Sean Covey, author of many other self-help books, sets a tone that is advice-like and not lecture-like. He doesn't just tell you that you shouldn't have sex-- but ways to approach and react to it. (But honestly, follow the no sex ideal)
I would recommend this book to everyone who is willing to want to become a better person and prioritize their life.
November 21, 2011
Maybe I read this book a tad too late in my life for my liking. I think I was around 15 when some school shrink thought it was cool to make us buy & read the book.I didn't like it, not at all.
I found it cheesy and not very helpful. I think I have a predisposition to not liking any 'help' book I come across with. Even now, when I'm about to graduate as a shrink (irony?), I find it really hard to finish some of these books so I practically evade this section of the major.
Anyways, maybe I'm being a but harsh on Sean Covey and his book, specially seeing that it has a high score (then again, so does the Twilight Saga), but I have to be fair to my convictions. I didn't hate this book but I do consider I wasted my time reading it.
One out of five stars.
I found it cheesy and not very helpful. I think I have a predisposition to not liking any 'help' book I come across with. Even now, when I'm about to graduate as a shrink (irony?), I find it really hard to finish some of these books so I practically evade this section of the major.
Anyways, maybe I'm being a but harsh on Sean Covey and his book, specially seeing that it has a high score (then again, so does the Twilight Saga), but I have to be fair to my convictions. I didn't hate this book but I do consider I wasted my time reading it.
One out of five stars.
May 14, 2009
My oldest daughter is about to turn 11, so I am preparing for middle school and the teen years ahead. While I think she is still too young to read this book on her own, I think it will be very valuable in a couple of years. The author takes you through six decisions (school, friends, parents, dating & sex, addictions, and self-worth) that will make or break a teen's future. He does a good job explaining the benefits of taking the "high road" and gives tips on how to do so. A worthwhile read.
December 5, 2011
Well, the author's purpose of writing this book is to give people an idea on what decisions that they will have to make as a teenager. So, the subject that the author suggests is that there are six decisions that you'll have to make as a teenager to become successful in life. The author's point of view from the book is that he takes his views from his past and he also takes other people's views from all over the world and expresses their feelings on these six decisions you'll have to make as a teenager. The author uses very informational writings that each decision talks about and making an arguement about each one as well, but very true arguments about the decisions. Sean Covey wrote this book to target young teenagers that are in middle school (junior high), and in high school. This did this because as we finish high school, we begin to go out in the real world and begin our lives as people of society.
The theme of the book was making the six most important decisions that will affect and effect your life as an adult. These decisions has their own theme, but primarily have the same exact reason why we need these decisions in our lives. The six decisions were School, Friends, Parents, Dating and Sex, Addictions, and your Self-Worth or you as an individual. Sean Covey made this book to teach teenagers that you will have times that are good and bad, but will eventually see that the decisions were always be with you from when you start adolescence or even when you are born. The theme can help teenagers that are in tough situations and need support on what to do as an individual and accomplish what they want to do in life.
Now, when it comes to this book in a type of style, its very hard to determine which one is compatible. So, this book has all four types of styles because the description, narration, exposiion, and argument are all in this book. The description of the book is explaining on a time that is important to you in your life that can determine where to go in life, which is your adolescence or your teenage years. The narration of the book does tell a story on which events happen within your teenage years that are truly important to you as an individual. The exposition of the book is not only explaining one topic, but talks about five more topics that are important to your teenage years than to your adult life or vice versa. Lastly, the arguement of the book is basically arguing that these decisions can make you or break you as you develop in your adolescent years and will continue to build and even make you successful in life. So, this book puts these four styles to work and makes them compatible for your time in your life that is important to you.
My opinion about the book is that it was the great book I've read since my existence. It gave me insight that I did not know about on the six most important decisions you'll ever make in your life. I liked that it talked about what each decision has to do with how you perceive you as an individual and as you perceive the world, as a whole. I thought there was no dislikes in this book because it was so simple to understand and easy to follow. Also, I can personally say that this book can be followed by every teen in the whole world and even beyond the galaxy. There is absolutely NOTHING that I would change about this book because it goes into our perspective as a teen and what may happen if you don't make the right decisions as a teen. YES, it is similar to another book that I've read, which was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, because when you read that book, this book about the six most important decisions will make you think about how the 7 habits will come into play and how they would effect you on the decisions you make as a teenager. Overall, this book has taught me that everything about making decisions would be important to what I make it as an adult. I truly recommend this book to teens who need inspirational words of wisdom to help them through their "rough patches" in life.
The theme of the book was making the six most important decisions that will affect and effect your life as an adult. These decisions has their own theme, but primarily have the same exact reason why we need these decisions in our lives. The six decisions were School, Friends, Parents, Dating and Sex, Addictions, and your Self-Worth or you as an individual. Sean Covey made this book to teach teenagers that you will have times that are good and bad, but will eventually see that the decisions were always be with you from when you start adolescence or even when you are born. The theme can help teenagers that are in tough situations and need support on what to do as an individual and accomplish what they want to do in life.
