The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

by Sean Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey is a guide book that has the transformative power of changing one’s perception of their ability to control the events in their life. With the use of comical cartoons, personal and non-personal anecdotes, and activities, Covey illustrates to teenage readers ways in which they can better themselves in their academic and social spheres. What I appreciate most about this book is Covey’s choice to not solely focus on ways that teenagers can achieve highly in the academic side of their life. He emphasizes that being successful and effective does not necessarily mean studying for long periods of time or basing your self-value of the scores that you receive. He explains that by approaching the challenges and situations you will inevitably face as a teenager with proactivity versus reactivity you will find an improvement in all sectors of your life. Along with this message, Covey challenges mainstream perceptions of control by stating that while not everything in our lives are controllable, we as humans have the choice to control our reactions to their unalterable facts. The sensation of reading this book reminded me of the feeling you get when you breathe in cool air after suffering a stuffy nose. A clogged brain filled with unsolicited pressure, toxic ideologies, and a victim mindset are the stuffed noses that this book successfully attempts to clear. Throughout the guide, Sean Covey interweaves the book with daily activities that readers can use to improve their skills so they may eventually become proactive teenagers who take responsibility rather than reactive ones who blame the world before they blame themselves. A lesson that enables people to stop talking and start acting. The introspection I gained from this novel not only transformed my practical skills but overall made me strive to be a happier person. When I came across bumps in my path (which as a teenager is more often than not) instead of stopping an turning away, I gained the confidence and willpower to find a way over these bumps that once felt like mountains. I found learning opportunities out of the bad times and became increasingly present during the good times. While the book does not directly discuss leadership, it equips leaders with the tools to keep open-minds and think critically and optimistically about their involvement in the world. Additionally, it reminds the readers that in life you may not always be the leader, the start student, the first picked athlete: all of that is okay. What matters is your kindness and your drive to become the best version of you.

Mirengeri Diallo

Rating: 5 Recommend

 


 

This book is about how to deal with teenage years. It shows teens how to handle the stressful life of a teenager. Sean Covey gives tips on how to self-improve yourself and how to be an effective teen. He describes in depth how things like when everytime you keep a promise to yourself, you make a deposit. Indicating that when you break a promise, that is another way you let yourself down. To add to that, he explains that if you don’t keep up with your promise, so this can be to read or study, you make a withdrawal of your deposit. In the book a Relationship Bank Account (RBA) is also mentioned. He elaborates by explaining that a deposit is made when you keep a promise or apologize.This book is really fascinating for it really illuminates the strategies needed to be an effective teen. The baby steps after each chapter are simply amazing and help you to apply what you have learnt in each chapter. I would recommend this to teens and pre-teens to better understand how you can better manage the stressful years that are teen years. But I would also really recommend this book to Adults, especially parents. For it will really remind them what it was like to be a teen and also, there may be some really helpful advice they can take away with them. For parents, this book can really help them better understand their kids and what they may be going through. This book is simply awesome as it has a lot of stuff that helps you to improve and upgrade to a better version of yourself.

Faraja Laiser

Rating: 5 Recommend

 


 

Stephen Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a book that is aiming to help people especially teens initiate self-improvement in most if not every part of their lives. It does this by introducing 7 habits that if adapted can make someone's life more enjoyable. These 7 habits are summarised in these short imperatives: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things, think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood and synergise. The book has chapters committed to each of theses habits and they are explain and examples are given as to how to apply them in real life. One of the main things I learnt from this book is that when working towards a goal start small and celebrate each little achievement and you will get achieve your goal sooner than you know it. Normally, I do not enjoy reading books that do not have a plot or a story line but I found the book interesting and I started wanting to read more. This is mainly because the book is written as if the writer is if the writer is having a conversation with the reader. There lots of diagrams, analogies and short stories that help you come to grips with what the author means. I would highly recommend this to any teenager who is wanting more control in their life but is struggling or trying to find new ways to do it.

Betty Kunyada

Rating: 4 Interesting

 


 

I found this book highly engaging and a must read for any teenager looking for inspiration and motivation and even if you aren’t at this point in time, I still recommend it because it will help you succeed in all areas in life. This book is like a map guide through land mines of childhood into a value prioritized adulthood. It was not a surprise to find this as a national best seller. Sean Covey conveys the success guide for teens, through 7 habits we should all follow. Today’s teens are busier and more stressed than ever before. With school, hours of homework, athletics, jobs, clubs, helping at home and more, we barely have time to breathe. The 7 Habits not only serves as a guide for teens to improve their self image, build friendships, resist peer pressure and achieve goals, but it offers hope. While reading this I realized no matter what the obstacle may be hard work and a vision will help you overcome anything. It teaches you to work harder at what you do than anyone else, if they beat you because they are more talented its acceptable but it should never be because they outworked you. The seven habits are: 1) Be proactive; 2) Begin with the end in mind; 3) Put first things first; 4) Think win-win; 5) Seek first to understand, then be understood; 6) Synergize and 7) Sharpen the saw. Mixed in are cartoons, famous quotes, song lyrics, poems and other classic techniques to keep you interested. I found the instructions listed at the end of each chapter and the various activities extremely helpful. The Great Discovery Activity in particular really helped me understand myself and what is important in my life. That is the first step in developing a personal mission statement and setting goals.

Dev Gardi

Rating: 5 Recommend