To prepare youth for success, we must first know what success is. Success has two loci, the mind and the body. Mentally speaking, success is preparation to adapt cognitively to external demands. Physically, it is keeping the body fit so that one dies of natural causes. Any other form of death is considered failure. The possible exceptions are death in war or from a terrorist attack. However, the former can be avoided if one lives in a country with an all volunteer army.
From the mental perspective, the aim of youth development should be academic and social competence. Academic competence will allow youth to attain appropriate careers to take care of their family members. It will also provide a source of fulfillment, as one can reward the self by solving challenging problems or reading good books. Socially, learning how to make and keep friends, respond to socially awkward situations, and find a mate will assure the self generativity, or the ability to leave a mark on the planet. Further, having a mate will increase the likelihood of having a child, and experiencing the rewards of parenting.
In the physical realm, staying healthy will provide extreme fulfillment, especially if one can avoid physical damage and live out one's years without excessive suffering. Death by natural causes should be the ultimate outcome. This is achieved by not over straining the body unnecessarily through the use of negative substances such as drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, or by taking untold risks (e.g., extreme sports).
Having stated these two key characteristics of success, one can now academically explore the determinants of success.

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