10 Teen Hacks For An Awesome Life

Man it’s tough being a teen.

Life was easier when you were young. You got to play non stop and school wasn’t too hard. Mom and dad put you in lots of activities and you could eat, eat, eat. Things have changed now. You’ve become self aware. Everyone’s looking at you and judging you. Adults expect you to be mature and responsible but honestly, you just want to hang out with friends and listen to music. Plus you need money so you have to get a job and working sucks!

Why can’t life be easier for a teen? Here’s a secret that everyone knows. Life is hard at every age. Get used to it. Are teens doomed? Caught between the innocence of youth and the responsibilities of an adult? Well you can’t change your age but you can use some stealthy skills to get you through your teens and get a jump on adulthood.

Here’s 10 teen hacks to help you navigate the next few years and set yourself up for an awesome life!

Before we begin, remember: There are no shortcuts. You have to put in the work to get where you want to be. The good news? There are ways to speed up the process and avoid the pitfalls. You can accelerate your arrival to your life destination quickly so pay attention and soak up the wisdom...

1. Listen To Your Parents

Who’s in charge at your house? Probably mom or dad. Maybe both. Why is that? Shouldn’t we all be able to do as we please without someone else calling the shots?

At sea there has to be someone steering the ship. The same goes for the family. As you age from infant to adulthood your parents are in charge of your well being and your life education. You didn’t arrive with instructions so parents have to figure it out as they go. Fortunately for you, they have your best interest at heart (hopefully.)

First thing you have to do is give your parents respect. They are footing the bill for your life. They also have life experience to draw from as they guide you along your path. You don’t have to agree with everything but you do have to follow their decisions. They have gained wisdom through experience and now they can pass that on to you, without all the mistakes.

So listen to your parents, they are smarter that you.

2. Learn How To Play The Game

I love playing games. Whether cards or board games, video games or sports, competition is fun. You know what isn’t fun? Playing without knowing the rules. You can never win if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Life is a game. It lasts for 70+ years and there are no wild cards. Learning to play the game of life will make the journey so much easier. As a teenager you are not funding your existence. That is being taken care of by your parents. They are making the rules. Your job is to follow them but... there are ways to still get what you want!

Do exactly what they want to the best of your ability. All parents want is for their teens to take on responsibility. If you over achieve in everything they throw at you, you're going to be able to request your own stuff. You need to understand this. Say you want to hang out with friends Friday night. On Wednesday your English teacher gives you an assignment that’s due Monday morning. Guess what you do? Finish it Thursday. Work hard to knock it off and show it to your parents. Then you’ll get a reward. A quid pro quo.

Want to take martial arts but they want you to do tennis lessons? Make tennis your priority for the whole session. Ace it (pun definitely intended) and ask if you can take Kung Fu next summer. I bet you my nunchucks they’ll say yes! Just because I call it a game doesn’t mean you are manipulating them. We all play the game from trading time for money at a job, to giving the dog a treat for shaking your hand.

It’s a game of responsibility vs reward and you need to play it well.

3. Figure Out Your Life Early

Time seems to drag when you’re sitting in math class. Once the weekend comes it just flies by. And summer break; where did it go?

Life gets real once you graduate. Now you have to get a job. Or you need to know what post ed you are doing. It actually starts a few years earlier. If you want to go to university then you have to start taking the right courses to prep you for it. I say you need to figure out exactly you want to do in life and then acquire the skills.

Your parents have exposed you to lots of different things growing up. You have stuff that you are interested in too. If you want a great life then you should find out what your passion is. We all excel at something. It could be singing or dancing or basketball or astronomy. Natural abilities can be artistic, athletic or scientific. We also have things that we are interested in. If you can match the 2 and get paid for doing it then wow, you hit the jackpot.

Most of us are not that lucky. Some things that you want to do require building a skill set. It takes time and commitment. If it’s important then it’s worth doing. Start in your teens (or earlier) and figure out what you want to do with your life. Then get the training required. If it doesn’t make enough to live on then get a good paying job and work on your dreams in your spare time.

If you try hard enough, you’ll find a way to make a living off your passion. Then you’ll never work a day in your life.

4. Find A Role Model

Who’s your favorite musician? How about your favorite actor? We all could make a top ten list of each in less than 5 minutes.

Maybe you admire a successful businessman or politician. All these people are great but they aren’t necessary role models. A role model is someone you deeply admire. It’s a person who you look up to because they are an example of the values, attitudes, behaviours and success that you want for yourself. They could be someone close to you or someone you appreciate from afar.

We all need role models. Notice the plural? You can have different people that have positive influence in your life. A parent can be one. So can a teacher or coach. Maybe an athlete in the sport you do or someone at the top of their career.

Search out these people and emulate them. Remember, you are still made of soft clay.