Now, when it comes to this book in a type of style, its very hard to determine which one is compatible. So, this book has all four types of styles because the description, narration, exposiion, and argument are all in this book. The description of the book is explaining on a time that is important to you in your life that can determine where to go in life, which is your adolescence or your teenage years. The narration of the book does tell a story on which events happen within your teenage years that are truly important to you as an individual. The exposition of the book is not only explaining one topic, but talks about five more topics that are important to your teenage years than to your adult life or vice versa. Lastly, the arguement of the book is basically arguing that these decisions can make you or break you as you develop in your adolescent years and will continue to build and even make you successful in life. So, this book puts these four styles to work and makes them compatible for your time in your life that is important to you.
My opinion about the book is that it was the great book I've read since my existence. It gave me insight that I did not know about on the six most important decisions you'll ever make in your life. I liked that it talked about what each decision has to do with how you perceive you as an individual and as you perceive the world, as a whole. I thought there was no dislikes in this book because it was so simple to understand and easy to follow. Also, I can personally say that this book can be followed by every teen in the whole world and even beyond the galaxy. There is absolutely NOTHING that I would change about this book because it goes into our perspective as a teen and what may happen if you don't make the right decisions as a teen. YES, it is similar to another book that I've read, which was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, because when you read that book, this book about the six most important decisions will make you think about how the 7 habits will come into play and how they would effect you on the decisions you make as a teenager. Overall, this book has taught me that everything about making decisions would be important to what I make it as an adult. I truly recommend this book to teens who need inspirational words of wisdom to help them through their "rough patches" in life.
August 10, 2016
This book was completely inapplicable to me. Not all teenagers think alike. Obviously, Covey overlooked the exceptions.
April 21, 2013
Informational/ Audio book
The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, by Sean Covey
Maureen Judith Shea
(2006). The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make. (Running Time: 75 minutes. New York: Sound Ideas; Simon and Schuster.
Award -not listed, but many positive recommendations including from the TV host / presenter Larry King
Format: Audio Book
Selection process: Initially browsed through the audio book collection at my local library. Found The Six Most Important Decisions in the Young Adult Section.
Review: (model after the examples from class; no first person; no ‘why I chose this book’; professional, objective review)
Sean Covey is an international motivational speaker and author of self- development books. In his book, The Six Most Decisions You’ll Ever Have to Make is attractive in both is book cover as well as through listening to the audio book. There is a mixture of humor, “down –to –earth “advice and suggestions, as well as the guest voices of actual teenagers sharing their stories. Every parent, school guidance counselor and any other adult should make this audiobook available to the teens they work with.
The book addresses subjects that really apply to young people today. Stress, communication concerns with family, friends, and peers media influences and advertisements, dating and sexuality, addictions of any version, and self-esteem.
Sean Covey makes it clear how everyone has power to make their own decisions, how those positive or negative consequences impact themselves and others.
Highly Recommended
References:
Covey, S. (2006). The Six Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make. New York: Sound Ideas; Simon & Schuster.
Kids Learn Out Loud Retrieved from: http://kids.learnoutloud.com/Kids-Cat...
The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, by Sean Covey
Maureen Judith Shea
(2006). The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make. (Running Time: 75 minutes. New York: Sound Ideas; Simon and Schuster.
Award -not listed, but many positive recommendations including from the TV host / presenter Larry King
Format: Audio Book
Selection process: Initially browsed through the audio book collection at my local library. Found The Six Most Important Decisions in the Young Adult Section.
Review: (model after the examples from class; no first person; no ‘why I chose this book’; professional, objective review)
Sean Covey is an international motivational speaker and author of self- development books. In his book, The Six Most Decisions You’ll Ever Have to Make is attractive in both is book cover as well as through listening to the audio book. There is a mixture of humor, “down –to –earth “advice and suggestions, as well as the guest voices of actual teenagers sharing their stories. Every parent, school guidance counselor and any other adult should make this audiobook available to the teens they work with.
The book addresses subjects that really apply to young people today. Stress, communication concerns with family, friends, and peers media influences and advertisements, dating and sexuality, addictions of any version, and self-esteem.
Sean Covey makes it clear how everyone has power to make their own decisions, how those positive or negative consequences impact themselves and others.
Highly Recommended
References:
Covey, S. (2006). The Six Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make. New York: Sound Ideas; Simon & Schuster.
Kids Learn Out Loud Retrieved from: http://kids.learnoutloud.com/Kids-Cat...
