priorities by giving each item on the list a number, with the most urgent being number one.
Another way to add time to your busy schedule is to orga- nize your space. That way, you don’t waste time searching for things. Kutner suggests sorting through school paper- work at the end of each year. Throw away or recycle what you won’t need next semester. If you choose to keep report cards and other interesting or important papers, place them in a small bin or a folder. However, the next time you add paperwork to this pile, reconsider what you kept last time. “Set boundaries and limits,” says Kutner. “Next year, don’t just buy another bin.”
I
n The Last Lecture, author Randy Pausch called television “mankind’sgreatest time waster.” This opinion came from an individual with terminal cancer, who knew just how precious time is. Did you know that if you spend two hours per day in front of a TV or computer over a 75-year time period, you will have used six and a half years of your life this way?
Not surprisingly, spending too much time in front of the television or computer can affect other elements in your life. A study by Iman Sharif and James D. Sargent, published in the journal Pediatrics, concluded
that increased television screen time during the week was linked with poorer performance at school.
Too much screen time is also linked to obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that young people limit their screen time to two hours a day. In addition, the organization sug- gests that boys walk 11,000 steps a day and girls walk 13,000 steps a day. Kelly Laurson and his colleagues at Iowa State University and the National Institute on Media and the Family studied 709 children between ages 7 and 12. The children wore pedometers and answered
questionnaires about the time they spent in front of a television or com- puter screen. Then, their bodies were measured to check for obesity. More than half the children didn’t meet the AAP recommendations for steps or screen time, and these children were three to four times more likely to be overweight.
Pausch suggested keeping a written record of your time spent watching television. Seeing this figure in black and white might con- vince you to cut back. If you tend to lose track of time while on the computer or watching television, you might want to set an egg timer for a particular amount of minutes. When it rings, your time in front of the screen is over.
You might wonder what you could do with all the extra time you’ll find when you stop watching television or sitting in front of the com- puter. You could draw on your creative nature. Build a tree house, paint a mural on your bedroom wall, or write a novel. You might spend time with family and friends and do something fun. Go bowling, roller-skat- ing, or out to a restaurant. You could even begin a charity club and perform a different community outreach project each month. The pos- sibilities are unlimited.
Uncluttering your entire room is another responsible thing to do. You are being responsible to your parents by keep- ing your area of the home straightened. You are also taking responsibility for items you own. It might even keep you from being distracted from your studies. “Visual clutter interferes with smooth thinking,” says Kutner.
You might want to ask a friend to help you sort through your things, so he or she can share honest input. Your friend will tell you to junk that old shirt that you’re convinced you’ll wear again one day even though it’s out of style.
Here is a simple method to unclutter: In one pile, place the items you love and with which you refuse to part. Remember how much they mean to you and take good care of them. Throw out or recycle damaged and unusable items. In another pile, put the clothes you have that are still in good condition but that you have outgrown or haven’t worn in one year. Also put items you no longer use or want in this pile. Give these things to the needy. “Share your abundance with the less for- tunate,” says Kutner. In this way, you have the added benefit of taking responsibility for other people.
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47
BeInG
responsIBle
At WorK And
WIth MoneY
Work is love made visible.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931), Lebanese artist, writer, and philosopherP
art of being a responsible person is getting a job—even just a part-time job—and holding onto it. The fi rst step is deciding what job is the best fi t for you. In their book,What Color is Your Parachute? for Teens, authors Richard Nel-
son Bolles, Carol Christen, and Jean M. Blomquist say consid- ering what you like to do and what you do best can lead you to a good job choice. Think about which school subjects are your favorites and at which you excel. Also, consider what you enjoy doing in your spare time. If you love environmental science and spend your free time hiking, a job as a nature guide at the state park might be perfect for you.
Take note of what your friends and teachers recognize as your strengths, suggests Lara Kaye Cifone, youth services
4
coordinator for the nonprofit organization Hands On! The Hudson Valley, located in Poughkeepsie, New York. This will give you insight into talents you might not have realized you have. It may also point you toward a particular job. Cifone suggests that teens consider whether they want to start
F
rom the time he was a child, Richard Muellerleile’s bedroom was filled with fire trucks. Instead of reading comic books like other kids his age, he read magazines and biographies about firefighters and their adventures. At just 16 years old, Muellerleile decided to follow his passion and join the local fire corps as a volunteer junior firefighter. He began by doing basic jobs at the fires, such as rolling hoses and bring- ing firefighters the tools they needed. He was allowed to fight fires only from the outside of the structures. After much training, he was able to join the firefighters and bring interior fires under control.Muellerleile explored another field for a little while when he was older and earned a two-year college degree in music education. Still, the pull to be a firefighter was strong. He knew he enjoyed medical courses, so he decided to study for two years to become a paramedic. Muellerleile did well in these classes.
Muellerleile interviewed for a job as a paramedic and firefighter for the Arlington Fire District in Poughkeepsie, New York. Naturally, the interviewer was pleased that Muellerleile had excelled at his paramedic training, on the firefighter’s written exam, and on the physical ability test. In addition, his volunteer work weighed heavily in his favor. “One of the reasons they preferred me was my volunteer experience,” Muel- lerleile explains. The interviewer was also impressed with the passion Muellerleile showed for the work. He was chosen for his dream job.
Muellerleile finds his job rewarding. He enjoys being the one who helps people through the “worst day of their lives.” “I wouldn’t trade my job for anything,” he says, “not even to be a multibillionaire.”