The Art Of Deviating From Your Schedule
Updated: Jun 20, 2021
If you’re like me, daily life has turned into an infinite loop of waking up, eating, getting work done, and sleeping. Set aside opening a package in the mail that we ordered online, there isn’t much more that we feel like we can look forward to. But little do we know, we actually do have many things to get excited about. It’s just a matter of whether we choose to really do or engage with those things. In this article, we’ll take a look at how becoming more spontaneous can bring some more excitement to our lives.
Before anything, what does being spontaneous even mean? According to the Cambridge dictionary, the word spontaneous means “happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced”. This definition perfectly encapsulates the action of spontaneity, which people also call ‘going with the flow’. Some examples of this can be:
Taking an unplanned walk outside
Sending a little gift to a friend/family member (or even both!)
Making yourself a drink after a long day
Starting a new hobby
Setting up a movie night for yourself — or a virtual one for you and your friends
How beneficial can taking a walk on a whim really be? On the “work” side of it, being spontaneous can help you become more open-minded to new ideas that arise and respond to different obstacles more smoothly. It can also encourage you to take up more of the opportunities that you see, such as new positions or experiences. While on the personal side of it, spontaneity can lessen the stress you get from your normal environment and brings more excitement to your routine.
Adhering to your schedule every day always seems like the safe thing to do, the normal thing to do. But in a global pandemic, things like meet-ups, parties, or get-togethers that might have been on that schedule are now postponed to who knows when. These little bursts of excitement might just be the key to a more content and less stressful life in today's times.
So today, listen to what you want and say yes.
Sources:
1. Davidson, Michael. “How Not to Be Boring (And Start to Be More Interesting).” Lifehack, Lifehack, 5 Mar. 2020, www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-become-more-spontaneous-or-stop-being-boring.html.