December 16, 2015
The Six Most Important Decisions you’ll Ever Make was definitely worth reading. Written for teens, it was witty, friendly, and very straightforward. My favorite of the decisions were the “Friends” and “Parents” sections because the author talked a lot about putting yourself in the shoes of the person you’re talking to. I found that this particular method worked very well when I was talking to my parents, because we have very different perspectives on certain parts of life. As for the section about friends, I found the section on withstanding peer pressure to be my favorite part of the book. It talked about how being popular isn’t everything, and how middle school is a hard time to make lifelong friends. I think that the most valuable part of the book was the mission statement. The author’s goal was for the reader to
• Be Honest
• Do What’s Right
• Be Kind to Everyone
• Always Remember Who You Are and What You Stand For
• Try Your Hardest
• Give Everything Your All
• Have Fun
I thought that those seven goals were really good ways to stay on track, and I try to live by them. It's also a great book for parents to read because it gives them insight on what their kid is going through. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that gives a different perspective on life.
• Be Honest
• Do What’s Right
• Be Kind to Everyone
• Always Remember Who You Are and What You Stand For
• Try Your Hardest
• Give Everything Your All
• Have Fun
I thought that those seven goals were really good ways to stay on track, and I try to live by them. It's also a great book for parents to read because it gives them insight on what their kid is going through. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that gives a different perspective on life.
August 15, 2013
This is the kind of book every teenager should have. It is colorful, eye-catching on every page, fun to read, and very blunt.
Өсвөр насны хүүхдүүдийн заавал унших ёстой номын нэг зайлшгүй мөн. Хэдийгээр би өсвөр насны хүүхэд биш ч гэлээ энэ номноос сэтгэлд маш тод үлдсэн олон зүйлсийг сурсан. Жишээлбэл удирдлагатай жишээний тухай. Хэн нэгэнд өөрийнхөө удирдлагыг өгч чамайг захирахыг хэзээ ч бүү зөвшөөр. Хэн нэгэнд уурлаж, гомдсоноос болж сэтгэлээр унха, хэн нэгэн чамайг муулж, шоглосоноос болоод гуниглаж явж болохгүй. Ямар нэг зүйл яаж ч тохиолдож байсан чи өөрөө удирдлагаа агртаа барих хэрэгтэй. Бас нэг quote үнэхээр их таалагдсан. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. :)
Өсвөр насны хүүхдүүдийн заавал унших ёстой номын нэг зайлшгүй мөн. Хэдийгээр би өсвөр насны хүүхэд биш ч гэлээ энэ номноос сэтгэлд маш тод үлдсэн олон зүйлсийг сурсан. Жишээлбэл удирдлагатай жишээний тухай. Хэн нэгэнд өөрийнхөө удирдлагыг өгч чамайг захирахыг хэзээ ч бүү зөвшөөр. Хэн нэгэнд уурлаж, гомдсоноос болж сэтгэлээр унха, хэн нэгэн чамайг муулж, шоглосоноос болоод гуниглаж явж болохгүй. Ямар нэг зүйл яаж ч тохиолдож байсан чи өөрөө удирдлагаа агртаа барих хэрэгтэй. Бас нэг quote үнэхээр их таалагдсан. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. :)
March 12, 2024
Yayyy look at me finally toning down my currently reading pile.
Ok, this book actually surprised me. A lot. I expected it to be lame and cheesy (and the illustrations were) but the actual words and content was really well written. It wasn't boring at all and the author always seemed like he knew teens and that he cares about the reader. It felt personal, rather than a do or don't do this book. He always seemed like he cared that we make good decisions. I also appreciated that he made if clear he's a Christian but he didn't write it to be a Christian book, he never once stuffed religion down my throat.
Ok, this book actually surprised me. A lot. I expected it to be lame and cheesy (and the illustrations were) but the actual words and content was really well written. It wasn't boring at all and the author always seemed like he knew teens and that he cares about the reader. It felt personal, rather than a do or don't do this book. He always seemed like he cared that we make good decisions. I also appreciated that he made if clear he's a Christian but he didn't write it to be a Christian book, he never once stuffed religion down my throat.
August 13, 2012
كتاب مساعد لتخطي صعاب الحياة وخصوصا ان المراهق في هذه الأيام لا يملك وقت للتفكير في نفسه ، فهو مبهور للعالم ومشدود للأجهزة ومواقع التواصل والمدرسه. أستفدت منه ومن القصص الممتعه، ايضًا يحمل إقتباسات رائعه! ولكنه يخاطب المراهق الغربي أكثر منه للعربي حيث في عدة فصول يتحدث عن المخدرات والجنس وعقوق الوالدين وهي نسبه مرتفعه مثل ما كتبه ولكن نحن العرب تجاوزنا هذه المشاكل بكل بساطة بسبب اسلامنا الخيير.
April 30, 2012
Truthfully, this so called "self-help" book has so many unoriginal ideas that I felt as if the author is completley unempathetic to the readers. However, it is clear that some of the topics brought up are very helpful to others who need it and never experienced some of these books before.
July 5, 2024
I know it says for teens… but Im still a teen on the inside trying to figure things out. Really needed this book to help me reflect and ground myself as I enter post-grad life. First 5/5 stars even though Mr. Covey has some hot takes. Hot takes are hard but often the best decisions for you.
February 22, 2010
It felt too watered down life lessons, like i was in my high school seminar.
