7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

This book is about Stephen Covey’s advice on some habits teens should get used to in order to become a highly effective individual. There are 7 habits, and the first is to be “proactive”. Proactive is the opposite of reactive. Many people are lazy and become reactive. They blame everything on other people and complain about small problems. Proactive people know that they have the ability to control their own lives.

Proactive people usually have set goals, which leads to Habit 2, “having an end in mind.” If people set a goal and imagine what it would take to reach that goal, they have a good idea of what actions are necessary and which decisions would be beneficial to reach that goal. Without having set goals in life, it is hard to become successful because there is no general idea on which direction one should go in life. This creates consequences for people such as who lie around on their bed and watch TV all day. They choose to waste their time watching TV instead of studying hard to get a job and enjoy a good life in the future.

Habit 3 talks about priorities. People should prioritize important things first, however many teens procrastinate and rush to finish things at the last minute. When people finish the hard tasks first, they have lots of time to relax. It also keeps them away from stress and gives better results. For example, if a student studied for a test thirty minutes a day for a week, they are likely to do better than the student who fooled around until studying at midnight on the last day.

Habit 4 is about winning and losing. When people are in win-lose situations, it is something competitive. People spend too much time thinking they are better than others. Instead, it is the best to believe that you and others can both become better and successful. This is called a win-win situation.

The 5th habit is having the ability to understand others. When somebody is in an argument, it is helpful to listen because they will see both sides of the story. Listening to others is also respectful and can create a friendlier environment. One would feel terrible when somebody utterly ignores them and blabbers on about their opinions.

Habit 6 focuses about synergizing. Every human on earth is unique and think differently. When people become open to others and listen to each other, they might be able to work together and create an even greater solution than what one person could create by themselves. Sometimes people might need each other, and they can fill each other in with new ideas or solutions to problems.

The last habit talks about “sharpening oneself” and how important it is to be stress-free and not to be worried comparing oneself to others. People should take care of themselves by exercising and getting enough sleep. Even through hard times, the author wants people to know that there is always happiness waiting for them in the future.