parenting for the launch

Celebrate the Season! Annual LifeSmart Book Sale!

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It’s been a great year at LifeSmart! We are filled with gratitude as What I Wish I Knew at 18 continues to impact the lives of young adults globally, and our newest book, Parenting for the Launch: Raising Teens to Succeed in the Real World, receives rave reviews for encouraging and equipping parents (click here for more information).

We think it’s time to CELEBRATE!
Our 4th annual Cybersale is offering Parenting for the Launch and ourWhat I Wish I Knew at 18 book and guides at substantial savings, just in time for holiday gift-giving and classroom orders for the New Year:
What I Wish I Knew at 18 BOOK – $14.99
What I Wish I Knew at 18 STANDARD STUDENT GUIDE – $14.99
What I Wish I Knew at 18 CHRISTIAN STUDENT GUIDE – $14.99
Parenting for the Launch – $14.99
(further bulk discounts available!)
now through Christmas
Order at AtlasBooks.com or 1-800-BOOKLOG
and use the Promo Code: CHEER
Parenting for the Launch serves as a wonderful gift for parents while What I Wish I Knew at 18 is a special keepsake gift or stocking stuffer for:
·teens and young adults
·parents and caregivers
·mentors and coaches
·teachers and faith leaders
·clients who are raising families
It’s our way of saying “Thanks!” for your support—and to wish you a joy-filled holiday season!
Blessings,
The LifeSmart Team.

How to Be an MVP Employee — A Lifesmart DVD

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Are the young people under your supervision—children, students, or employees—prepared to soar in their eventual career? Not just to land the job, but to be a workplace MVP?
With high youth unemployment and all-consuming scholastics and activities driving their schedules and priorities, many of today’s young adults are entering the work force sorely lacking the skills and maturity they need to thrive in the real world.
We hear from employers all the time: “They may be book smart, but they’re certainly not life smart,” or, “They can write a resume and complete an application, but they lack the intrinsic qualities and life skills we need in our employees.” Many students understand how to succeed in the “front end” (resume and interview skills), but aren’t trained to succeed once they land the job.
At LifeSmart, we’re excited to announce our newest resource designed to help create future workplace superstars!
offers invaluable perspectives from employers and four road-tested strategies for succeeding in any career:
Selecting a career that plays to their natural strengths and interests
Modeling the qualities employers value
Delivering on-the-job excellence
Contributing to their employer’s success
This 45-minute live presentation at Appleton West High School includes illustrations, skits, training, and strategic insights to promote career readiness and workplace excellence. Viewers will gain practical wisdom about what separates those who soar from those who stagnate in their careers.
For $79, you can bring this valuable training into your own classroom or group. How to Be an MVP Employee will help prepare the young people in your life to reach their career heights and to succeed in the increasingly competitive landscape of today’s workplace.
For more information or to order, call (920) 319-3169 or email at dtrittin@dennistrittin.com.

Cyber Sale 2014!

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There’s nothing like a gift that keeps giving. It’s one reason why we look forward to the holiday season when we offer our keepsake books at substantial savings. It’s our way of spreading a little cheer and saying “thank you” to our many friends.
So, here’s a “head’s up” that our 2014 cybersale is just around the corner!
For the teen and young adult in your life, there’s our acclaimed,What I Wish I Knew at 18: Life Lessons for the Road Ahead. This conversational book of life wisdom based on the practices of honorable and successful leaders builds the skills young people need and the marketplace demands. Its 109 life success pointers serve as a valuable third party voice for parents, a natural tool formentors, and a resource for leadership/life skills programs foreducators. Help encourage, equip, and empower the young people in your life with this gift of essential wisdom.
For parents and guardians, we offer our Parenting for the Launch: Raising Teens to Succeed in the Real World. Praised by parents, business leaders, educators, and mentors, this book is filled with compelling strategies to help cover the bases, build leadership and decision-making skills, create strong and enduring relationships, and position teens to thrive in adulthood. It offers powerful ideas to help parent with purpose and let go with confidence! And, it’s perfect for individual and group use.
We’re looking forward to serving you, your families, and organizations once again this holiday season. So, stay tuned!
Cheers,
The LifeSmart Team

Coaching 101: Critics Vs. Encouragers

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How many coaches have you had in your lifetime?  5? 10? 20? However many, each was responsible for developing you in some subject or skill area. They helped grow your strengths and correct your weaknesses. When delivered in the right setting and in the right manner, their constructive criticism was a good thing, wasn’t it? It helped you be better, perform better, and know better.

