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The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make

Page 33

by Sean Covey


  World War Z

  About the Author

  Author, speaker, innovator, and business executive SEAN COVEY works at FranklinCovey, where he oversees their innovations, global operations, and educational initiatives. He is devoted to transforming education around the globe through bringing principle-centered leadership to as many students and educators as possible.

  He is a New York Times bestselling author and has written several books, including The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into twenty languages and sold more than five million copies worldwide.

  Sean graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in English and later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. As the starting quarterback for BYU, he led his team to two bowl games and was twice selected as the ESPN Most Valuable Player of the Game.

  Born in Belfast, Ireland, Sean’s favorite activities include going to the movies, working out, hanging out with his kids, riding his dirt bike, and writing lousy poetry. Sean and his wife, Rebecca, live with their children in the Rocky Mountains.

  MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT

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  ABOUT FRANKLINCOVEY EDUCATION DIVISON

  For nearly three decades, FranklinCovey Education, a division of FranklinCovey, has been one of the world’s most prominent and trusted providers of educational leadership programs and transformational processes. Our mission is to enable greatness in students, teachers, and schools everywhere. The FranklinCovey Education team is primarily composed of outstanding former teachers and administrators at various education levels, and those from organizations that share a belief in and commitment to helping students achieve their potential, improving school culture and increasing school effectiveness.

  FranklinCovey’s offerings, books, methodologies, and tools have been utilized by thousands of public and private primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools and institutions, including educational service centers and vocational schools in all 50 states in the U.S. and in over 150 countries. For more information, visit https://www.franklincovey.com/Solutions/education

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  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  7 HABITS CRASH COURSE

  Reavis, George H. “The Animal School.” Public domain.

  DECISION 1

  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov. Public domain, 2005.

  Kaplan, Ben. How to Go to College Almost for Free. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

  DECISION 2

  Wiseman, Rosalind. Queen Bees & Wannabes. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2003.

  Keith, Kent M., The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Student Agencies. Copyright © 1968 Kent M. Keith, renewed 2001.

  DECISION 3

  “Stay Together For The Kids,” words and music by Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.

  Copyright © 2001 EMI APRIL MUSIC INC. and FUN WITH GOATS

  All Rights Controlled and Administered by EMI APRIL MUSIC INC.

  All Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission.

  DECISION 4

  Anderson, Kristen. The Truth about Sex by High School Senior Girls. Copyright © 2001 Kristen Anderson.

  Bearman, Peter S., James Moody, and Katherine Stovel. “Chains of Affection: The Structure of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Networks.” American Journal of Sociology 110 (2004): 44–91.

  Copyright © 2004 by The University of Chicago. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

  Meeker, Meg, M.D. Epidemic: How Teen Sex Is Killing Our Kids. Washington, D.C.: LifeLine Press, 2002.

  Florida Department of Health. www.greattowait.com. Copyright © 2006. All Rights Reserved.

  DECISION 5

  Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Riverhead, 1999.

  Phil S. The Perfect Brightness of Hope. Copyright © 2002 Perfect Brightness LLC.

  DECISION 6

  Levenson, Sam. In One Era & Out the Other. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1981.

  “See The Sun,” words and music by DIDO ARMSTRONG

  Copyright © 2003 WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC LTD (PRS)

  All Rights Administered By WB MUSIC CORP.

  All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

  “Help Me Harlan.” Deseret Morning News. Copyright © King Features Syndicate.

  Herman, Stanley M., Authentic Management, Addison Wesley. Copyright © 1977.

  STICK TO THE CODE

  Tolkien, J. R. R. The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

  OTHER

  Below are a few books that heavily influenced the author:

  Fox, Lara and Hillary Frankel. Breaking the Code. New York: New American Library, 2005.

  Harris, Joshua. I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1997.

  INDEX

  A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.

