The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Hey there! If you haven't been to my channel before, welcome to you, the CEO—a place where you can grow a better, greater you. In this article, we're going to take a look at "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens," written by Sean Covey.
I'm not too sure how you got to this content—maybe your mere curiosity got you here, or perhaps your mom even asked you to watch it. Regardless, please hear me out. I know how tough it is to be a teenager. Honestly, it feels like a roller coaster(过山车) that you're on, and you can never get off. You have to tackle your school life, your social life, and it goes on and on. At times, it really does feel out of control.
But Sean has created seven habits that you can follow to take control over your life again. Wouldn't you want to have a greater relationship with your friends and family, make smarter decisions, have more time for yourself, and maybe even feel a little more balanced? I bet you do! So why don’t you read through these habits and see how they can help you?
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Have you ever been mad at your mom, dad, teachers, or friends? You probably have; I know I have. Has it ever ruined your day, depending on how that person reacted? Then you think, "Oh my God, this was such a bad day." This all changed when I learned there are two kinds of people in this world: proactive people and reactive people.
Proactive people take responsibility for their lives, while reactive people do not. They make things happen instead of letting things happen to them. Habit number one teaches us that we are responsible for our own lives—nobody else is in charge of it.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Now you must be thinking, “Yeah right, I’m supposed to choose my career now? Who am I going to marry? What kind of car am I going to own? Where am I going to live?” No, not at all—that would be just stupid.
But having small markers of where you want to be a year from now is not such a bad idea. For instance, you can ask yourself: Do I want to be in a gang next year? Do I see myself doing drugs or alcohol? Do I see myself attending college? What kind of friends do I want to have? What kind of skills do I want to develop? These little things will guide you toward the direction you really want to go.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Honestly, being a teenager today is a lot harder than it was 150 years ago. Back in the day, they had to chop wood and milk cows, but today we’re tackling so many things. It’s crazy!
We have rehearsals tonight, a bio test tomorrow, an assignment due in two days, plus we need to call a friend. It really piles up and can be overwhelming. Developing the habits of "willpower" and "won't power" is extremely important. Willpower is the ability to choose the important and urgent tasks, while won't power is saying no to the not-so-important stuff, especially concerning peer pressure.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
To be brutally honest, I think sports have it all wrong. It’s not about win-lose or lose-win. In the real world, having a win-win mindset is the way to go. This means you’re not just benefiting your egocentric self; you’re helping another person grow as well. Surprisingly, this has greater rewards than a win-lose mentality, making it vitally important to adopt this mindset.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Have you ever had that one friend who seems to know everything you’re feeling, and you think, “No, that’s nothing like how I feel”? It’s so annoying, and you don’t want to say anything because you know they just won’t understand you.
In the real world, you must first understand the other person before they can truly understand you. This skill is vital; learning what someone else is feeling and putting yourself in their shoes will enhance your communication and relationships.
Habit 6: Synergize
Have you ever seen geese fly in a V formation for the winter? There’s a reason for that! When they fly in this formation, they help each other out, allowing them to fly longer distances. When you hear them honking, they are encouraging each other to go further.
That’s exactly what synergy is all about. It’s when two or more people work together to come up with a better solution that they couldn’t have created on their own. It’s not my way, it’s not your way; it’s a higher way, a new way. You can synergize by working in teams, embracing differences, brainstorming together, and having an open mind.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
This one is by far my favorite because it emphasizes rejuvenating yourself. It involves working on your mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health—all of which are brutally important for us to handle our everyday tasks. By taking care of yourself, you develop a pathway to greater successes.
You’ve just been exposed to the seven habits. In the next seven videos that I’m going to make, I will take a look at each habit individually. If you want to really learn and apply this kind of stuff, please subscribe so you know when it’s coming up. Change your life today! Bye!
