Decision Making/ Motivation

How will you deal with peer pressure? Motivation? Success or lack thereof? The life of a teenager is full of tough issues and life-changing decisions. Here are seven habits, and some ideas to help:

Be Proactive

Being proactive is the key to unlocking the other habits. Take control and responsibility for your life. Proactive people understand that they are responsible for their own happiness or unhappiness. They don't blame others for their own actions or feelings.

Begin With the End in Mind

If you aren't clear about where you want to end up in life, about your values, goals, and what you stand for, you will wander, waste time, and be tossed to and fro by the opinions of others. Help yourself create a personal mission statement which will act as a road map and direct and guide his decision-making process.

Put First Things First

This habit helps you prioritize and manage your time so that you focus on and complete the most important things in your lives. Putting first things first also means learning to overcome fears and being strong during difficult times. It's living life according to what matters most.

Think Win-Win

Teens can learn to foster the belief that it is possible to create an atmosphere of win-win in every relationship. This habit encourages the idea that in any given discussion or situation both parties can arrive at a mutually beneficial solution. You will learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others instead of being threatened by them.

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Because most people don't listen very well, one of the great frustrations in life is that many don't feel understood. This habit will ensure your teen learns the most important communication skill there is: active listening.

Synergize

Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create something better than either could alone. Through this habit, you learn it doesn't have to be "your way" or "my way" but rather a better way, a higher way. Synergy allows teens to value differences and better appreciate others.

Sharpen the Saw

You should never get too busy living to take time to renew themselves. When you "sharpens the saw" you are keeping your personal self sharp so that you can better deal with life. It means regularly renewing and strengthening the four key dimensions of life – body, brain, heart, and soul.

Some techniques and exercises are more difficult than others. If you’re looking for a quick and easy exercise or activity to boost your self-motivation, try these:

1. Listen to motivational music, like:
   a. Bill Conti’s Gonna Fly Now;
   b. Paul Engemann’s Push it to the Limit;
   c. Queen’s We Will Rock You;
   d. Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone;
   e. ACDC’s Thunderstruck.

2. Watch a motivational movie, like:
   a. Forrest Gump;
   b. The Pursuit of Happyness;
   c. Life is Beautiful;
   d. Rain Man;
   e. The Family Man.

3. Read books that boost motivation from authors like:
   a. Napoleon Hill;
   b. Brian Tracy;
   c. Tony Robbins;
   d. Jim Rohn (Mueller, 2012).

Stronger Motivational Techniques

If you need techniques with a bit more power, you can try these:

• Set wisely chosen and deeply personal goals that you are excited about working toward;

• Schedule rewards for yourself when you accomplish your goals (or when you make steps toward your goals, for the larger ones);

• Visualize yourself achieving and fulfilling these goals;

• Create a vision board with your goals, aims, and dreams in mind, and post it somewhere you will see it often;

• Pay attention to your “hierarchy of needs” and ensure you are meeting your lower-level needs (including physiological needs like food and sleep, safety needs, social needs, and esteem needs);

• Envision what could happen when you reach your goals, as well as what could happen when you fail to reach your goals;

• Incorporate things you are interested in and engage your curiosity when setting and working toward your goals;

• Make a commitment to someone or something to ensure your future self will find it difficult to change plans or put things off.

1. Develop a routine

Consistency is the key to student success. So write down your general weekly schedule and create a routine. Include things like when you’ll do your homework, when you’ll review the things you’ve learned, when you’ll exercise, and so on.

It’s not possible to stick to a routine 100% of the time, but at least set up the framework to keep you focused and on track.

2. Set rules for yourself

Set some very specific rules for yourself. These could be things like “complete all projects and assignments at least two days before they are due” or “start studying for tests at least one week in advance”.

Review your rules once a month and adjust them if necessary.

3. Write everything down

No one has a perfect memory, and trying to remember everything is stressful. So make a habit of writing down all your events, meetings, ideas, and things you need to do. Use a notebook or planner, or try an app like Google Keep or Google calendar that you can use on your phone and computer.

When you write everything down, you’ll be less anxious because you won’t be relying on your brain as a storage device.