February 12, 2018
Honestly I wasn't a fan of the Sex and Dating Chapter
Read
December 2, 2024I hated this book, but it inspired me as a group of 25~ 10th graders came together and voiced our outrage towards this particular reading when it was hoist upon us in school.
December 29, 2020
Honestamente nunca me ví leyendo un libro de "Autoayuda"
El motivo por qué el que lo leí fue más bien una obligación por tarea escolar.
Pero bueno. En mi opinión el libro está... Bien.
Entonces ¿Por qué le di 4 estrellas?
Por qué este libro realmente es bueno como una guía de las respuestas a las preguntas que muchos adolecentes se hacen y que sus padres nunca les van a responder o les van a responder a medias; así que si, este libro cumple muy bien con su propósito.
Bien o mal, mi educación siempre fue muy buena, mi madre lejos de ocultarme las cosas, siempre me hablaba fuera te tabús y con las cosas claras, razón por la cual para mí este libro se me hizo... innesesario.
Pero viéndolo desde una perspectiva más abierta, este libro es maravilloso para muchísima gente que no mantiene una relación estrecha con sus padres, o que sus padres por pena no hablan abiertamente con ellos de estos temas (que lamentablemente hay muchos casos).
La lectura es ligera, aunque a veces resulta ser un poco tediosa; pero eso no quita que este diseñado también para hacer que muchos jóvenes se hacerquen a la lectura.
Si bien, se me hizo un libro innesesario (para mí); lo recomiendo ampliamente, sobre todo para personas que están comenzando la secundaria por qué precisamente es en esta edad dónde muchos ya empezamos a decidir sobre muchas cosas, y que bien o mal, necesitamos orientación para realizarlas.
El propósito del trabajo del autor está muy bien logrado.
El motivo por qué el que lo leí fue más bien una obligación por tarea escolar.
Pero bueno. En mi opinión el libro está... Bien.
Entonces ¿Por qué le di 4 estrellas?
Por qué este libro realmente es bueno como una guía de las respuestas a las preguntas que muchos adolecentes se hacen y que sus padres nunca les van a responder o les van a responder a medias; así que si, este libro cumple muy bien con su propósito.
Bien o mal, mi educación siempre fue muy buena, mi madre lejos de ocultarme las cosas, siempre me hablaba fuera te tabús y con las cosas claras, razón por la cual para mí este libro se me hizo... innesesario.
Pero viéndolo desde una perspectiva más abierta, este libro es maravilloso para muchísima gente que no mantiene una relación estrecha con sus padres, o que sus padres por pena no hablan abiertamente con ellos de estos temas (que lamentablemente hay muchos casos).
La lectura es ligera, aunque a veces resulta ser un poco tediosa; pero eso no quita que este diseñado también para hacer que muchos jóvenes se hacerquen a la lectura.
Si bien, se me hizo un libro innesesario (para mí); lo recomiendo ampliamente, sobre todo para personas que están comenzando la secundaria por qué precisamente es en esta edad dónde muchos ya empezamos a decidir sobre muchas cosas, y que bien o mal, necesitamos orientación para realizarlas.
El propósito del trabajo del autor está muy bien logrado.
October 12, 2018
Useful roadmap for the troublesome teenage years. Good info, helpful advice and self-tests included.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
March 16, 2025
Habla sobre cosas que te daría vergüenza hablar
Da muy buenos consejos y la información es interesante
Da muy buenos consejos y la información es interesante
December 8, 2025
أستغفر الله
1.school:
Have smart friends .
Post this reminder on your locker, mirror (i need to do that with something I want to be a part of me)
Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.
Being broke isn’t romantic or fun. It’s exhausting.
Oh, I wish I would have done this. I wish I would have done that.”
You can’t do much to help someone else unless you’re
Page 45
breathing yourself. That’s why you should never feel selfish for taking time to renew the best thing you’ve got going for yourself—you. If you go too hard for too long and always put yourself last, you’ll eventually burn out
Replenish the four parts that make you up: body (physical), heart (relationships), mind (mental), and soul (spiritual).
Early to bed and early to rise, keeps a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
be wise
7 SECRETS TO GETTING GOOD GRADES:
Secret 1: Believe you can
Secret 2: Show up
"Most of life is showing up,"
Secret 3: Do extra credit
Secret 4: Get on your teachers'good side
Secret 5: Be strong in the red zone
I'll never forget taking a final test in a college class. It was a three-hour test and worth half our grade. About halfway into it, a classmate stood up, handed in his test, and walked out. It was clear he was just tiredand sick of it. I thought to myself, "You idiot. Why didn't you finish? You've been going to this class for four months. You've spent hundreds of hours doing homework. Yet when half your grade was on the line, you couldn't endure until the end."
The moral of the story is, be strong when big points are at stake.