There can be a dark side to criticism, though. It can be sharp, abrasive, and downright mean-spirited. This kind of advice comes off sounding like a slap in the face instead of an arm around the shoulders, and can deeply hurt people. People do it because they think it gets fast results, but they couldn’t be more misguided.

I’ve known people who are natural critics of everything in life, including themselves. It’s as though they thrive on negativity and find pleasure in correcting others or pointing out their weaknesses. They have a distorted view of reality and are often angry, bitter, insecure, mean-spirited, jealous, or all of the above. These types usually operate on the assumption that correcting flaws is the way to maximize results. They withhold praise. “Coaches” like this can be tough to handle.

There is another philosophy that operates from a completely different paradigm. It embodies inspiration, encouragement, and constructive feedback. Here, others are challenged to build on their strengths and correct their weaknesses through positive instruction and effort. Communication includes both positives and negatives, but the style embraces praise and encouragement over harsh criticism.

Let’s self-reflect for a moment.

  1. Which style works better for you when you’re on the receiving end of criticism?
  2. Which style do you employ when you’re on the delivering end of criticism?

I’m pretty confident we will all respond to the first question with “the second style.”  But, our answers are going to vary on the second. Are we humble and self-aware enough to be honest if the truthful answer is, “the first style?”

There’s a wise proverb that says, “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.” Wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of impact in other people’s life? Not only that, wouldn’t it be more effective?

Throughout your life you’ll face countless situations where you give feedback to others. You may be a teacher or coach yourself (or become one, one day), or perhaps you manage an office or a team of employees. You might be asked for guidance from a friend who is going through a difficult time or a tough decision. Which coaching philosophy will you adopt? Remember, how you say it matters (http://dennistrittin.com/view_blog.aspx?blog_id=127) —a lot.

In order to bring out the best in others, the encouragement approach is far more effective. Not only is the feedback more balanced and accurate, but people put forth a more inspired effort to reach new heights when they work with someone who cares. Simply stated, people try harder to please someone they like and admire.

So, whenever you have the opportunity, be an encourager, not a critic—and always look for the best in people.

Consider the favorite teachers, coaches, and mentors in your life. What coaching style did they use? Which one comes more naturally to you? Do you actively seek opportunities to praise and encourage others?

This Father’s Day, Give the Gift of Confidence

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Moms! Dads! Did you know you can CONFIDENTLY raise your teenager?

If you have put thought into “launching” your children and releasing them into the real world as an adult, you probably have a few qualms.  Our book, Parenting for the Launch, will prepare and equip you for this extremely monumental milestone.

Consider this as a Father’s Day Gift for the dads in your life, or grab a copy for yourself.  Parenting for the Launch equips you with all that you need to develop confidence, while battling the anxiety many parents encounter when it’s time for their children to be launched.

You might be thinking: Have we covered our bases? Will my child still like me? Will they make good decisions? These are weighty questions for parents at this landmark event. So, when it’s our turn, will we confidently release an eagle to soar, or hold on for dear life?!?

How successfully we launch our children into adulthood is based on the preparation that comes before. In Parenting for the Launch, you’ll learn these three keys to a successful launch, plus MUCH MORE:

  • Developing a personal leadership foundation and instilling wisdom and principles for key life decisions (Destination Preparation)
  • Valuing their uniqueness and building an enduring relationship (Relationship Preparation), and
  • Setting them up for a smooth transition into independence and moving from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat (Transition Preparation)

The good news is this isn’t rocket science. But, it does take a game plan and effective strategies for tackling the above. This is what Parenting for the Launch is all about—strategies to set our sons and daughters up for every success in life.

For parents at launch time, our most common anxiety is whether we’ve taught them all they need to know and prepared them well for the real world. In many respects it’s the test of our own “performance” as a parent! While no parent is perfect, we can cover most of the bases by:

  • Having the right attitude. This requires a mind shift from “raising kids” to “raising future adults.” It means empowering them to live their dream rather than overly controlling their lives. It means giving them wings, not strings.
  • Setting goals together. What are your teen’s goals in life? What are his or her special gifts, talents, interests, and passions? It helps to develop a list of goals that are both intrinsic (personal and values based) and extrinsic (accomplishments based). Compile your goals individually and then share your thoughts together. You’ll gain new insights into their dreams and plans.
  • Sharing practical, before-the-fact wisdom, for key life decisions involving college, career, marriage, family, and finances. How do the most successful and admired leaders make decisions and live life? The more we can offer these perspectives in advance of their decisions, the more likely they’ll succeed in life. And, by sharing your own experiences with humility, your relationship will soar.

