List $17.95

Written & audio book narrated by Sean Covey - Abridged Nonfiction - 2 COMPACT DISCS - 90 minutes

Publisher, Simon & Schuster Audioworks (October 2001)

THE ULTIMATE TEENAGE SUCCESS GUIDE

"A true gift for the teenage soul." --Jack Canfield and Kimberly Kirberger, coauthors of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

"If the '7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens' doesn't help you, then you must have a perfect life already." --Jordan McLaughlin, teenager

"Unlike my book on the '7 Habits,' this book by my son Sean speaks directly to teens in an entertaining and visually appealing style (and Sean, I never thought you listened to a word I said). As prejudiced as this may sound, this is a remarkable book, a must-read." --Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

What are the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens?

Habit 1: Be Proactive Take responsibility for your life.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind Define your mission and goals in life.

Habit 3: Put First Things First Prioritize, and do the most important things first.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win : Have an everyone-can-win attitude.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Listen to people sincerely.

Habit 6: Synergize Work together to achieve more.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Renew yourself regularly.

One great way to understand what the 7 Habits are is to understand the 7 Habits of Highly Defective Teens:

Habit 1: React. Blame all of your problems on your parents, your stupid teachers or professors, your lousy neighborhood, your boy or girlfriend, the government, or something or somebody else. Be a victim. Take no responsibility for your life. Act like an animal. If you're hungry, eat. If someone yells at you, yell back. If you feel like doing something you know is wrong, just do it.

Habit 2: Begin with No End in Mind. Don't have a plan. Avoid goals at all costs. And never think about tomorrow. Why worry about the consequences of your actions? Live for the moment. Sleep around, get wasted, and party on, for tomorrow we die.

Habit 3: Put First Things Last. Whatever is most important in your life, don't do it until you have spent sufficient time watching reruns, talking endlessly on the phone, surfing the Net, and lounging around. Always put off your homework until tomorrow. Make sure that things that don't matter always come before things that do.

Habit 4: Think Win-Lose. See life as a vicious competition. Your classmate is out to get you, so you'd better get him or her first. Don't let anyone else succeed at anything because, remember, if they win, you lose. If it looks like you're going to lose, however, make sure you drag that sucker down with you.

Habit 5: Seek First to Talk, Then Pretend to Listen. You were born with a mouth, so use it. Make sure you talk a lot. Always express your side of the story first. Once you're sure everyone understands your views, then pretend to listen by nodding and saying "uh-huh." Or, if you really want their opinion, give it to them.

Habit 6: Don't Cooperate Let's face it, other people are weird because they're different from you. So why try to get along with them? Teamwork is for the dogs. Since you always have the best ideas, you are better off doing everything by yourself. Be your own island.

Habit 7: Wear Yourself Out. Be so busy with life that you never take time to renew or improve yourself. Never study. Don't learn anything new. Avoid exercise like the plague. And, for heaven's sake, stay away from good books, nature, or anything else that may inspire you.

As you can see, the habits listed above are recipes for disaster. Yet many of us indulge in them...regularly (me included). And, given this, it's no wonder that life can really stink at times.