078 How to keep planning from killing your spontaneity

There’s power in planning. But good planning doesn’t have to mean the death of spontaneity.

This week’s Inspire Me quote:

“Some of the most thrilling things in life are done on impulse.”—Unknown

There are many good reasons to practice spontaneity:

• Fosters your creativity.


• Enhances your ability to capture and enjoy the moment.


• Keeps you from being predictable and boring.


• Enhances your sense of adventure.

There’s also a lot of power in planning:

• It quiets your mind by reduces panic.


• It makes it easier to recruit and align a team.


• It is a more effective use of energy.

A good plan that keeps spontaneity alive is:

• Imperfect. In fact, should be imperfect to ward of procrastination.


• Simple. Describes the minimum that it needs to; the what, when and how.


• Focused. It’s tied to a WHY. Why am I doing this? What will be gained? What loss will be prevented.


• Visible. If you don’t see it or remember it, it has little power.


• Flexible. Better to set monthly or weekly plans rather than daily ones.

This week’s Challenge Me:

If you’re a planner, try plan some spontaneity in your life. If you’re spontaneous, try to spontaneously put a plan together. Either way, try to strike a balance between the two.