Over the holiday break, two friends from two different academic institutions shared Simon Sinek’s conversation about “The Millennial Question.”

The first time I watched it, I laughed. Sinek lowered my affective filter by joking about beanbags, free food, calling an Uber, and photographing food.

He acknowledged the things “we” believe about millennials. He explained why millennials are the way the are. He offered four reasons: parenting, technology, impatience, and  environment.

Then, he noted that businesses (I thought of my classroom), have to work with who we have, what we have . . . we have a responsibility.

After watching Sinek a second time, I moved my phone from charging in my bedroom to the guest bathroom. (That way, I could still hear the alarm.)

After watching this clip with my students, I bought an alarm clock.

Tonight, my phone stays downstairs.

I’m determined to have relationships and happiness.

After listening with my sophomores, one student told me “I was addict, then I got an app that told me how much time I spent on my phone.”

This year, be your own app.