So what do I do when my creativity feels buried? I pull a card from the Delve Deck I have used in the past for ideas.
Today’s card asked this:
“If a stranger had to live your life for 24 hours, what would they probably screw up the most?”
Below are the ideas that immediately popped into my head, in the order they appeared. The tricky part is figuring out which one would be screwed up the most.
1. Finances
This one jumped to the top quickly. Checking bank account balances against my accounting software and monitoring credit card balances is important to me. I do this both to watch for fraudulent activity and because I use free accounting software to create a budget a year in advance.
We know our cash flow for the entire year at all times, which allows us to plan projects and home improvements without surprises. It also gives me a sense of control. That mattered a lot when we still had family at home, and it helped us build a nest egg so we could retire comfortably.
Honestly, I would not want a stranger having access to our money for 24 hours, let alone trying to keep track of the accounts.
2. Relationships
First off, Joe might notice there is a stranger in the house and wonder why. I say “might” because it depends on whether it is a workday. When he comes home at 2:00 a.m., he is very quiet as he showers and gets ready for bed. I wake up about half the time, and we talk about how his workday went.
In the mornings, I am usually up before him and downstairs. Depending on when the stranger shows up, Joe could go nearly 20 hours before realizing there was even someone else in the house. Those last four hours would likely include questions like, “Where is Beth?” Remember, we have ICE in Minnesota.
Then there is my daughter, son-in-law, and the grandkids. Jeremy and Megan have clear boundaries with the kids, and I respect those boundaries. I would not want to be the stranger if any of those lines got crossed. Caleb and Charlotte are older and would probably be fine meeting someone new. Oliver, the baby, has entered the “shy of strangers” phase and might not be thrilled to have an unfamiliar person in his play space.
As long as the stranger shows up on a day with no virtual chats scheduled, friends would not be an issue. That said, it might be fun if the stranger had to join one of those calls. My friends would likely be up for the challenge and would welcome them. After all, I was once a stranger to them too, and they welcomed and kept me.
My neighbors would not notice unless it was a Friday, when the women meet for coffee. Like my regular friends, they are a welcoming bunch. I can picture them asking, “Do you need anything?” or “How is the life of Beth going for you?” and then offering sweet treats.
My three brothers all live in Ohio. They already think I am strange.
3. My health regimen
I hope the stranger has the self-control to stay within my daily macronutrient goals. I also hope they are familiar with Excel, Google Drive, and how to use the NuStep. Beans would be an issue. I eat a lot of beans. Drinking lots of water too.
After completing the day’s workouts, everything has to be logged in my Excel activity sheet and summarized in the daily report I submit weekly to Coach Becky. This might be where the stranger could mess up the most, except that Coach Becky would simply say, “This is not a one-day program. One day will not cancel your success so far. Relax. Nobody is perfect.”
I am still trying to prove her wrong about the “nobody is perfect” part, which is fairly easy since her definition of perfect has a lot of wiggle room. “Tried your best for the day? That’s perfect!”
4. Writing my daily blog
Frankly, nothing could go wrong here unless the stranger wrote from a MAGA mindset.
In the grand scheme of my life, a life I enjoy, they could not do too much damage in 24 hours. Mostly because I have surrounded myself with kind, loving, and honorable people who would not be flummoxed by a stranger standing in for me.
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