Congratulations. For the next 24 hours, you’re me. There are a few things you should know.

Rule #1: One Device Isn’t Enough.

That’s correct. You’re wearing two smartwatches. But that’s not all. You’re also wearing a smart ring.

This is all intentional.

They measure different things (though some measurements overlap), and yes, you will check all three. You don’t necessarily intend to do anything with all those numbers. You just want to know what they say.

Of course, there’s always the possibility of doing something about them if you have the time and motivation to improve your stats.

But for now, we’re just collecting data.

Rule #2: Silence Is Suspicious.

There will ALWAYS be something playing in the background.

For some reason, you have a harder time focusing when it’s completely silent. So what’s playing? A TV show. A Thai lakorn. A K-drama. A movie you’ve already seen. A YouTube video. Something.

Occasionally, it might even be a podcast, an audiobook, or music.

And while all of this is happening, you’re probably doing something completely unrelated on another screen.

One rare exception? Editing YouTube videos. Yes, you’ll be doing that too. But that requires your full attention, so the background entertainment gets turned off.

Otherwise, silence is suspicious.

Rule #3: There Will Never Be Only One Project.

And I don’t mean working on several projects one after another. I mean simultaneously.

You might be writing a blog post while thinking about an English lesson for a student, while tweaking something for Tastee Rolls, when suddenly you remember something completely unrelated that needs your attention.

Welcome to your brain.

It might sound overwhelming, but don’t worry. This is just your MO.

If one project gets boring? Excellent. There are already two backup projects waiting for you. Eventually, you’ll circle back to the original one.

You’ll also notice evidence of this in the number of browser tabs you consistently have open. There are usually around ten, and yes, you’ll probably use or check every single one at least once throughout the day.

They’re all there for a reason.

Probably.

Rule #4: At Some Point, We Need to Discuss Food.

And I don’t necessarily mean eat food.

I mean discuss it.

Food will never NOT be a topic of conversation.

What are we eating? Where are we eating? What should we order? Have we been there before? Who’s coming? What’s good there? Is there somewhere else nearby we should try? Will we have room for dessert? Is there bubble tea nearby? What are we in the mood for? Who’s craving what? What’s that place we’ve been meaning to try but still haven’t? Is something in season right now? What’s the weather like? Are we sick?

Yes, even the weather and our current state of health might influence the food discussion.

And there’s a very good chance you’ll be eating one meal while discussing the next.

This is normal. Do not be alarmed.

You’ve been known to discuss dinner while eating breakfast.

Rule #5: Your Day Will Have Structure. Just Not Necessarily the Structure You Expect.

You may no longer have a traditional 9-to-5 job like you used to, but that doesn’t mean your days are without structure.

In fact, you document a surprising amount of your life.

Your daily timeline. Tasks. Meals. Habits. Mood. Highlights of the day. The list goes on.

There’s something a little funny about having such a flexible lifestyle while simultaneously documenting the hell out of it.

You don’t necessarily need a rigid schedule, but you do like knowing what happened.

There are also things that don’t move, like your teaching schedule. Those are the anchors of your day, and everything else gets planned around them.

Somehow, there’s still time for friends, family, hobbies, and even working out. Working out isn’t necessarily a hobby, but it’s good for you, so you’ll try to make it happen.

The schedule may look a little unconventional, but there’s a method to it.

Rule #6: You Will Be Talking to People.

It’s a guarantee.

Not all day, every day. Some days are quieter than others. But on other days, you’ll be talking to students, friends, family, and people scattered across different time zones.

Random messages will come in. Someone will want to make plans. Someone will have a story to tell you. Or maybe you’ll have a story to tell them.

You might check in on someone just because you haven’t talked in a while. Or someone might check in on you.

People aren’t just relationships you have. They’re woven into practically every aspect of your life.

Even on days when you’re hermit-ing (which probably won’t be today), you’ll still be talking to people. You just might not be doing much else.

And that’s perfectly fine too.

Rule #7: Plans Are Suggestions.

There may be a plan.

Then someone texts.

Or you find something interesting.

Or you’re hungry.

Or another idea suddenly appears.

And before you know it, you’re doing something completely different from what you originally intended.

But that doesn’t mean the day was a failure.

That’s just the day becoming the day.

And sometimes, those unexpected days turn out to be the best ones.

Congratulations. You’ve Survived a Day as Me.

If you’ve made it through your first 24 hours, congratulations. You’re probably also pretty tired at this point. I only need about 6 hours of sleep and so I have A LOT of waking hours.

You’ve probably checked two watches and a smart ring, used several screens, worked on three completely unrelated projects, learned a few words in a language you may or may not need anytime soon, talked to someone on another continent, made plans you might change later, and discussed your next meal before finishing the current one.

It probably looked like a lot from the outside.

But that’s the thing about being me: I don’t necessarily want less happening.

I like having things to be curious about, people to talk to, places to go, food to eat, and projects to get excited about.

I don’t need every day to be productive. I don’t need every day to go according to plan. And I certainly don’t need every day to look like someone else’s idea of a well-organized life.

I just like my days to feel full (not necessarily but inevitably they seem to end up this way).

And when I say full, I don’t necessarily mean busy. I mean full of experiences, conversations, laughter, curiosity, and connections.

I may have a lot of gadgets, projects, and things happening at once, but those aren’t what make my life feel rich.

It’s the people I get to share it with.

And if you’ve spent a day being me, hopefully you’ve figured that out by now.