Secret 6: Gather your resources
Secret 7: Develop smart study habits
A Night in the Life of Janita
Janita plays soccer and has practice after school, so she gets home at about six. She eats dinner, relaxes a bit, and starts her homework at around 7:30. She goes to her mom's bedroom to study. Mom has a big desk, so Janita can lay out all her stuff. She makes sure that she has everything she needs (laptop, books, fruit for snacks) so she doesn't have to get up every five minutes.
Janita doesn't like homework, but she's learned that it's better to focus and do it fast than let it drag out. It usually takes her about an hour and a half to get it done. During that time, Janita doesn't text, talk on the phone, watch TV, listen to music, or clip her toenails. Janita studies with a plan. First, she works on everything that is due tomorrow. Then she chips away at long-term projects, like reading 25 pages for a book report due next week. She knows when everything is due because she keeps track of it on her calendar.
Janita uses a technique that helps her work faster and remember more. She scans the material first, then reads the material thoroughly, and finally drills herself on what she just read.
FEED YOUR HEAD. Remember, your brain is connected to your body. To work well, it needs food. So, if you're about to jump into your studies but you're starving, grab a bite to eat.
RIGHT PLACE. Find a good place that is quiet and where you can spread out all your stuff, like a library or little-used room. Stay away from places where you have the habit of goofing off. Make sure you have everything you need-paper, pencils, scissors, stapler, snacks-so you don't have get up constantly.
RIGHT TIME. Set aside a time every day when you'll do your homework. Avoid interruptions as best you can. If you have a hard time focusing, try the small-chunks approach. Do small chunks of work several times a day. For example, do fifteen minutes of homework. Then take a break and reward yourself. Then do fifteen minutes of homework again. Take a break. Repeat the process throughout the day.
NOW AND LATER. Organize what you have to
do. First, focus on the now, and do whatever is due tomorrow. Second, focus on the later, and chip away at big projects, papers, and upcoming tests.
SCAN, READ, DRILL. Let's say you have one hour to study for an upcoming history test on chapter 9. Instead of just reading your textbook and class notes for one hour, try this method instead. (It is based upon numerous, proven retention methods that have been around for a long time.)
Scan. (10 minutes) Scan chapter 9 and write down or make mental notes of the main headings, key points, key people, key words, key dates, review questions, and so on.
Read. (30 minutes)
Read chapter 9 and any notes you may have taken in class on chapter 9.
Drill. (20 minutes) Drill yourself by giving yourself a test. Answer chapter questions or make up and answer questions from your notes, vocabulary words, or possible questions from your teacher. Anticipate what your teacher is looking for and don't waste time on stuff you don't need to know. (For more information on study skills, please visit the Help Desk in the back
of the book.)
if I have to leave you with one piece of advice it would be: Get as much education as you can.
The primary purpose of going to college isn’t to get a great job. The primary purpose of college is to build a strong mind, which leads to greater self-awareness, capability, fulfillment, and service opportunities, which, incidentally, should lead to a better job.
2 Friends:
FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL TIP #1
Choose steady friends who like you for who you are, not fickle ones who like you for what you have.
FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL TIP #2
Make as many friends as you can, but never center your life on them.
FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL TIP #3
Stop trying to be popular. Just be yourself, be nice to everyone, and good things will follow.
If you want to make friends, be proactive and make the effort first. Don’t just wait for friends to come to you. You need to take the first step and you need to persevere, if at first you don’t succeed.
If you make lots of small deposits with your friends by being thoughtful, loyal, and other such things, you’ll develop high trust, or a high RBA. If you make lots of withdrawals, by being rude, disloyal, and the like, you’ll deplete your RBA.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
She was desperately lonely. Yet I had not been secure enough to share my friendship with her for fear of losing what I had.
It’s easy to be nice to people who are nice to you.
Abraham Lincoln was often criticized for trying to make friends with his enemies instead of trying to get rid of them. He replied, “Isn’t that what I’m doing when I make an enemy a friend?”
Positive peer pressure is when your friends expect good things from you. Negative peer pressure is when your friends persuade you to conform or do something you don’t want to do
building a strong support system. Surround yourself with friends, family members, and trusted adults that inspire you to be your best. Set goals with
each other, and hold each other accountable.
3.Parents :
My parents had no idea what we were doing because they were too busy working. I used to think they didn’t support me in anything, but now I realize they were supporting me in the only way they knew how.
My Parents Are Always Comparing Me.
• My Parents Are Never Satisfied.
• My Parents Are Embarrassing.
• My Parents Are Overprotective.
• My Parents Are Always Fighting.
If you’re struggling with what your parents are like, remember to focus on your circle of control. Don’t waste your energy on things you can’t control, like your parents’ weaknesses or their annoying habits
5.Addictions:
Pornography is a hundred-billion-dollar industry and growing. The people who run it don’t care about you. They just want your money. They know it’s addictive and have found ways to entice you
The more you look at it, the more you’re going to want it, until, like Wes learned, it pretty much consumes your waking hours, your ambitions, your everything.
6.Self-Worth:
who will it be? Dr. Good, a great guy with no skills, or Dr. Able, a skilled guy but a liar?
