Fact: Teenage years are a kind of bridge between being a child and becoming an adult.

Fact: The better teenagers become at making decisions, the more likely they are to have a more satisfying adult life.

Fact: The more effort a teenager puts into making good academic and career decisions, the brighter their future will be.

It's Your Decision for Teens will help you to make decisions the right way by helping you understand the decision-making process. You'll learn practical, commonsense approaches to help you make good initial decisions regarding your education and the field of study you choose, the best career choices for you, your relationships, the living and work environments you'll spend time in, the quality of your health and wellness, and how you choose to spend your free time.

As a teenager the choices you begin making in these big-ticket areas will have the greatest impact on the overall quality of your life. The decisions that matter most are the ones you make from now on. You'll need to be especially careful to make the right choices that will have the greatest impact on your life as an adult.

Making better decisions will give you a great deal of satisfaction. Learn how to make your own decisions and you will be more satisfied and confident in the choices you make. Accept responsibility for making the academic, career, and personal decisions that lie ahead.

Someday when you look back on your life, you'll be glad you made the effort as a teenager to make the right choices that produced favorable results. You'll have the confidence to respond to the question, "What kind of life did you have?" with "I had a great life!"

SPECIAL NOTE: Secondary schools, colleges, and other non-profit organizations can purchase It's Your Decision for Teens at a special rate of $6.88 which is a 45% discount off of the retail price for orders of 20 copies or more. To order quantities of books call 1-800-288-4677, ext. 5040 and request the non-profit rate.

Do you play basketball or any team sport? If so, do you think you can win a game all by yourself? If you don't play a sport have you been in a school play or been a member of the band or chorus? Can you perform every role in the school play or entertain at halftime all alone? There are few, if any times in life when success can be achieved by one person all alone. Teams have coaches to help players improve and the players support each other to win games.

As soon as you identify obstacles, decide if you can overcome them on your own. If not, get the help you need. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is actually a sign of maturity and shows others that you want to succeed, you are serious, and you are willing to do what is necessary to improve your life. Let others help you. Remember that few, if any of us, can succeed alone.

If you want to reach your academic and career goals, think about creating a personal Success Team and a Success Plan. There are people in your school and your community who care about you and want to help you succeed. Invite individuals to join your team who will support and assist you as you identify and overcome personal and academic issues that might stand in your way. Develop these relationships and be sure to take advantage of support services that are available to you.

Now using the Success Team Inventory and the Student Success Planner for your grade, begin to assemble your Success Team and collect the information that will help you make important academic and career decisions that lie ahead.