Numbers in Your Life

Last week, I took to Facebook and LinkedIn to make a small request from my friends and followers in order to get some inspiration for a writing project: What are the numbers you encounter on a regular basis? Not the numbers themselves; rather, the types of numbers they encounter regularly. I gave the example of credit score and calories, and told people a great piece of advice I learned from a friend in my dance class: There are no wrong answers in brainstorming.

I feared I'd only get a few responses and that most would consist of, "Yeah, credit score, calories." I ended up getting responses from almost 60 friends, each with great lists of numbers from their personal lives, profession, child-raising, health, and so on.

Some examples by category:

• Finance: Credit score, account balance, interest rate, stock prices
• Health and well-being: Weight, blood glucose, cholesterol, dosages, hours slept, number of minutes of meditation
• Library: Dewey decimal system, number of stacks, linear feet of storage space, barcodes galore
• Alcohol: Beverages consumed, alcohol by volume, IBUs, gravity degrees plato, blood alcohol content
• Fitness tracking: Steps, miles, heart rate, pace, laps, reps
• Healthcare: Number of meds passed, patient satisfaction score, Medicare diagnosis-related group
• Childcare: Number of minutes on iPad, hours slept, diapers, formula measurements

The descriptions ranged from numbers that count things, numbers that categorize things, and numbers that fall on a continuum. More than one person commented that this was a fun brainstorming exercise. 

So now, readers, I look to you. What numbers do you encounter regularly? It doesn't have to be every day, just the types of numbers that are part of your life - whether at home, work, the gym, or the bar. And remember: There are no wrong answers in brain storming!

(Note: I've checked my comment settings so hopefully they should work for you to add your numbers below. You shouldn't have to have a Google login to comment. You're also welcome to provide your numbers as a reply to this post in Facebook groups.)