"Mrs. S, I didn't sleep at all last night."
"...were you on a screen?"
"I don't have a CHOICE! I have four things: sleep, school, anime, and video games."
"...right..."
"I have time for exactly two each day. Yesterday, I chose school and anime. Because I HAD to go to school."
I promise that I went on to make this a *teachable moment* about the benefits of sleep. And seeing actual human beings outside of school. But you don't need to hear all of that.
This one got me thinking a lot about our "four things." My student wasn't wrong that we only have so much bandwidth, and that some items on the list are non-negotiable (apparently, sleep isn't one of those things to a growing adolescent). He was also on to something... self-awareness? prioritizing? not apologizing for choosing two and bucking the rest? However you interpret this insight, I appreciate how humble he is. "I can only choose two," he said with a shrug and a smile.
While the actual number of "things" might be different for each us, we all struggle with this: There will always be a difference between that which we would like to do and that which we can actually do.
What are your four things right now?
If you had to choose two, what would they be?