  A

  abstinence, 196, 209, 212, 217

  abuse, 6, 84, 102, 165, 184, 185, 186, 187, 219, 311

  child, 42

  drug and alcohol, 117, 164, 227, 228, 232, 234, 242, 249, 252, 255

  sexual, 260, 294, 296, 311

  abusive relationship (getting out of), 184, 185, 186, 187

  accomplishments, 276, 277, 285–86, 290, 303

  “Acres of Diamonds,” 298, 299

  ACT/SAT tests, 69, 70, 310

  adaptation, 241

  addiction, 4, 5, 6, 12, 162, 224–50, 252–63, 290, 291, 309, 311

  affects all differently, 235, 236

  defeating it, 21, 47, 102, 162, 203, 255, 256, 257

  destroys dreams, 232, 233, 234, 249

  impact on others, 231, 232

  root causes of, 232, 249, 250

  say no, 25, 48, 49, 115, 116, 172, 215, 249

  signs of, 163, 235

  addiction checkup, 227, 228

  addiction free, 14, 262, 263

  alcoholic parent, 42, 164, 311

  Alcoholics Anonymous, 256

  alcoholism, 229, 230, 236

  Alpha girls, 98, 99

  Altshuler, Michael, 51

  ancestor chart, 300

  “The Animal School,” 28

  anorexia nervosa, 294, 312

  anti-drugs, 251

  Augustine, Saint, 53

  B

  baby steps, 87, 123, 168, 222, 265, 303

  backbiting, 100, 101, 123

  bad habits, 31, 42, 117

  Ball, Lucille, 55

  Barbie, 264, 274

  basic freedom, 226

  beauty, 12, 13, 29, 97, 113, 273, 275, 281, 292, 293, 307

  Beaverson, Georgia, 274

  Beethoven, Ludwig van, 55

  Beta girls, 98, 99

  binge eating, 294

  blind spots, 108, 109

  bone mass, 289

  books, 13, 14, 52, 59, 62, 68, 77, 78, 88, 140, 155, 201, 219, 234, 261, 266

  brain damage, 247

  brain food,
307

  brainstorming, 158

  “Breaking Point: The Truth About Steroids,” 245

  breaking up, 175, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 188

  Brett, Regina, 59

  building a career, 72

  building muscles, 289

  bulimia nervosa, 50, 227, 294, 312

  bullies, 86, 93, 95, 101–2, 121

  Bytheway, John, 21, 108

  C

  calories, 236, 289

  Camus, Albert, 91

  cancer victims, 118, 201, 202, 203, 204, 206, 237, 238

  career, 5, 36, 41, 53, 65,70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 77, 86, 229

  career selection, 73–77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 84

  Carlson, Richard, 100

  Carter, Carol, 53

  casual sex, 203, 255

  catfights, 10

  center (what’s yours?), 95, 96

  changing someone’s life, 183

  character, 13, 65, 95, 97, 101, 154, 177, 200, 269, 276–78, 302

  integrity, 279, 280, 303

  service, 17, 29, 40, 65, 69, 84, 179, 251, 252, 278–81, 301, 303

  vision, 123, 166, 191, 214, 250, 253, 276, 277, 280, 281, 282

  character competence square, 277

  cheesy romantic movies, 324

  chew, 237

  child abuse, 42

  choices, 1, 2, 8, 118, 137, 142, 144, 163, 171, 190, 199, 205, 216, 227, 228, 232, 233, 235, 250, 290, 291, 306

  Christie, Agatha, 55

  A Christmas Story, 101

  Churchill, Winston, 55

  cigarettes, 237

  circle of control, 52, 137

  club drugs, 243, 244

  cocaine, 12, 239, 241, 248, 249, 258, 261

  Code, the, 305–7

  college, 3, 8, 9, 23, 30, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 50, 58, 59, 61, 65, 68–74, 76–79, 86, 87, 110, 117, 118, 120, 127, 132, 145, 157, 164, 166, 178, 182, 206, 207, 210, 212, 215, 218, 219, 220, 229, 251, 252, 256, 301

