How To Be More Spontaneous

If you’re like many other individuals currently living what society would deem a “typical” life, you may be familiar with the sudden, sometimes completely random realization that you’re acting out the exact same day today that you did yesterday (and the day before). This epiphany is often followed by a period of existential crisis that leaves you questioning whether or not you’re making the most out of your life.

First of all, calm down and take a couple of deep breaths. Understand that we all fall into some form of routine that includes sleeping, waking and eating. You’re not leading the dullest life of any human that has ever existed. However, having a healthy amount of spontaneity in life is a necessary ingredient required to keep things exciting.

In this article, we’re going to briefly discuss ways to be more spontaneous as well as some important things to keep in mind while you do so.

Trust Your Feelings

Being a logical, rational person is by no means a character flaw. There’s a point, however, in which being too analytical has its drawbacks. If you consistently say no and avoid things despite your initial reaction being willingness and excitement, it may be time to listen to your gut. There is something to be said for that impulsive instinct you feel when deciding whether or not to go for something. It’s perfectly okay to let your gut overrule your logical side here and there.

Say What You Need To Say

If you can readily recall situations in which you felt compelled to speak up and say something yet failed to do so, a little boost in spontaneity could do you some good. Whether the situation is a business meeting, a rude comment someone makes to you or introducing yourself to the person you’ve been crushing on for what feels like forever, being spontaneous and bold enough to speak can save you the dreaded pain of regret.

Should you impulsively blurt out every thought that comes to mind? Absolutely not. However, saying what you need to say when you know it would be to your advantage is the right move more often than not.

Get Feedback From Those Who Know You Best

If you’re wondering if you actually lack spontaneity or just being overly critical of yourself, simply asking the people you spend the most time around can yield an honest answer. Given that a characteristic feature of a routine involves doing things without giving them much thought, sometimes it can be hard to notice when you’re being too predictable. By asking for feedback on just how anti-spontaneous you truly are, you can identify patterns only seen by other people and make changes accordingly.

Stay Curious & Open

As children, we all have a natural tendency to be curious and open to exploring the world around us. Most people tend to lose some if not all of this curiosity as they grow older and find their niche in life. In order to be spontaneous, it’s important that you possess the curiosity and open mind required to venture out of your comfort zone and experience new things. If not, you’ll nonchalantly stay put in your everyday routine and miss out on all of the excitement available out there.

Stop Filling Your Free Time With Junk

Arguably the best time to enjoy a little spontaneity is the free time you have available outside of mandatory obligations, such as work. If you’re like a lot of people, this time is usually spent on dull, non-stimulating things such as watching TV or scrolling through your phone.

Needless to say, these types of activities aren’t going to result in you becoming more spontaneous. When you have time to spend how you choose, break out of the norm and go do something new.

There Is No Perfect Timing

Not to harp on the super logical, passive individuals once again, but oftentimes spontaneity fades into nothing while you wait on the perfect time to act. What’s more, if you’re guilty of this, you usually don’t even have a specific criteria for what that perfect timing even looks like.

Not that there isn’t anything to be said for timing, but life rarely works in absolutes and perfect timing is all but nonexistent. If there’s something you want to do, do it. Waiting on perfect timing is usually going to result in nothing but that, waiting.

Awareness Of Chronic Routines

Although we’ve already touched on the idea of how falling into a set routine can limit how spontaneous of a life you live as well as the importance of asking others if you’re chronically predictable or not, being self-aware of your routine is also useful. If you feel you lack spontaneity, simply analyzing your day to day activities for the last week, month or year can identify repeating patterns that you may be unaware of while you’re living them.

Don’t Force It

Okay, so this one is more about how NOT to be spontaneous but is still important to note. As with any other change you make in your life, going out of your way to be excessively spontaneous is not the right idea.

Not only will this come across as phony to others, but it also defeats the purpose of spontaneity in the first place. Starting a new activity or going on a random weekend getaway that you planned at the last minute is great, selling all of your earthly possessions and deciding to hike Everest on a wild hair, not so much.

Be Mindful Of The Context

Another thing you need to consider when wanting to add spontaneity to your life is the context in which you add it. When it comes to real life application, there are just some areas of your life in which being spontaneous is probably not the best idea.

For example, your job probably involves specific tasks or activities that you’re expected to complete a certain way and at certain times. Deciding to spontaneously do something different on a random Tuesday may not work out well as it relates to your employment status. Having sound awareness of when more spontaneity is a good thing, is a good thing.

Speak To Familiar, Unfamiliar Faces

The last item on our list relates to something that almost all of us do on a daily basis. Think about the places you spend a lot of time at such as the gym, grocery store or public transport. Chances are, there are certain people that you’ve come into contact with a hundred times, maybe even exchanged a friendly nod with and never spoken to.

A simple and possibly enlightening way to be more spontaneous is to actually engage these familiar faces in conversation. You never know the knowledge, relationship or useful connection you might obtain by doing so.

Over-planning kills magic. Life is too short to live the same day twice. Think a little less, live a little more. Spontaneity is the best kind of adventure!