A True Job Match and Why it Matters: Part 1 Every food dish is made up of several individual, standalone ingredients.Each ingredient has its own flavor and characteristics, but when they are combined, they create the overall experience.A job is a lot like a food dish.It is not one simple thing. It is a combination of

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Why Your Teen Needs a Job ASAP: Part 5In the last post, we looked at how starter jobs can help teens turn ordinary work experience into Resume-Building Accomplishments.Today, we’re going to look at the fourth and final World-of-Work Asset: Professional Relationships.And this matters because some of the most valuable future opportunities may come from people

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Why Your Teen Needs a Job ASAP: Part4In the last email, we looked at how starter jobs can help teens build Transferable Skills they can carry into future jobs, internships, programs, and careers.Today, we’re going to look at the third World-of-Work Asset they produce: Resume-Building Accomplishments.And this matters because simply having a job is not

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Why Your Teen Needs a Job ASAP: Part 3In the last post we looked at why Workplace Experience can give teens an advantage before they apply for future jobs, internships, programs, or educational opportunities.Today, we’re going to look at the second World-of-Work Asset…Transferable SkillsAnd this matters because many of the abilities employers value most are not

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Why Your Teen Needs a Job ASAP: Part 1Most parents see teen employment during high school as an opportunity for their kids to earn money, develop a work ethic, and forge positive character qualities.And it is.But that may not be the most important value these jobs provide. Especially when we consider the changing world of

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Overcoming False Limiting Beliefs: Part 4 In this post, we’re talking about steps two and three in the Busting Free Blueprint™, a simple method young people use to conquer false limiting beliefs. You can learn about step one HERE.STEP 2: DELETEOnce our kids have identified a Nagging Negativity, they can start eliminating it. There are two simple

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Overcoming False Limiting Beliefs: Part 3 Today, I’m introducing you to the Busting Free Blueprint.It’s a three-step process teens use to eliminate harmful false beliefs that prevent them from pursuing an ideal career and reaching their full potential.In the first post of this series, I compared false negative beliefs that cause self-sabotage to malicious code that

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Overcoming False Limiting Beliefs: Part 2 Today, we’re exploring how false negative beliefs become self-sabotaging behaviors. Decades ago, when I first started teaching mindset concepts to young people, I developed an analogy to explain the beliefs-to-behaviors process that I’ve been using ever since. Here it is…an apple seed becoming an apple.Let’s dive in.When we think about

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Overcoming False Limiting Beliefs: Part 1 I’ve been coaching adolescents on mindset issues for over thirty years and have seen false limiting beliefs consistently rob them of their full potential.In the next few posts, I’ll be sharing the exact process I’ve used to help teens and twenty-somethings bust free and stay free from negative, false thoughts

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Know Before You Go: Part 4Years ago, I was running late for work. Like, throw-on-deodorant-in-the-car kind of late. After I finished buttoning my dress shirt, I realized that it needed some touch-up ironing. I didn’t have time to pull out the ironing board, so I thought, “I’m wearing a cotton undershirt. I’ll just keep it

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Why Teens Lack Motivation for Career Stuff: Part 3In the last post, I introduced you to a Job of Interest (a specific position identified through autonomous choice) and explained how it creates ownership. We also discussed how ownership creates motivation and three additional qualities (initiative, effort, resilience) that are necessary for career exploration and making

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Why Teens Lack Motivation for Career Stuff: Part 2If you’re like most caring parents, you’ve probably spent a lot of time wondering how to motivate your teen about their future career. You encourage them, remind them, push them, cheer them on, and still nothing changes.Their energy stays low, their interest seems half-hearted, and their future feels

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Why Teens Lack Motivation for Career Stuff: Part 1Is there an issue or topic in your life that generates unpleasant emotions? Humans consciously and unconsciously avoid things that are associated with pain; it’s part of our design. I’m guessing you prefer to avoid your unpleasant topic.I think you and your unmotivated teen may have a lot

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You Can’t Be Anything You Want to Be: Part 4When we started our current series, I explained that telling young people they can be anything they want to be is essentially telling them they can develop any skill to a level of excellence and succeed in any job.I’ve been arguing that this is harmful rubbish

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You Can’t Be Anything You Want to Be: Part 3Can you identify the missing partner in these famous couples?Romeo and _____Mac and _____Stars and _____Peanut butter and _____Did you know that abilities consist of a not-so-famous couple?It’s true!Two Considerations for SkillsThere are two critical factors that are equally important to consider when assessing compatibility with

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You Can’t Be Anything You Want to Be: Part 2Can people develop every aptitude to an exceptional level?Unfortunately, there’s a common theory of human development that leads many people to believe the answer is “yes.” What’s now known as the “growth mindset” gained wide popularity in 2006 with the release of Dr. Carol Dweck’s book

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You Can’t Be Anything You Want to Be: Part 1When my kids were little, there was a show called The Doodlebops, featuring a group of colorful, larger-than-life costume characters who danced, sang catchy songs, and entertained preschoolers with fun lessons and silly antics.There was one particular song I never let my kids listen to. It

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