how to be a grown up: the ten secret skills everyone needs to know

Are you pleased with the progress you've made so far in achieving your hopes and dreams? Are you excited about what's coming next in your life? Or do you need a complete overhaul?

In How to Be a Grown Up, renowned psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser demonstrates the life-changing benefits of embracing the concept of the "fully loaded grown up." After counseling thousands of patients, she has identified ten critical areas that determine success, happiness, and fulfillment—from conscientious money management to developing strong coping skills to building the right kind of friendships and intimate partnerships.

How to Be a Grown Up begins with "The Quiz," the first step to empowering you by helping you become an expert on your own life, exploring what you really want and need in every area of life. In chapters packed full of tips, tools, and exercises, Stacy takes you on a journey of self-discovery in which you evaluate your individual strengths and weaknesses as well as identify self-sabotaging traits and learn how to change them once and for all.

Had trouble keeping your cool the last time you talked to your mom? Read up on the secrets of dynamic communicators. Reevaluating your circle of friends? Discover the six types of grown-up friendships and appreciate your relationships for what they are. Stuck on a frustrating rung of the corporate ladder? Learn the traits that every employer loves—and how to master them yourself.

Fully loaded grown ups are fully empowered and in charge of their own lives. They are able to initiate change instead of just reacting to events, bounce back from setbacks and disappointments, and enjoy more satisfying relationships—with everyone, including themselves. Most important, fully loaded grown ups enjoy true freedom—not the kind envisioned as a child, meaning eating ice cream for dinner, but absolute confidence in their ability to live their own best life.

With her trademark mix of warmth and toughness, Stacy motivates readers to rally their strengths, let go of childish, outgrown attachments, and arrive at a peaceful balance between freedom and responsibility. Whether you feel you've lost control of your life or you just need a tune-up in an area or two, How to Be a Grown Up is a wise and witty life guide for the twenty-first century.