7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (09-10)

The of Highly Effective Teens

By Sean Covey

Wiki Designed By Maddie H. and Alex M.  

Habit 1:Be Proactive

Chapter Synopsis

Proactive V.S. Reactive Chart

Excerpts

Book Critique

Chapter Synopsis

     Habit 1: Be Proactive is the key to unlocking all of the other habits. Being proactive means that you control your actions, don't let what others do effect you, and don't blame others for your problems. We all understand that there are things that we can't control. Those things can be frustrating at times, but you can't let those things ruin your day. Instead of worrying about the things you can't control, you should try to focus on the things that you can. YOU control your life. Not your parents, your teachers, or your boss. YOU have to take responsibility for your own actions and always do the best that you can. You can't control the weather, but you can control whether or not you do well in school, have a good attitude, and how you respond in different situations.

     That is the difference between proactive and reactive people: reactive people are like a bottle of soda that has been shaken around; they might explode anytime. Proactive people don't let what other people say or do effect their actions, so they are like a nice, calm water bottle. Reactive people blame their problems on others and give up too easily. They say things like "I can't", "You ruined my day", or "I have to". If you are being reactive, it is like you are giving the other person a remote and saying, " Here you go. Now you have complete control over my life and my actions."

     Everyone can be proactive if they try. If you come from a family where no one has gone to college, that isn't an excuse to do the same. It may be more difficult to succeed without the family support and experience, but there are many people that are on your side and will try to help you along the way. Part of being a proactive person is becoming a "change agent". Change agents are people that will pass good habits on to future generations despite bad habits that have gone through their families in the past. They work to stop the cycle of bad habits such as not going to college, drugs, alcohol, or abuse. Everyone should set goals for themselves to become a better person or accomplish tasks that previous family members could not. 

     You should work towards these goals as well as being proactive everyday and in every situation. Sometimes this can be difficult to do, so you may need to press "pause" and re-evaluate the situation. Take a deep breath before you say or do anything. Always think about the consequences or pro's and con's of the multiple actions you could take. If you follow all this advice, you will become a better person and you will be able to successfully accomplish the rest of the habits in this book.

Proactive V.S. Reactive Chart

Proactive and Reactive Language

Control Circle

Excerpts

1. "Proactive people, on the other hand, focus elsewhere ... on the things they can control. By doing so they experience inner peace and gain more control of their lives. They learn to smile about and live with many things they can't do anything about. They may not like them, but they know it's no use worrying."

This quote means a lot to me because I am the type of person that gets stressed out and worried about anything. I worry about homework, what people think about me, tests, and dumb things like what I am going to wear tomorrow. I have to realize that there are somethings I can't control. I can't control how hard a test is, but I can change how prepared I am for it. If I can stop worrying, my life would become much better.

2. " Mitchell says his secret is twofold. First is love and encouragement of friends and family, and second is a personal philosophy he has gleaned from various sources. He realized he did not have to buy society's notion that one must be handsome and healthy to be happy."

I believe this quote really relates to real life situations. I think that as times have progressed, people have started to be more conscious about themselves and how they appear to other people. They have become more material and some base their happiness on how they dress or how wealthy they are. The truth is that happiness is not based on material or how you look, but on how you treat others, how you control your life, and the decisions you make. You can be happy if you want. 

3. "Yes, your childhood, your parents, your genes, and your environment influence you to act in certain ways, but they can't make you do anything. You are not determined but are free to choose."

Again, I believe this quote relates to my life and the people around me. Everyone has their own brain and make their own decisions. "He made me" isn't an excuse for your unwise choices. No one can make you do anything. Yes, you are influenced by parents and childhood, but just because they have made foolish decisions doesn't mean you should. If no one gives and effort to make a change, it isn't going to get any better.

4. "After all that's been said and done, the choice is yours!

I selected this quote because in elementary school, our principal used to always end the morning announcements by saying, "Make it a great day or not; the choice is yours!" I didn't understand why she reminded us of this every single day. After reading this chapter, I finally understand it. YOU make your life. YOU make decisions. YOU control whether or not you will have a good day; today or any other.

Book Critique

     Overall, I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was entertained by the writing style of Sean Covey. He seemed as if he could genuinely relate to what teens think and what is happening in our lives. He also spiced up the text with personal stories, comics, and funny quotes. There were pictures on almost every page, which caught my attention and the diverse fonts gave the book a more fun feel. Aside from these unique features, this self-help book provided exceptional advice to make our lives successful.

     This writing taught us how to improve our lives to the full extent from the bottom up. Each habit is important to achieve our goals and all of the habits build on each other. The author even states that all of the information in the book might be overwhelming at first, but he advises us to start with just a few small goals at first and then go from there. I believe that all teens should read this book because I think that the material in it will assist in a better life for not only you, but everyone that spends time around you.

     The information starts with bettering yourself (private victory), then advances to public victory, and ends with renewal so you will feel fresh again the next day. These seven habits can change your life if you put forth effort toward them. Although there were many enjoyable parts in this book, my favorite was the comics purely because they were funny and it is not everyday that you find a book with multiple comics that actually relate to meaningful text. Let me reiterate the fact that this book could CHANGE YOUR LIFE forever! There is advise that applies to anyone: especially in my chapter, Habit 1: Be Proactive. I would highly recommend this self-help book to anyone: teen or adult. In the end, no matter what happens, just remember:

KEEP HOPE ALIVE!

 Five Stars! 

Relevancy to power:

      Being proactive and the theme of power go hand-in-hand because being proactive is basically the power to control your reactions and emotions to a certain event or comment. Being proactive in a conversation with someone  could take a lot of restraint and self control to fight an impulse for a retort or a comeback if someone says something that is offensive or rude.