4. Create your own deadline that is before the actual deadline

Create your own deadlines and put them in your planner or calendar. Having your own deadline reduces stress for you as a student. You’ll also be more likely to submit your best work.

Don’t treat the actual deadline as the deadline. Set your own deadline one or two days before, and plan accordingly.

5. Work on one task at a time; don’t multitask

Multitasking seems like a good idea because you can pretend that you’re working twice as hard. We all get bored of the tasks we’re working on, so jumping about seems more fun. The problem is that it doesn’t result in the best outcomes.

Here’s what I recommend: Take a scrap piece of paper and write down the task you’re working on right now, e.g. Math assignment, questions 1 to 5. Put that scrap piece of paper on your study table, to serve as a reminder for you to stay focused on the task at hand.

7. Declutter once a week

At the end of each week, look through all the papers, notes, brochures, and other things you’ve accumulated. Recycle or throw away all the things you don’t need.

Clutter attracts clutter. So if you declutter once a week, you’ll be more likely to stay organised in general. You’ll also find it easier to stay focused.

8. Do five minutes of daily planning each day

Before you start doing your homework or studying for a test, look at your planner first. Take note of all upcoming deadlines, and think about your schedule for the rest of the day.

Then you can decide what specific tasks to work on for the day. Doing daily planning will ensure that you’re always working on the most important tasks, and that you don’t leave anything out.

9. Block out time in your schedule for the things that matter most

Blocking out time in your schedule is critical. If you don’t do this, other things which are less important will fill your schedule.

In your calendar or planner, block out time for things like family events, religious activities, volunteering, and studying. Then honor these commitments and stick to your schedule as much as possible.

10. Break down big tasks into smaller tasks

Breaking down big tasks and projects makes them seem less overwhelming and more manageable. Doing this also makes it clearer what your specific next step or task is, so you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

Here’s an example. Rather than telling yourself that you need to work on your history essay, break it down into smaller tasks like:

• Read 10 articles on the topic for research

• Write outline

• Write introduction

• Write main point #1

• Write main point #2

• Write main point #3

• Write conclusion

• Proofread the essay

• Adjust the formatting, layout, etc. of the essay

• Submit essay

11. Once a week, review the upcoming events in your planner/calendar

Each week, take a few minutes to see what important events and deadlines are coming up over the next month. This will help to ensure that you don’t overlook any important projects, tests, or assignments.

Reviewing your schedule helps you to stay on top of things. It also keeps you calm and in control, and allows you to adjust your daily and weekly priorities.

12. If a task takes two minutes or less to do, do it immediately

The “two-minute rule” was popularized by productivity expert David Allen. When you follow this rule, small tasks don’t pile up and become overwhelming.

Things like texting a friend, sending your classmate some information via email, or asking your parents to sign a consent form are all quick tasks that take less than two minutes to complete. When you do these tasks immediately, you’ll feel a sense of achievement too.

13. Develop a specific plan for every upcoming test and exam

Don’t just tell yourself that you’ll study hard for the test or exam. That’s too vague, and you may feel as if you’re never prepared enough. Instead, develop a plan. Write down what resources you’re going to use, how many practice questions or exam papers you intend to do, how many times you plan to read the notes, and so on.

Write all the steps down on a sheet of paper and create a rough timeline as well. When you’ve completed everything on your plan, you’ll know that you’re well prepared.

14. Create a conducive environment at home for studying

If you want to be an effective student, you need to have the right environment to work. You need all the necessary materials, stationery, paper and study tools. You also need a suitable table and lamp. And if you want to be productive, you definitely shouldn’t study on your bed!

Take a moment and think about the distractions you typically face when you’re trying to study. Common ones include text messages, notifications on your phone, social media, YouTube, books, and magazines.Remove these distractions before you get to work. Put your phone in another room, turn off Internet access on your computer, and put the books and magazines at the other end of the room.

15. Keep an ongoing list of the questions you have about the class material

As you read your notes and the textbook, keep a list of the things you don’t understand and the questions you have. As soon as you’re able to, ask your teachers about the items on your list.

If you do this consistently, you won’t need to spend so much time studying for tests and exams, because you already understand the information.