I have never done Ali Edwards’ “One Little Word” project or picked a “theme” for the year based on a word. It’s a result of never putting much thought into it and never being able to decide on just one word. I’m also not a big New Years resolution, must change my life at the beginning of the year kind of person. I had an epiphany this week, though, where “spontaneous” just popped into my head. When I looked up the definition, I knew it was exactly what I need:
SPONTANEOUS: Coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned
I’m known for being someone who will say yes if you call and ask me to dinner at the last minute. I’ve said that one of my life philosophies is: “Why say no when you can say yes?” It’s only recently, however, that I’ve realised that being agreeable and open to new adventures does not make me spontaneous.
I am a planner. I book flights well before the 2 week “early bird” deadline. I buy concert tickets months in advance. My music is organized into a multitude of playlists to match my mood and ensure that I’m listening to my favourite music. I pre-write and edit instant messages (especially those that I’m initiating). I love “Skype dates” and dislike calling people out of the blue. I have scenarios of meetings and conversations worked out in my head before they happen. I am a planner BUT I’d like spontaneity to feature more in my life.
The big question is: How do I live out being “spontaneous” without “planning” my spontaneity? (Or, in work terms, how am I going to measure and evaluate my progress towards being “spontaneous”?) It’s a hard line to draw. A few ideas that came to mind include:
>> One unscheduled, social phone call a month (Watch out friends!)
>> Invite people to dinner with same-day notice once a month
>> Go on a weekend trip with less than 1 week notice
I would love to hear your ideas of either 1) how you are spontaneous or 2) I could add more spontaneity into my life. It’s going to be an interesting year!
I love this! I’m not at all spontaneous – I’m a total planner. I hate unscheduled phone calls 🙂 But I hadn’t thought of “skype dates” as a thing, and now I’m intrigued!
It was only recently pointed out to me that most people don’t use Skype as much as I do. I guess it’s a product of living abroad? I spend most afternoons on Skype for work calls and so it’s a natural extension to plan “Skype date” with friends to catch up. Plus I almost always use Skype “computer-to-computer” so you have to schedule to find both parties online. 🙂