This interview has been reprinted with the permission of Free Spirit Publishing.

How would you suggest a teen get in the habit of setting goals?

Whether it's a big dream or a small change, the important thing is to get started:

• Decide what you really want to do (complete an assignment, improve your grades, raise money for charity, run in the local marathon, etc.) and write it down, along with a deadline. Congrats! You've just set a goal.
• Make a Goal Ladder, a basic rung-by-rung action plan for how to achieve your goal. (Hint: the most successful action plans consists of small, double tasks.) Then, start climbing! When you complete one step, rise to the next. Before you know it, you're well on the way to becoming a successful goal-getter.

With so many choices, how can teens discover "what they really want"?

Fill in this blank:
"If I could do anything, I would ."
Still stumped? Create a Dreamprint. A blueprint is an architect's dream on paper. A Dreamprint is a collage of all the things you value and wish for. A Dreamprint turns dreams into something teens can actually see. These two exercises will help teens understand what it is they really want out of school, from friends and family, in love and relationships, or from college and beyond, and the information they discover will provide a great starting point for reaching their goals.

Your book features a number of goal-setting teens. What are some of their achievements and how did they accomplish them?

First, goal-setting teens are everywhere. I've spoken with young people living in small towns, big cities, and rural areas. Whatever their backgrounds or dreams, they all share one thing in common; they asked themselves, "What do I really, REALLY want?" and charted a course to get it. Pettus started Read & Learn™, a national program where more than 20,000 teens are "book buddies" with elementary-age kids. Alison wanted to play baseball so she became the first girl in her community to play on a Little League team and inspired 16 other girls to join. Emily dreams of being a doctor so her goal was to begin with getting accepted into the college of her choice. Joyce chose a more personal goal: improving her relationship with her mother, while Patti developed her skills as an artist, and Eric went from skipping school to becoming an A-student with perfect attendance. These "goal-getters in action" share why and how they decided to "goal for it", and why teen readers should too!

How can parents and teachers help?

Parents and teachers can:

• help teens to understand that with focus and effort dreams can come true, and that setting a goal is the first step toward achieving it.
• provide the get-there, know-how, and feel-good help teens need to stay motivated and make steady progress toward their goals by being supportive, providing a good example, and helping teens celebrate their achievements and successes.