People are quick to forgive mistakes, but slow to forgive a cover-up.
A four-fold means that when you make a mistake, you make up for it times four.
having a vision for your life and the possibilities before you is a key foundation stone to building self-worth. Without vision, you will be living far beneath your privileges.
A friend of mine, Ana, shared how having a vision at a young age made all the difference.
So it is when we overcome a weakness,
resist a temptation, or achieve a goal we’ve set. We absorb the strength of the challenge into our being and become stronger
There’s always a gap between where we are and where we’d like to be. Sometimes the gap is small. Sometimes it’s huge. Whatever your gap, stay positive, keep closing the gap, and beware of the perfectionist inside you who is never pleased. Closing the gap even a little is an accomplishment to be proud of.
Yoga, Pilates, or some sort of stretching, breathing, or meditation relaxes the body, protects against injuries, and enhances circulation. Do it three times a week to reduce stress.
Swim, power walk, cycle, jog, kickbox, or do an aerobic exercise that significantly increases your heart rate. It benefits your heart, lungs, and circulatory system, as well as burns calories and body fat. Do it three to five times a week for 20 to 60 minutes.
Lift weights at the school gym or do body-weight exercises like push-ups, planks, and elbow dips at home. Strength training makes the body burn more calories and increases bone mass. Do it two to three times a week for 20 to 40 minutes.
I hope you too will remember who you really are. I hope you’ll remember the great things you’ve done in the past, like the times you’ve followed your heart, achieved a goal, or were extra nice to someone. I hope you’ll remember the dreams and hopes you have for the future. I hope you’ll remember that you’re part of the great human family, as well as part of a direct family.
I leave you with my most excellent wishes for success in life. Keep reading books. It’s brain food, you know.
1.school:
Have smart friends .
Post this reminder on your locker, mirror (i need to do that with something I want to be a part of me)
Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.
Being broke isn’t romantic or fun. It’s exhausting.
Oh, I wish I would have done this. I wish I would have done that.”
You can’t do much to help someone else unless you’re
Page 45
breathing yourself. That’s why you should never feel selfish for taking time to renew the best thing you’ve got going for yourself—you. If you go too hard for too long and always put yourself last, you’ll eventually burn out
Replenish the four parts that make you up: body (physical), heart (relationships), mind (mental), and soul (spiritual).
Early to bed and early to rise, keeps a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
be wise
7 SECRETS TO GETTING GOOD GRADES:
Secret 1: Believe you can
Secret 2: Show up
"Most of life is showing up,"
Secret 3: Do extra credit
Secret 4: Get on your teachers'good side
Secret 5: Be strong in the red zone
I'll never forget taking a final test in a college class. It was a three-hour test and worth half our grade. About halfway into it, a classmate stood up, handed in his test, and walked out. It was clear he was just tiredand sick of it. I thought to myself, "You idiot. Why didn't you finish? You've been going to this class for four months. You've spent hundreds of hours doing homework. Yet when half your grade was on the line, you couldn't endure until the end."
The moral of the story is, be strong when big points are at stake.
Secret 6: Gather your resources
Secret 7: Develop smart study habits
A Night in the Life of Janita
Janita plays soccer and has practice after school, so she gets home at about six. She eats dinner, relaxes a bit, and starts her homework at around 7:30. She goes to her mom's bedroom to study. Mom has a big desk, so Janita can lay out all her stuff. She makes sure that she has everything she needs (laptop, books, fruit for snacks) so she doesn't have to get up every five minutes.
Janita doesn't like homework, but she's learned that it's better to focus and do it fast than let it drag out. It usually takes her about an hour and a half to get it done. During that time, Janita doesn't text, talk on the phone, watch TV, listen to music, or clip her toenails. Janita studies with a plan. First, she works on everything that is due tomorrow. Then she chips away at long-term projects, like reading 25 pages for a book report due next week. She knows when everything is due because she keeps track of it on her calendar.
Janita uses a technique that helps her work faster and remember more. She scans the material first, then reads the material thoroughly, and finally drills herself on what she just read.
FEED YOUR HEAD. Remember, your brain is connected to your body. To work well, it needs food. So, if you're about to jump into your studies but you're starving, grab a bite to eat.
RIGHT PLACE. Find a good place that is quiet and where you can spread out all your stuff, like a library or little-used room. Stay away from places where you have the habit of goofing off. Make sure you have everything you need-paper, pencils, scissors, stapler, snacks-so you don't have get up constantly.
RIGHT TIME. Set aside a time every day when you'll do your homework. Avoid interruptions as best you can. If you have a hard time focusing, try the small-chunks approach. Do small chunks of work several times a day. For example, do fifteen minutes of homework. Then take a break and reward yourself. Then do fifteen minutes of homework again. Take a break. Repeat the process throughout the day.
NOW AND LATER. Organize what you have to
do. First, focus on the now, and do whatever is due tomorrow. Second, focus on the later, and chip away at big projects, papers, and upcoming tests.