5. Don’t Get Distracted

When I was young we watched a lot of tv. There was no such thing as an internet and no smart phones. In fact the only phone around was the one at home. Atari just came out son I did have a video game to play but that was about it.

Today there are so many more things to take up your time. Social media feeds on the clock and you get lost in time. YouTube is a rabbit hole that is hard to escape. Bottom line: there are a tonne of distractions out there. We all need downtime but you have to keep your eye on the prize. All those role models we talked about? Eye on the prize. The chances of success are slim enough. If you aren’t focused and driven then you may miss the mark.

I know you are just teens but let me tell you the blunt truth:

The sooner you get started on your path the better. Live your life and have fun along the way but keep your pedal on the gas. And steer towards your destination!

6. Set Goals And Achieve Them

I love lists. There’s something about writing things down that is magical. It starts the ball rolling. You’ve hit play. The beginning has begun.

Go get a piece of paper right now. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Ok now write down what you want most in life. Doesn’t matter what it is. It can be crazy expensive or really radical. Just start putting pen to paper. Now read it. That’s your goal. You just started.

Next you need to write down the steps to get there. Make it point form and leave some room between them. You are building a framework and filling it in. Each step can be broken down further so there are micro steps that you can achieve easily. And each step gets you closer.

This was more than just an exercise. This is your path to success. Keep this and refine it. Work it daily. This is how you set goals and how you achieve them.

7. Work Now, Play Later

Ok so you have your roadmap in front of you. A goal and a plan of attack. Now work it.

You need to set out some time everyday to work your plan. You need to make time budget. What? More writing? Yup. Your reading this because you want to have an incredible life. This is my plan for you to get it.

Write down your daily schedule from the time you get up until you go to bed. Get detailed and include your meal times too. You’ll find that there are lots of hours to work on your dreams. Remember that nothing comes easy. Everything takes effort. If it’s important to you then you will find time, guaranteed.

Don’t forget to have some fun along the way because all work and no play... bad outcome! Just remember that now is the time to work hard on your plan so you can relax and enjoy the fruits later.

8. Collect Wisdom

I don’t have all the answers and neither do you. We all know something but no one knows everything. You need to research and learn from as many experts as you can.

You have your goals and made a plan. You’ve committed time to it and now you need to gather knowledge. Be happy you are alive today. All the information you need is in the palm of your hand. The internet is an incredible tool to compile information on every subject. Gone are the days of going to the library so the internet is your number 1 resource.

Where else can you get info? People. People who do what you want to do. They can be your mentors or other people in the industry but they are your first hand insider info in exactly what you need to know. Don’t be afraid to approach people who have information you need. I bet they will be happy to pass on the knowledge.

Wisdom is the best teacher. Collect as much as you can from as many places as you can.

9. Don’t Listen To Naysayers

On the road to greatness you will have many cheerleaders. Family and friends will support you from beginning to end. They are your rocks. Unfortunately there will also be detractors.

They are known by many names. But they all do the same thing. They get in your way. It could be a friend that wants you to hang out with them instead of you working. It could be a lover that wants more of your time. Maybe it’s a jealous classmate that tries to bring you down. Unfortunately there are no shortages of naysayers and belittlers yelling from the sidelines. They are just waiting for you to fail.

Put the blinders on. Keep your focus. It usually is jealousy but whatever the reason, it’s their problem not yours. Don’t make it yours.

My advise is 2 fold.

First, prove them wrong. Believe and achieve your goals. They will see that you can’t be deterred. These people lose steam and peter our after a while. Especially when their venom doesn’t sting.

Second, turn them into an ally. These people may have had dreams like you. Things didn’t work out and they are bitter. Take them aside and be honest about your goals. Ask them for help and bring them along. They may find that spark again.

You may be the one who reignites their passion!

10. Don’t Let Mistakes Stop You

In your quest things will not always go smoothly. There are many bumps to achieving your dreams and more pitfalls than you can count.

Success is not guaranteed but failure is. The thing is: failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is only temporary. It’s a roadblock that you can maneuver around. Failure is never final until you make it so.

Learn from your mistakes. They are tools with valuable information. Use them to learn and make corrections. Write them down so you can avoid them next time. And other people’s mistakes are vital pieces of wisdom that they will share with you. Take their safe advice and keep moving forward.

So there you have it. 10 Teen Hacks For An Awesome Life. Implement these into your life plan and if you don’t have a plan yet, get off the pot and get one. I have used many of these in my life to help move forward on my dreams. Unfortunately I didn’t get these as a teen. I was dragging my heals around with no goals and no direction. You have no excuse now because I have passed this on to you.

Don’t waist another minute wishing your dreams could come true. Take them by both hands because the only thing holding you back is you!

Good luck and welcome to success!