There's too much to do and not enough time. You've got school, homework, job, friends, parties, and family on top of everything else. You're totally stressed out. You feel as if your life is out of control. How can teenagers deal with the pressures of every day life?

I know I'm not living the way I should. I'm into everything — drugs, drinking, sex, you name it. But when I'm with my friends, I give in and just do what everyone else is doing. My family is a disaster. If I could only get my parents off my back I might be able to live my life. It seems they're constantly nagging, and I can't ever seem to satisfy them.

These problems are real, and you can't turn off real life. So we won't try. Instead, Sean Covey gives you a set of tools to help you deal with real life. What are they? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens or, said another way, the seven characteristics that happy and successful teens the world over have in common. Habits are things we do repeatedly. But most of the time we are hardly aware that we have them. They're on autopilot. Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do. Luckily, you are stronger than your habits. Therefore, you can change them. For example, try folding your arms. Now try folding them in the opposite way. How does this feel? Pretty strange, doesn't it? But if you folded them in the opposite way for thirty days in a row, it wouldn't feel so strange. You wouldn't even have to think about it. You'd get in the habit. At any time you can look yourself in the mirror and say, "Hey, I don't like that about myself," and you can exchange a bad habit for a better one. It's not always easy, but it's always possible. Not every idea will work for you. But you don't have to be perfect to see results, either. Just living some of the habits some of the time can help you experience changes in your life you never thought possible.

By now, you're probably wondering what these habits are so here they are, followed by a brief explanation:

Be Proactive — Take responsibility for your life. Begin with the End in — Mind Define your mission and goals in life. Put First Things First — Prioritize, and do the most important things first. Think Win-Win — Have an everyone-can-win attitude. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be — Understood Listen to people sincerely. Synergize — Work together to achieve more. Sharpen the Saw — Renew yourself regularly.

The habits build upon each other. Habits 1, 2, and 3 deal with self-mastery. We call it the "private victory." Habits 4, 5, and 6 deal with relationships and teamwork. We call it the "public victory." You've got to get your personal act together before you can be a good team player. That's why the private victory comes before the public victory. The last habit, Habit 7, is the habit of renewal. It feeds all of the other six habits. The habits seem rather simple, don't they? But just wait till you see how powerful they can be!

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens Based on his father's best selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean Covey applies the same principles to teens, using a vivacious, entertaining style. To keep it fun, Covey writes, he "stuffed it full of cartoons, clever ideas, great quotes, and incredible stories about real teens from all over the world... along with a few other surprises." Did he ever! Flip open to any page and become instantly absorbed in real-life stories of teens who have overcome obstacles to succeed, and step-by-step guides to shifting paradigms, building equity in "relationship bank accounts," creating action plans, and much more. USA UK Canada

The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens The challenges teens face today are tougher than ever: 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 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 cartoons, inspiring quotes, and fun quizzes, this innovative book will help teens not only survive but thrive during teen years and beyond. Building upon the legacy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, this is an indispensable resource for teens everywhere. USA UK Canada

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Every summer we have to pick three book to take a test on, do a project on, and to report about. This book was one of them and I'm really glad that they picked it because my life has been staying on track from dealing with school, peer pressure, and life itself. Thanks, Sean Covey for writing this book, it was big inspiration. — Aire'neyshia

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