How to Be a Successful Teenager

Set goals. One aspect of becoming successful is to look forward in life. Making and meeting goals motivates you to progress. An important aspect about setting goals is getting organized and assessing your interests. Speak with a parent or a mentor, like a school counselor, for assistance - guidance is very helpful.

• Ask yourself important questions such as What do I enjoy doing?, "What do I want to be good at?", or "Where do I see myself five to ten years from now?
• Do some research to see what it takes to reach that goal.
• Learn how to break it down into mini-goals that are reached as you progress.^[4]

Understand and build your credit score. Your credit score is the measurement of how trustworthy you are to agencies that determine loans you receive, allow you to live in their apartment complex, or decide your interest rate. Even though getting a credit card at a young age can be on the hands of a parent, it is up to the teenager to use it correctly and understand that it's not just money on a card; it is a promise between the teenager and a third party.^[5]

• Know that credit is a revolving pattern; use a credit card for something you wish to purchase and pay off in a self-managed time frame.
• Using a credit card takes responsibility and discipline; these characteristics also build other good habits.^[6]

Continue your education. The average teenager goes through two major educational milestones: graduating from high school and graduating from college. Teenagers go through different phases, and education is often put aside. However, in order to be successful, education should be viewed as an investment for the future and a tool to show teenagers how to be inquisitive.^[7] Moreover, a better education can lead to more work opportunities, so be sure to pursue what fits your goals and interests.

Build strong relationships. Teenagers go through a lot of change, and these changes can transform relationships quickly and abruptly. Being a successful teenager means knowing how to pursue a good relationship, one where there is the chance for both fun and future. Evaluate your current relationship. Make sure your maturity level and interests are leveled. Be there for each other which will mean learning how to make compromises and being selective of battles..^[8]

Get a job. Having your own job builds positive character and will help you mature. Even if parents give you money, earning your own paycheck puts you on a path to success by giving you the opportunity to learn time management, job responsibility, leadership skills, team work, and life skills in the real world. Also, earning your own paycheck puts money in your pockets, and what you do with your earnings is up to you.

Track your expenses. Allowances, gifts, and paychecks will be your sources of income as a teenager. Learning to manage money starts with tracking how you spend that income. Create a money diary where you write down all of your spending for a given time period, either weekly, monthly, or yearly. Then, evaluate what you spend by deciding what is needed (such as gas, car insurance, phone bill) and what is entertainment (such as movie tickets, personal items, going out). Creating this diary will help you visualize where your money goes and can set you on the track to create a budget and savings.

Save money. Once you earn money, it is very tempting to use it immediately. And as a teenager, it is easy to neglect saving money. In order to be more successful, learn that money can be saved for more-important spending opportunities. To help you save, open up a bank account. Banks can give many opportunities to teenagers. Get advice and research first before opening any accounts. Once you have one, figure out a monthly budget that will help you put aside money.^[9]

• When you start off, more than likely a co-signer or parent will have access to your account activity. Use this as a learning opportunity and ask for them to keep you in check of what you spend.

Control impulse buying. Buying is almost always easier than saving. Small purchases can take a toll on your savings, and more often than not, those purchases could have been avoided. These impulse purchases are difficult for both teenagers and adults, so controlling these impulses at a young age helps ensure better money management throughout your life.

• Put yourself to the test and wait to buy items. Oftentimes, giving yourself a week will show you that you didn't really need the item, or the item would have been put on sale.
• Make sure that you understand what you're spending your money on. If you're looking to budget and reduce expenses, you might have to take a closer look at what you're buying. For instance, if spending money on dating/going out is a priority for you, you might have to cut back in other areas.^[10]

Become more independent. Independence is very important to a teenager. It comes as a necessity over time, but when teenagers start off being independent, it usually comes as a privilege from your parents. Figure out your home dynamics, and offer areas where your independence becomes helpful to your household: for example, cooking your meals, cleaning up after yourself, taking care of younger siblings, asking for less supervision, getting a part-time job, etc. As you gain more responsibility and independence, be aware that failure might occur and is to be expected. Learning from failure, however, will help you to grow.^[11]

Learn how to use several forms of transportation. Getting from place to place does not always mean driving, but as a teenager, driving is a huge step in responsibility and independence. Be sure to take any courses and means to obtain a driver's license. Also, driving is not the only way to get around. Cities have public transportation that can be both cheap and accessible for teenagers. Learn the routes needed to get you from place to place. It will teach you time management and patience.

Travel more often. As you grow up, your city gets smaller, and the world gets bigger. Family vacations help you explore certain regions, but taking on world travel also helps build responsibility and independence. A younger person has more outlets to travel by such as study abroad, language exchange, or volunteer programs. If you have family in distant places, reconnect with a summer visit. The chance to travel gives experiences that build great character.^[12]