If you’re like me, time can feel flexible, maybe even limitless. I’ve got classes, extracurriculars, friends, other commitments outside of school, and sometimes it feels like I could say yes to all of it.
But here’s the truth: even though it doesn’t always feel that way, your time is limited. Every time you choose to spend it one way, you’re also choosing not to spend it another way.
That’s called opportunity cost, and I’ve experienced it firsthand.
My trade-off: musical theatre vs. cross country
When I decided to focus on musical theatre this fall, it meant I couldn’t also do cross country. I had friends on the team, and I knew it would have been a great experience. But there are only so many hours in a day, and I had to choose. Musical theatre gives me joy, but it comes with the cost of missing out on something else.
That’s what opportunity cost really means: saying yes to one thing also means saying no to another.
How much time do we really have?
In Massachusetts, schools are required to have 180 days in the school year. Multiply that by 24 hours each day, and that’s 4,320 hours.
It sounds like a lot, right? But think about it: those hours include school, sleep, homework, activities, meals, family, and friends. Pretty quickly, the hours fill up, and you realize that how you spend them shapes who you’re becoming.
A key question I keep asking myself is: Am I filling these hours in ways that actually contribute to the person I want to become on purpose?
Why choices shape your brain
Every choice I make trains my brain. If I use a planner to map out rehearsals and assignments, I’m practicing planning. If I finish learning a song or dance before checking my phone, I’m building focus. If I look back at a week and notice what felt too rushed, I’m practicing reflection.
All of these are executive functioning skills, and they’re skills I’ll carry with me long after high school.
Final thought
Time feels flexible and unlimited when you’re a teen, but it isn’t. The way we use those 4,320 hours in a school year shapes not just what we do now, but how our brains work in the future. So, don’t worry about trying to do everything. Focus on doing the right things, on purpose. Because the choices you make today are shaping the person you’re becoming tomorrow.
FOR PARENTS >>>
Helping teens build time awareness and EF skills
- Model how you plan and prioritize (out loud). Let teens hear your thought process.
- Ask reflection questions: What went well this week? What felt like too much?
- Focus on tools, not just reminders: calendars, checklists, and Sunday planning sessions go farther than “Did you do your homework?”
Supporting teens in understanding time—and in building executive functioning skills—is one of the best ways to prepare them for adulthood with confidence and control.
