Erasing the Finish Line

"This book will come as a relief for every parent"

— Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out and Enough As She Is

"Thought-provoking"

— Kyle Schwartz, author of I Wish My Teacher Knew and I Wish for Change

"Smart, practical advice"

— Gregg Behr, co-author, When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids

"Timely and Important"

— Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times bestselling author of Who Gets In and Why and There Is Life After College

"A gift to parents, educators, and adolescents"

— Jessica Lahey, NYTimes bestselling author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation

"Eye-opening and compelling"

— Jordan Shapiro, author of Father Figure and The New Childhood

"Practical, extraordinarily empathetic, and a breath of fresh air"

— Anya Kamenetz, author of The Stolen Year and The Art of Screen Time

"Empowering, open-minded approach"

— Mary Laura Philpott, author of Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives

Erasing the Finish Line: The New Blueprint for Student Success Beyond Grades and College Admission highlights the essential skills students need to move beyond a prescribed path and truly thrive in school and life.

Reflecting on over two decades of working directly with students around the world, leading academic advisor and early career development expert Ana Homayoun has written the book we desperately need.

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I am so thrilled to be speaking at schools, conferences and workplaces around the world, sharing the wisdom and research I've learned from Erasing the Finish Line. I would love to stay in touch-if you've purchased the book and would like access to the reading guide and exclusive access to additional resources, please fill out the form below.

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About Erasing the Finish Line

With wisdom, humor and grace, Ana Homayoun shares the foundational skills that help kids reflect, adapt and redirect in a world increasingly different from the one their parents grew up in.

For years, we’ve been led to believe that great grades, high test scores and college acceptance are key to a successful life. Yet our laser focus on these achievements leaves students feeling anxious, demoralized and unprepared.

What if we’ve overlooked the critical skills young adults need to navigate an ever-changing world? What fundamental skills help young people adapt, persevere and thrive? Academic advisor and early career development expert Ana Homayoun answers these questions and more in her accessible and solutions-oriented guide to transforming future generations. In her groundbreaking new book, Erasing the Finish Line, Homayoun flips the way we think about education.

In this refreshing approach, Homayoun reveals new strategies to help each student develop their own blueprint for success, including how to:

Develop a system based on executive functioning skills
Build valuable social capital while fostering genuine connections
Identify energy profile and how to recharge
Expand perspective through immersive exposure
Remain adaptable in the face of disappointments and setbacks

Through a powerful blend of theory, strategies and storytelling from former and current students, Homayoun’s layered approach to re envisioning education will bring sharp realization to parents, educators, and policymakers alike.

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Praise For Erasing the Finish Line

" In this timely and important book, Ana Homayoun gives students and families the blueprint they need to launch into a fulfilling life and engaging career."
— Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times bestselling author of Who Gets In and Why and There Is Life After College

"Ana Homayoun has given parents a blueprint for guiding all kids — not just the most advantaged — in the how, not the what, of authentic, lifelong success. This book will come as a relief for every parent."
— Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out and Enough As She Is

"Goodbye to the false finish line! Ana Homayoun is stoking important conversations, and we can only hope parents, teachers, and counselors are listening. I love her empowering, open-minded approach to guiding young adults on their varied paths to adulthood."
— Mary Laura Philpott, author of Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives

“This book is practical, extraordinarily empathetic, and a breath of fresh air, and it's just what the doctor ordered for anxious parents and anxious teens alike.”
— Anya Kamenetz, author of The Stolen Year and The Art of Screen Time

“Erasing the Finish Line is the book I will recommend over and over in the coming years, a gift to parents, educators, and adolescents confused by the conflicting demands of achievement and fulfillment.”
— Jessica Lahey, NYTimes bestselling author of the The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation

“Eye-opening and compelling, this book has the answers that parents and educators need right now. We’ve been mis-measuring achievement and pushing kids toward the wrong goals. Homayoun shows us how to shift our mindsets and nurture the real skills children need to identify and fulfill their own aspirations.”
— Jordan Shapiro, author of Father Figure and The New Childhood

“In her thought-provoking book, Ana Homayoun fearlessly questions the prevailing mindset that a good life is simply a linear path from good grades to a good school and ultimately a good job. Erasing the Finish Line will resonate deeply with caring adults who believe that young people deserve the opportunity to self-define success and chart their own authentic path.”
— Kyle Schwartz, author of I Wish My Teacher Knew and I Wish for Change

Ana Homayoun is an academic advisor and early career development expert working at the intersection of executive functioning skills, technology and personal energy management. For over two decades, Ana has dedicated her life to empowering students and young adults to develop the foundational skills to create their own blueprint for success. She is the founder of Silicon Valley based Green Ivy Educational Consulting and the founder and executive director of Luminaria Learning Solutions, a non-profit aimed at bringing her executive functioning and social emotional curriculum work to schools. She is the author of three previous books: That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week, The Myth of the Perfect Girl and Social Media Wellness.

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