  college admission, 69

  college graduate earnings, 66

  college selection, 68, 69

  comfort zone, 53, 106, 270, 284, 285

  commitment, 210

  communication gap, 147

  communication skills, 26, 27, 69

  competence, 13, 269, 271, 276–75, 288, 291, 302

  accomplishments, 278, 279, 285, 290, 303

  competition, 1, 26, 44, 93, 95, 102, 103, 151

  physical health, 287–89

  talents and skills, 284

  compulsion, 228, 229, 230

  confidence, 12, 13, 14, 53, 62, 99, 104, 179, 211, 253, 269, 270, 284 290

  conscience, 73, 74, 84, 114, 184, 199, 200, 230, 256, 260, 271, 283, 306

  consequences, 4, 8, 44, 171, 200, 233

  Conwell, Russell, 298

  coping, 11, 95, 130, 145, 263, 298

  Cosmopolitan models, 12

  The Costco Connection, 76

  courage, 84, 90, 95, 100, 113, 114, 115, 121, 172, 186, 198, 218, 227, 238, 276, 277, 284, 285, 297

  Covey classic movies, 31, 328

  crabs, 102

  crack, 248

  cultural differences, 53

  cyberbullying, 101, 102, 310

  cyber-relationship, 259

  cycle breakers, 42

  D

  dating, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 14, 26, 107,132, 167, 170–222, 306

  dating abuse, 184, 185, 186, 187

  dating age, 188

  dating boundaries, 191, 192

  dating breakups, 181–87

  dating choice, 177

  dating groups, 190

  dating guidelines, 187–93

  dating ideas, 194, 311

  dating (intelligent/brainless), 173–76, 187–91, 193, 194, 221

  dating mistakes, 180

  dating plans, 192, 193, 194

  dating questions, 174

  dating/sex checkup, 172

  dating turn-ons, 179

  dating wish list, 178

  dead-end careers, 78

  decisions for life, 290, 291

  decisions for success, 3, 4, 8, 14, 35, 36, 305

  addictions, 12, 14, 224–64, 305

  dating and sex, 11, 14, 26, 36, 170–221, 306

  friends, 90–124, 306

  parents, 10, 13, 126–68, 306

  school, 1–88, 93–95, 97–101, 103–107, 111, 113–20, 123, 133, 139, 141–46, 149, 151, 155, 156, 157, 163, 164, 166, 167, 175, 176, 178, 180, 181, 183, 185, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 194, 196, 197, 198, 200, 204, 205, 208, 210, 213, 217, 218–20, 232–34, 236, 240, 243, 245, 250, 251, 252, 254, 259, 260, 272, 280, 282, 290, 295, 297, 301, 307

  self-worth, 12, 14, 268–304, 306

  depression, 1, 13, 46, 202, 209, 211, 212, 241, 244, 248, 291, 294, 295, 296, 306, 312

  clinical, 296

  dejected, 296

  symptoms of, 296, 297

  Dickinson, Emily, 111, 282

  differences, 28, 29, 38, 66, 158

  disabled student, 57

  divorce, 11, 144, 145

  domino effect, 219

  drinking, 8, 42

  drug addiction, 42, 255, 257, 258, 259, 262

  drugs, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 74, 112, 114, 115, 117, 119, 120, 130, 142, 163–66, 168, 224–27, 230–35, 238–45, 248–57, 262, 263, 281, 283, 289, 306, 312

  cocaine, 12, 231, 248, 249, 258, 261

  club drugs, 243, 244

  inhalants, 247, 248

  methamphetamine, 240, 241

  prescription, 12, 225, 234, 241, 242, 243

  steroids, 12, 245, 246

  dust, 248

  Dynamite, Napoleon, 35, 86

  dysfunctional families, 42, 164

  E

  eating disorders, 294, 312

  eating right, 287, 288, 289

  education, 4, 6, 9, 13, 35, 36, 52, 53, 57, 59, 65, 66, 70, 71, 72, 79, 85, 86, 108, 119, 217, 219, 232, 290, 306

