Essential Back to School News: Teenagers' New PPF Requirement

Have you heard of the new PPF requirement for teen students? Well, it's not really a requirement, but it's something that teens should work on while still in high school. Okay, it's not a requirement at all. In fact, I made it up. It stands for Purpose, Passion, and Fulfillment. PPF is a mindset and perspective that we should encourage our youth to be aware of in order to experience the most enrichment, satisfaction, and fulfillment in their academic and personal lives.

As a Certified Academic Life Coach, I work hard to instill PPF in all of my teen students while working with them one-on-one to:

1. Reduce stress about grades (whether it be trying to raise one's grades or coping with the pressure/competition to maintain good grades)

2. Learn healthy tools to self-motivate with a sense of Purpose (whether it be needing more motivation or overambition "to be the best", but at unhealthy levels)

3. Improve communication with parents, teachers, and peers

4. Reduce anxiety about the college application process

5. Emerge as self-aware, resilient, proactive leaders who take initiative now, in college, and beyond

Today's young adults are under more academic demands and pressure to perform than any previous generation. While our job market and economy is in a tumultuous revolution, it is imperative that young adults must know how to adapt to change, how to recover quickly when they don't get the desired results, and how to critically solve problems using creativity and ingenuity.

I know first-hand what academic stress in high school feels like. I remember at one point in high school, I was balancing 6 AP classes, SAT scores, ACT scores, being an editor of the yearbook, writer for the school newspaper, and being president of various clubs. I was thrilled to graduate high school with a 4.2 GPA, but was still ranked 30th in my class! Yeah, that's the kind of competition I was up against. (The 5 valedictorians were all tied with 4.8 GPAs). I'm happy that I graduated cum laude from UC San Diego with degrees in Psychology and Theatre and a minor in European Studies. I worked as a peer counselor/mentor at UCSD and then worked as an SAT and college admissions essay tutor here in Los Angeles. However, it wasn't until I became an Academic Life Coach that something finally clicked. Although grades and test scores may be important and necessary, I finally realized that it is just as important to have a sense of Purpose and Fulfillment while pursuing those endeavors. Research shows as well as motivation specialist Daniel H. Pink in his book Drive, that we feel our best when do something that we believe in, do it well, and do it for a cause greater than ourselves. I call this Purpose. Having a sense of Purpose increases motivation and productivity while reducing stress! I am on a mission to empower young adults to achieve academic and personal success with a sense of Purpose, Passion, and Fulfillment.

If you know of any teens/young adults who may benefit from Academic Life Coaching by approaching school with a PPF, please have their parents contact me at hayden@haydenleealc.com or click here.

I'm also available to do free workshops at school Parent Groups, local libraries, education centers, or any other institution that supports teen students having less stress and increased productivity with a sense of purpose and fulfillment! Contact me for the free presentation in PowerPoint or PDF.

To read an extended article about PPF, click here.

Please visit my website at haydenleealc.com or click here.

-Hayden Lee
Certified Academic Life Coach
Member of the International Coach Federation
Ph: 310-575-9279
haydenleealc.com
Twitter: ALCbyHaydenLee
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alcbyhaydenlee