SCAN, READ, DRILL. Let's say you have one hour to study for an upcoming history test on chapter 9. Instead of just reading your textbook and class notes for one hour, try this method instead. (It is based upon numerous, proven retention methods that have been around for a long time.)
Scan. (10 minutes) Scan chapter 9 and write down or make mental notes of the main headings, key points, key people, key words, key dates, review questions, and so on.
Read. (30 minutes)
Read chapter 9 and any notes you may have taken in class on chapter 9.
Drill. (20 minutes) Drill yourself by giving yourself a test. Answer chapter questions or make up and answer questions from your notes, vocabulary words, or possible questions from your teacher. Anticipate what your teacher is looking for and don't waste time on stuff you don't need to know. (For more information on study skills, please visit the Help Desk in the back
of the book.)
if I have to leave you with one piece of advice it would be: Get as much education as you can.
The primary purpose of going to college isn’t to get a great job. The primary purpose of college is to build a strong mind, which leads to greater self-awareness, capability, fulfillment, and service opportunities, which, incidentally, should lead to a better job.
2 Friends:
FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL TIP #1
Choose steady friends who like you for who you are, not fickle ones who like you for what you have.
FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL TIP #2
Make as many friends as you can, but never center your life on them.
FRIENDSHIP SURVIVAL TIP #3
Stop trying to be popular. Just be yourself, be nice to everyone, and good things will follow.
If you want to make friends, be proactive and make the effort first. Don’t just wait for friends to come to you. You need to take the first step and you need to persevere, if at first you don’t succeed.
If you make lots of small deposits with your friends by being thoughtful, loyal, and other such things, you’ll develop high trust, or a high RBA. If you make lots of withdrawals, by being rude, disloyal, and the like, you’ll deplete your RBA.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
She was desperately lonely. Yet I had not been secure enough to share my friendship with her for fear of losing what I had.
It’s easy to be nice to people who are nice to you.
Abraham Lincoln was often criticized for trying to make friends with his enemies instead of trying to get rid of them. He replied, “Isn’t that what I’m doing when I make an enemy a friend?”
Positive peer pressure is when your friends expect good things from you. Negative peer pressure is when your friends persuade you to conform or do something you don’t want to do
building a strong support system. Surround yourself with friends, family members, and trusted adults that inspire you to be your best. Set goals with
each other, and hold each other accountable.
3.Parents :
My parents had no idea what we were doing because they were too busy working. I used to think they didn’t support me in anything, but now I realize they were supporting me in the only way they knew how.
My Parents Are Always Comparing Me.
• My Parents Are Never Satisfied.
• My Parents Are Embarrassing.
• My Parents Are Overprotective.
• My Parents Are Always Fighting.
If you’re struggling with what your parents are like, remember to focus on your circle of control. Don’t waste your energy on things you can’t control, like your parents’ weaknesses or their annoying habits
5.Addictions:
Pornography is a hundred-billion-dollar industry and growing. The people who run it don’t care about you. They just want your money. They know it’s addictive and have found ways to entice you
The more you look at it, the more you’re going to want it, until, like Wes learned, it pretty much consumes your waking hours, your ambitions, your everything.
6.Self-Worth:
who will it be? Dr. Good, a great guy with no skills, or Dr. Able, a skilled guy but a liar?
People are quick to forgive mistakes, but slow to forgive a cover-up.
A four-fold means that when you make a mistake, you make up for it times four.
having a vision for your life and the possibilities before you is a key foundation stone to building self-worth. Without vision, you will be living far beneath your privileges.
A friend of mine, Ana, shared how having a vision at a young age made all the difference.
So it is when we overcome a weakness,
resist a temptation, or achieve a goal we’ve set. We absorb the strength of the challenge into our being and become stronger
There’s always a gap between where we are and where we’d like to be. Sometimes the gap is small. Sometimes it’s huge. Whatever your gap, stay positive, keep closing the gap, and beware of the perfectionist inside you who is never pleased. Closing the gap even a little is an accomplishment to be proud of.
Yoga, Pilates, or some sort of stretching, breathing, or meditation relaxes the body, protects against injuries, and enhances circulation. Do it three times a week to reduce stress.
Swim, power walk, cycle, jog, kickbox, or do an aerobic exercise that significantly increases your heart rate. It benefits your heart, lungs, and circulatory system, as well as burns calories and body fat. Do it three to five times a week for 20 to 60 minutes.
Lift weights at the school gym or do body-weight exercises like push-ups, planks, and elbow dips at home. Strength training makes the body burn more calories and increases bone mass. Do it two to three times a week for 20 to 40 minutes.
I hope you too will remember who you really are. I hope you’ll remember the great things you’ve done in the past, like the times you’ve followed your heart, achieved a goal, or were extra nice to someone. I hope you’ll remember the dreams and hopes you have for the future. I hope you’ll remember that you’re part of the great human family, as well as part of a direct family.
