let's go!

Spontaneous. (Adj.) coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned.

Yep. That's me in a nutshell. Drives my husband NUTS. He's a planner. Needs to know what we are doing, when we are doing it with NO curve balls thrown in.

How spontaneous are you? Here's a test. It's Friday. You are off from work on Monday and Tuesday. I say to you.... let's go to Chicago for the weekend! Do you go? I would.

Or.... you're driving in the country. You see a cool road off to the right that seems to go nowhere. Yeah, you have to be at a picnic in half and hour.... do you turn and explore? Yep... I would.

What makes some of us spontaneous... and some of us not? What makes us want to do wild and crazy things just "'cause?" Want to try it? Try this:

1. Stop making plans all the time.
2. Don't over analyze everything.
3. If shyness is holding you back.... make it a POINT to do something you normally wouldn't do, such as complement a stranger. (I do that all the time...) it gets easier after time, and may help you let yourself go.
4. If you think of someone out of the blue... call them.
5. If someone calls you...ask them to go get a coffee... right then and there.

Now... these are baby steps. For experienced spontaneous people like me.... this has become a life skill. Don't over-do it or become excessive. You can be spontaneous without overspending.

Does your daily routine take over your spontaneity? Does it make a quiet exit, day by day without any notice? Perhaps you're always reminding yourself to be careful or prepared. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with a little preparation. BUT, if you are always planning every little thing in your life and are obsessed with orderliness... you've forgotten how to be spontaneous.

So. are you booked till September? There are 24 hours in a day; you'll always find time to do things that are important to you. Finding time to be spontaneous is important. Stop worrying about staying on schedule and start living! Schedule time to be in your car and just drive. Go to the movies without deciding what you're going to see. Order something different off the menu.

As Albert Einstein said, "The most beautiful thing you can experience is the mysterious." So go ahead. Be spontaneous. I dare you.