be more spontaneous

The good old nine-to-five, Monday through Friday lifestyle is consistent at best and horribly boring at worst. It’s good to have some structure to your life, but sometimes such repetitiveness feels like you’re beating your head against a wall.

Luckily, your Calendar can be just as useful at adding flavor to your life as it provides stability. Making an effort to be even a little more spontaneous can add a silver lining to your cloudy days and streaks of color to a routine that might seem grey at times. Let’s get rolling with some Calendar hacks for a more spontaneous life:

1. Switch Up Your Routine

You can find a lot of value in a good routine. It’ll help you follow a healthy sleep pattern, stay on top of household chores, and stick to recurring deadlines. However, even the best routines can lead to burnout over time. Switching up even minor parts of your routine can help you break away from the norm every once in a while.

Switching things up is a good approach for anyone in the creative space. Routines work well for developing healthy habits and staying on top of tasks, but can sometimes smother creativity. Change your routine when approaching a new project or add in a new element or two to mix things up.

For example, let’s say you’re a screenwriter looking for inspiration for your next masterpiece. You can retain the parts of your routine, such as getting up at the same time each morning and exercising. However, instead of sitting at your computer desk like you always do — perhaps you can switch things up by working this week at the local library or coffee shop.

Scanning book titles and people watching can get your creative juices flowing more quickly than they might as you’re rooted in place in your usual spot.

2. Make Time to Try New Things

The changes you make to your life don’t always have to be in the name of daily productivity. Being spontaneous is trying new things, such as a new type of food or experimenting with a potential hobby. By blocking off times periodically in your Calendar, you make room to experiment with new things and experience more of what life has to offer.

Weekends are typically when most people have availability. If that applies to you, try to schedule an hour every weekend to try something new. For example, next Saturday, you can try Indian food for the first time or take a dance class with your significant other. While your planning will be intentional, the types of activities you enjoy will be more spontaneous than ever.

Remember that it’s never too late to try something new. You could be 50 years old and discover a knack for drumming that you want to pick up more regularly. If being spontaneous has led you to discover and enjoy a new talent, grab the opportunity by the horns!

3. Plan a Vacation

When was the last time you got away? Vacations are hardly a regular occurrence for anyone, so a trip is sure to mix up your Calendar considerably. However, not only can a vacation be spontaneous, but a traditional getaway also helps you to catch up on rest and have some fun by removing you from most of life’s most significant stressors.

It’s important to note that packing your bags and leaving on an unplanned trip might not always go well. You might have to clear your time off with work first, and last-minute trip accommodations can get expensive. The better way to bring spontaneity with you on a trip is a change of mindset.

Vacations can be for so much more than taking naps by the pool until it’s time to board your return flight. Channel your inner tourist by checking out local sights, mingling with the natives, and attending events you could never get tickets to at home. Planning an activity that’s out of the ordinary to you will bring so much additional value to your trips than spending hundreds of dollars just to get more sleep in a different time zone.

4. Start Getting Social

If you find it difficult to get out of your comfort zone, find someone who will do it for you. A diverse social circle will help you become more spontaneous, even if it’s against your free will. That being said, the friends you choose should be supportive and understanding when you don’t want to participate in certain activities while still being able to help you grow and experience new things.

For example, your friends shouldn’t force you into a bird sanctuary knowing fully well that you have ornithophobia. However, a good group of pals can encourage you to get dressed up and go out dancing on a Saturday instead of binge-watching the rest of Squid Game on Netflix.

Choose some spontaneous friends and their behavior will rub off on you a little more, and you’ll be able to have a lot more fun because of them.

If you want to plan out your availability a little better, keep your friends in the loop using your Calendar. You can let them know what days are absolutely closed off for any activities due to work or other prior commitments. You can also iron out details together for actual plans made in advance.

There’s no need to replace all of your life’s structure with crazy spontaneity, but diverting from the norm every now and then can be a lot of fun.

Use your Calendar to find the perfect balance, and you’ll get everything out of life that you ever hoped and dreamed.

Image Credit: Los Muertos Crew; Pexels; Thank you!