I leave you with my most excellent wishes for success in life. Keep reading books. It’s brain food, you know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2020
As the target demographic for this book, the first 3 “decisions” had good advice, the last 3 decisions were a trigger-filled, hot mess.
I read this for a high school class and enjoyed it (“it” being the author’s advice), until I got to the very ill-informed “dating and sex” chapter. As I saw another reviewer post: “abstinence can be a good thing.” But the author shouldn’t scare teenagers away from sex. He could’ve just informed about the dangers of both safe and unsafe sex and what you can do about them instead of preaching abstinence and degrading those who are sexually active. Also, if we’re all waiting till marriage AND waiting until we want children to have sex, what about the people who don’t want to get married or don’t want children? What about gay people? What should they do?
After having to read that chapter (again, I had to read and answer questions for a class), we move on to addiction and self-worth. I’m not sure if these chapters were also a hot mess, or if I just didn’t have the patience for them anymore. I am someone who is lucky enough to not have any close friends or relatives who struggle with addiction, so I’m not a good source of whether or not the addictions chapter is decent or helpful. The self-worth chapter, though, could easily offend and trigger those with depression, eating disorders, or other forms of mental illness. He said something along the lines of “having self-worth is a decision you make every day.” Dude, if I could wake up with a healthy amount of self-worth every day, I would. Same goes for millions of other people. That type of change does start with yourself, but he phrases his advice like it's a simple fix. He is the toxic friend he brings up earlier in the book in the last 3 chapters.
I read this for a high school class and enjoyed it (“it” being the author’s advice), until I got to the very ill-informed “dating and sex” chapter. As I saw another reviewer post: “abstinence can be a good thing.” But the author shouldn’t scare teenagers away from sex. He could’ve just informed about the dangers of both safe and unsafe sex and what you can do about them instead of preaching abstinence and degrading those who are sexually active. Also, if we’re all waiting till marriage AND waiting until we want children to have sex, what about the people who don’t want to get married or don’t want children? What about gay people? What should they do?
After having to read that chapter (again, I had to read and answer questions for a class), we move on to addiction and self-worth. I’m not sure if these chapters were also a hot mess, or if I just didn’t have the patience for them anymore. I am someone who is lucky enough to not have any close friends or relatives who struggle with addiction, so I’m not a good source of whether or not the addictions chapter is decent or helpful. The self-worth chapter, though, could easily offend and trigger those with depression, eating disorders, or other forms of mental illness. He said something along the lines of “having self-worth is a decision you make every day.” Dude, if I could wake up with a healthy amount of self-worth every day, I would. Same goes for millions of other people. That type of change does start with yourself, but he phrases his advice like it's a simple fix. He is the toxic friend he brings up earlier in the book in the last 3 chapters.
September 29, 2016
I was forced to read this book by my Social Studies/ELA because we were a lighthouse school and we needed to know are habits and how to apply the habits to our life. After a while, I really liked the book because the book helped me prepare myself for the future as I get older,and teach me things I don't know but needed too. If you asked me how much I liked the book I would tell you I liked it because it really prepared me for whats to come in the future. I would recommend this book to all those 8th graders and freshman because reading this book will help change your mind from doing bad things and this book will help you open your mind to soooo much.
January 14, 2020
دفعني دافع لإعادة الإطلاع على هذا الكتاب الذي قرأته وأنهيته في سنتي الأخيرة في المدرسة، وكنت أبتسم وأنا أرى "بذور" الأفكار والتصورات التي لدي وقد تطورت وتركبت وكيف كانت بدايات العديد منها من هذا الكتاب (وأخيه، العادات السبع)، وعلى الرغم من أني لست من محبي ما يسمى بـ"التنمية البشرية" ولا أرى أنها في 95% من الأحيان سوى "بيع هوا في ازايز" إلا أن هذا الكتاب يختلف جذريًا في أنه يقدم محتوىً عمليًا ويغير تصور الناشئ عن نفسه وحياته بشكلٍ واقعي... يبدو الكتاب طفوليًا بعض الشيء بالنسبة لي الآن ولكن أفكاره ومحتواه لا تزال تمثل بالنسبة إلي ضرورة معرفية للنشأ والأطفال في هذا العصر، ومن الجميل إعادة تذكير النفس بها.
March 30, 2008
I purchased this book last night and I can't take myself away from it! It gets soooo addicting!
Sean is a wonderful author. Not only does he have charisma and the ability to make teens listen to him, he has quite the sense of humor as well! I, as a young teen, admire his writing style. It's very hard to find any book I enjoy even if it's a self help book. This book is guiding me through my teen years little bits at a time and I'm only on the 3rd chapter!
I can't wait to go to the bookstore again and buy his others!
Sean is a wonderful author. Not only does he have charisma and the ability to make teens listen to him, he has quite the sense of humor as well! I, as a young teen, admire his writing style. It's very hard to find any book I enjoy even if it's a self help book. This book is guiding me through my teen years little bits at a time and I'm only on the 3rd chapter!
I can't wait to go to the bookstore again and buy his others!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews