Understand who you are and where you’re going while mastering essential skills like a pro.

Congratulations on your new LifeBuilder 24! What you are reading is not your average magazine article; it’s a comprehensive tool designed to help you navigate the complex journey of growing up and building a future that’s uniquely yours.

Specifications

Brain Development Optimization
We need to talk about your brain. It’s still under construction! The prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for planning, decision-making, and impulse control, is undergoing a major renovation until your mid-twenties. This explains why teenagers are notorious for, well, teenager-ish behavior.

Annette D. Reiter, M.A., is a licensed marriage and family therapist and career counselor in St. Petersburg who specializes in young adult development and recovery from trauma, addiction, and abuse. She says that teen brains are wired for more spontaneity (thanks, science!) and that, while your prefrontal cortex is still developing, you can’t be expected to fully understand how it works.

So don’t beat yourself up if long-term plans feel overwhelming. That’s pretty normal. But it also doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t consider plans for your future … just that you might need some extra tools and strategies. Enter the LifeBuilder 24!

Resilience Boost
There will be detours, unexpected showers (both literal and metaphorical), and moments where you want to just give up. It’s okay to feel that way: mistakes are part of the learning process. Be kind to yourself.

The LifeBuilder 24’s Resilience Boost feature strengthens your ability to bounce back from setbacks and adversity. Reiter notes that building resilience during adolescence is a key factor in adult success. She highly recommends getting a job while still in high school, especially one in a service industry like retail, call centers, or hospitality. Having to talk to people, she says, teaches young adults how to actively listen to others’ opinions and ideas, and how to handle criticism and failure. “From age 14 on,” says Reiter, “a lot of life lessons get learned in pain.”

That might sound grim, but use the knowledge to your advantage: learn to be flexible and adapt your plans when things don’t work out exactly as you’d hoped. Take risks, and embrace challenges and new experiences.

Assembly and Installation

As you unpack your LifeBuilder 24, take the time to explore your interests, passions, and values. What matters most to you? Is it financial security, creative freedom, making a positive impact? What are you good at? What gets you excited? Your core values and talents will be the foundation upon which you’ll build your future.

And, by the way, it’s okay if you don’t know all of these yet! Most young people don’t. Although there’s been a huge push to get high school students to begin specializing early, one of the biggest benefits to pursuing a college education, according to Reiter, is to discover exactly where your aptitude lies. “Then you can start exploring careers that align with that aptitude and the areas where you can perform at a high level.”

Navigate through the diverse opportunities the world offers. Try new hobbies, join clubs, volunteer in your community, or pursue internships — even if they’re outside of your comfort zone. “Fear is not a reason to stop,” Reiter says. Each experience enriches your life and adds to your skill set. “We know that being stressed and afraid, then conquering those fears, is the way to learn to believe in yourself.”

Enhancing Your Experience

Customized Settings: Support Systems
When we are struggling, we put ourselves at many disadvantages — including learning. This, says Reiter, gets in the way of taking in information; so your opportunities for personal and intellectual growth are reduced. Foster meaningful connections with family, friends, teachers, and mentors. Invest time in nurturing these relationships, as they provide support and guidance throughout your journey.

Troubleshooting
Life isn’t always smooth sailing. When faced with challenges or setbacks, use problem-solving skills to find solutions. Don’t hesitate to seek help from trusted adults or counselors when needed. And don’t rely on social media to self-diagnose or replace personalized advice and treatment. Reiter warns that our phones are essentially just handheld marketing devices: “They’re wagging us; we’re not wagging them.”

Maintaining

Recharge: Just like any valuable tool, the LifeBuilder 24 requires regular maintenance. Prioritize self-care by getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, and practicing mindfulness.

Update: If you feel like you’re stalled out or “buffering” (ever picture your brain as that little spinning wheel when your computer is trying to load something?), it’s time to reboot or check for updates. Take a step back and evaluate. We set goals to give us next steps, but they aren’t legally binding contracts. If they’re not serving you anymore, change them! Remember that this is YOUR build: societal expectations and peer pressure don’t dictate your path. YOU DO.