  Einstein, Albert, 55, 56

  El Guapo, 291, 298

  Eliot, George, 101

  emotional, 29, 30, 46, 56, 96, 172, 209, 215, 218, 248, 288, 291, 296

  emotional STD, 211

  endorphins, 289

  environment, 305

  EQ, 56, 312

  Ettinger, Bob, 171

  euphoria, 229

  exercise, 289

  explore broadly, 75, 76

  extra credit, 88

  extracurricular activities, 69

  F

  fables, 99

  family history, 300, 311

  faith, 123, 166, 214, 251

  faults, 99

  fickle friends, 93, 94, 95

  finding your voice, 9, 36, 72–74, 85

  finding your voice charts, 81–83

  flexibility, 154

  foreign exchange students, 54

  forgiveness, 100, 164

  fork-in-the-road decisions, 36, 91, 128, 305

  Frankl, Viktor, 226

  Franklin, Benjamin, 47

  free agency (free will), 8

  freedom, 8

  “Friends,” 106

  friend centered, 96

  friends checkup, 92

  friendship, 4, 10, 26, 90, 93, 94, 99, 108, 110, 124, 172, 181, 214, 221, 222

  Frost, Robert, 14

  four-fold amends, 280, 303

  Fuller, R. Buckminster, 301

  G

  Gamma girls, 98, 99

  gangs, 10, 118, 119, 120

  gateway drugs, 234

  genes, 306

  GI Joe, 274

  glue sniffing, 12

  goals, 22, 115, 116, 117

  Godden, Rumer, 30

  Golding, William, 261

  good deeds, 133, 134

  Google test information, 70

  good grades (how to get), 9, 21, 31, 36, 59, 61, 64, 69, 130, 155

  be friendly to teachers, 60

  believe in yourself, 59

  be strong in red zone, 61

  do extra credit, 60

  gather your resources, 61

  good study habits, 62<
br />
  go to class, 59–60

  secrets of, 59–62, 64

  gossip, 100, 101, 102, 295

  GQ models, 12

  Gramajo, André Marroquín, 67

  grants, 71, 74

  H

  Hafiz of Shiraz, 57

  Hands-On Basketball, 76

  Hands-On Football, 76

  hard stuff, 235

  Harvard, 164, 201

  hate, 2, 27, 43, 57, 58, 63, 74, 78, 97, 109, 136, 160, 161, 164, 218, 240, 275, 287, 295, 307

  heart attacks, 241

  helpfulness, 136

  heroin, 233, 241, 242, 249

  herpes, 202, 203

  high road, 36, 37, 86, 91, 92, 121, 128, 129, 167, 171, 173, 226, 228, 263, 269, 271, 290, 302, 306

  Hinckley, Gordon B., 4

  HIV/AIDS, 164, 204, 207, 216, 233, 248

  Holes, 310

  homework, 35, 36, 38, 43, 44, 47, 57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 87, 88, 133, 155, 156–58, 208, 220, 224, 259, 296, 297

  honesty, 17, 96, 122, 132, 277, 279

  hooch, 235

  huff, 247

  human papilloma virus (HPV), 203

  I

  I Love Lucy, 55

  inclusiveness, 110, 111

  income by education, 66

  inhalants, 247, 248

  inherited bad habits, 42

  inner security, 13, 79, 96, 97

  intelligence, 55, 56

  intuition, 56, 84, 217, 256

  IQ, 55, 56, 59, 312

  J

  job security, 86

  Johnson, Ayesha, 23

  Jones, James Earl, 213

  Jordan, Michael, 112

  juice, 235

  K

  Kaplan, Ben, 70, 71, 72, 73

  keeping friends, 105, 106, 107

  Keller, Helen, 282

  key decisions, 1, 4, 36, 306

  kindness/unkindness, 111–14

  L

  late bloomer, 69

  learning disability, 56, 57

  ADD, 56

  ADHD, 56

  dyslexia, 56, 58, 59

  inability to focus, 56

  lethal drug ingredients, 241

  letters of recommendation, 69

  lift others, 112

  likable, 108, 109

  Lincoln, Abraham, 112

  lines, 248

  listening, 26, 27, 154

  Logan, 27

  loner, 104

  The Lord of the Flies, 261

 

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