You Can Do It!

Parenting for the Launch is the perfect gift to give to a father of children any age. It is never too late to begin a strategy. Being fully equipped to launch your child, as well as having the confidence to battle the anxiety that comes with releasing your child into the real world, is a priceless gift. You don’t want the fathers in your life to miss out on this pivotal book and its strategic insight!

Introducing Our New Book: Parenting for the Launch

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It’s been two and a half years since the release of What I wish I Knew at 18 and, oh what an amazing time it’s been! Although optimistic from the beginning, we could never have envisioned the success and impact it has had. We have been humbled and awed as the book and its accompanying course have made their way into homes, schools, mentor programs, and around the world.

           

To our surprise, we have heard a resounding plea from parents, educators, businesses, mentor and faith organizations, and at-risk youth programs: Please write a book for parents! Why? And, why such a sense of urgency?

           

Colleges and employers report that an alarming percentage of today’s high school graduates are ill equipped to handle the pressures and responsibilities of the real world. As our world is becoming more competitive, kids are often lacking the personal skills and qualities to succeed. The economic climate and job market are especially challenging these days, especially for our younger generation. Also, the cultural climate offers innumerable distractions and potential de-railers that most of us never experienced (or even imagined!).

 

Many parents describe feeling isolated, ill-equipped and under-prepared, with kids who don’t appear be listening during this crucial time of life. They are anxious about their children leaving home and their relationships are often strained. At a time when parents want to become closer to their teens, they feel like they’re being pushed away in favor of other voices. These questions keep them awake at night:

 

1.     Have we covered the bases?

2.     How will our relationship change?

3.     Are they ready?

4.     Are we ready???

           

We believe (and think most will agree) that young adults today need more than head knowledge. They need a solid, holistic leadership foundation that will support them and enable them to make key decisions in these crucial years and beyond. This includes having a purposeful life perspective, solid character, strong personal disciplines, the ability to develop healthy relationships, career smarts, financial management skills, and the capacity to overcome adversity.

           

We also believe that the first place this training needs to happen, alongside of schools and mentor organizations, is in the home. Parents have a unique role in preparing their children for a successful launch to the real world. It is a role that is both exhilarating and challenging, to say the least.  It can be “the best of times and the worst of times,” as Charles Dickens once penned! And, while there are many excellent parenting books out there, many focus on behavior and discipline without offering the complete picture of life readiness. 

 

 So, we (Dennis Trittin and Arlyn Lawrence) collaborated to write Parenting for the Launch: Raising Teens to Succeed in the Real World as a comprehensive guide for today’s parents to train tomorrow’s successful adults. We hope it will inspire, equip, and encourage parents with proven principles and innovative strategies to confidently navigate the later teen years, particularly in that strategic period leading up to the “launch.”

           

We are over-the-top excited about this book! (And so are the reviewers of our manuscript!) Parenting for the Launch is designed to help parents grow in their understanding, effectiveness, and confidence in preparing their teens for a successful launch. It is filled with principles, strategies, thought-provoking questions and exercises to guide today’s parent. It also offers the invaluable perspectives and desires of employers and educators who are working with young adults—“real world” perspectives on what our children need to thrive in adulthood.

 

Want a sneak peek? The book contains three powerful sections:

1.     Destination Preparation: how to give teens “wings, not strings,” setting parenting goals, building a leadership foundation in your teen, and preparing him or her with street-smart wisdom for key life decisions

2.     Relationship Preparation: how to customize your parenting based on your teen’s unique personality, how to affirm his or her value through an understanding of his/her “personal assets,” how to successfully communicate and build an enduring relationship, and how to recruit positive third party voices into your teen’s life

3.     Transition Preparation: how to move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat by gradually releasing control, and how to set up for a successful transition after your teen leaves home

 

Parenting for the Launch is expected to be released in November, 2013. Please grow our circle by “liking” our FB page and following us on Twitter. Help us spread the word by sharing Parenting for the Launch with your friends, family, and associates. Watch our website and your inbox for updates, and if you’re not already on our email newsletter, you can sign up here.

 

You can pre-order Parenting for the Launch by clicking on this link:
http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/03217.htm