You can do anything! BUT...

“You can do anything, but not everything.” – David Allen

One of my recent hairstylists had this quote tattooed on her arm and I just fell in love with it.  I love quotes that are short, but full of encouragement and motivation.

I find this quote most helpful in my role as a teacher.  My goal this year is to S…L…O…W D…O…W…N.

I felt like my first five years of teaching were...

RUSHRUSHRUSH.  

NOTENOUGHTIMETOGETEVERYTHINGDONE. 

NOTIMEFORSPACES. 

LETSGOOOOOOO!

I was trying to do everything and in turn I didn’t really do anything.  Well I did something, of course, but did not really meet any major goals I had set for myself or my students.  Even when students met academic goals, I still felt like I missed out on opportunities to really get to know them and their needs because I was so rushed to get every bit of academic knowledge into them that I could.  As most teachers know, without a solid relationship with your students, academics don’t mean jack - to put it bluntly.

You can do a lot of things.  Teachers are moms/dads, therapists, nurses, directors, facilitators, planners, writers, etc. etc. etc. In fact, in any job we wear many hats.  In any phase of life, we wear many different hats.  If you try to wear them all perfectly (and make sure they slay with your shoes and accessories), you will probably end up looking a hot mess.

When you look in the mirror on those days when you are wearing a construction worker’s hat, running shorts, high heels, and a hideous backpack (like the bears that Miley Cyrus’ dancers wore VMAs circa 2013) because you are trying to do everything at once, stop and take a breath.  This might seem corny, but look in the mirror and say (or think depending on how public you currently are) – “I am alive.  I am breathing.  I am still walking this earth.”  If you are a believer you might think – “If I am still here, God ain’t done with me yet!”

You can do anything.  You can accomplish many great things in one hour, more in a day, even more in a week, a lot in a month, quite a bit in a year, and amazing things in a decade.  BUT you can’t do everything today!  Seek out your priorities.  Set small goals and give yourself (or a friend!) a high five when you accomplish them.  And as my mom would say when I am truly struggling (like snotty, hyperventilating, ugly cry sobbing) – JUST BREATHE.

Prioritize your “everything” and figure out what “anything” you are going to accomplish today.

You got this!

Buzz Ya Later,

Whit