Spring Break is over. No more sleeping in. No more vacation. It’s back to school for another two months before Summer Vacation. For many parents and students, the school year has been frustrating and stressful thus far. Perhaps you’re frustrated with your teen’s lack of motivation. Or maybe you’re a teen who has thought about putting in more effort to fulfill your full potential, but just don’t know where to begin. It’s not too late to end the school year on a strong note. It all starts with the power of Decision. Continue reading
Teens: Spring Break’s Over. Decide to Take Action to End the Year Strong!
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If your teen student is not getting the grades that they want or they are super stressed out trying to get those grades, then they are not doing one of these three things in the Recipe for Academic Success.
Happy New Year and Happy New Semester! It’s time to make New Year’s resolutions, right? Wrong! Well, kind of. As teens return to school from Winter Break, many are ready to make lofty goals such as studying more, getting better grades, communicating better with mom and dad, etc. That is all well and good, but let me say that, “Goals are overrated.” On the one hand, we all need goals and having them is a good thing, but how to get there is quite another. “Well-Designed Actions” to the rescue!
What really drives you? What is your core motivation? Different people are motivated in their own unique way. Becoming aware of different motivation styles allows you to improve productivity, reduce stress, feel more fulfilled, and improve communication with others (especially those who have a different motivation type than you.) Learn your unique motivation style and empower yourself to take advantage of your core motivation’s natural strengths and manage its weaknesses. Read the paragraphs below and figure out your core motivation type. 
Consciously being aware of how you motivate is a great tool to get you moving into the direction that you want to go. Do you find yourself using motivation “Toward Good Stuff” or “Away From Bad Stuff”? Only one of these models sets the groundwork for positive, sustainable action that results in less stress, increased fulfillment, and productivity toward where you want to go.
My 6 year old daughter called me in a panic from school a few weeks ago, the day before St. Patrick’s Day. She had learned that the home-made Leprechaun Catcher she had labored over for days, was due at school THAT morning. We were under the impression that it was due on St. Patricks’ Day since that’s apparently when the mischievous little leprechauns show up, right? Yes, except that the traps have to be SET the day before! Who knew? I don’t have any training in leprechaun etiquette and my background as a professional coach, writer and trainer is absolutely no help in situations such as these. 
There are a plethora of degrees that young adults can strive for after graduating high school. AA. BA. BS. MA. MBA. PhD. JD. MD. …and the list of acronyms can go on. After millions of American high school students recently earned their diplomas, they, as well as their parents, may wonder what the secret of success is for the unchartered waters that lie ahead. Many will go to college, and many will choose other options. No matter what choices they make for their immediate future, there is no magic formula that will guarantee success for these young adults, but having a “PPF” degree may be the first step to ensuring a bright and fulfilling future. 
When I came across Connor Traut on Twitter, I found his profile to be quite impressive: CEO and founder of Traut Financial, a local politician in Southern California, and founder of his community’s Teen Leadership Council. Oh yeah, did I mention that he started all of this when he was only 16 years old??!! Now 18 years old, Connor is still going strong by running for his community’s Civic Council, using his financial savvy to run his company, preparing to be a University of Redlands freshman in the Fall, and continuing to inspire and encourage teens everywhere to step up to leadership and create change in something that they believe in. I had the pleasure of talking to him today. As an Academic Life Coach and HUGE advocate for teenage leadership, I was eager to get his thoughts on teenagers and leadership, motivation, and Academic Life Coaching.
School’s out! Woohoo! It’s time for summer vacation, summer camps, pool parties, and sleeping in! Yes, these are all essential ingredients for summer, but it’s also a great opportunity for teens and undergrads to reflect on the past year, define their purpose and values, and gradually make a well-designed action plan to ensure that the next academic school year is the best one yet! It’s fun, really!
I was a panelist yesterday at College Awareness Day at a local middle school in Southern California. I had no idea what to expect. The event organizer had just told me to talk for about five minutes about my experiences at my alma mater, UC San Diego. I didn’t really prepare what to say because I thought it should be a piece of cake with my sparkling personality, acting background and knack for public speaking. I sat in front of the auditorium and met the four other friendly college representatives. I was told that I would be speaking last. The room started to fill up with about three hundred students. I was feeling great…until the first college representative started to speak.