An organizer's 3-step guide to doing things on the whim.
As someone with an extremely busy schedule, I tend to find myself organizing my days down to the hour. As much as I love my color-coded planner, I wanted to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone more; not in the "something unexpected just happened so I need to move a few things around in my schedule" kind of way, but in the "I want to balance living in the moment and tending to my responsibilities" kind of way. Here are three things I did to encourage my often-neglected free-spirited side.
Tap Into Your Creativity
Start a new project that you have little to no information about. When my family and I first moved into our house, we immediately wanted to renovate the garage. My dad had revamped the garage in our previous house, but I knew he just did not have it in him to do the same for the new house. So, I offered to help with the garage, but my dad always said that it would be, "too much for me to handle". Heavy lifting, long work days, and basic home renovation knowledge were all requirements that (according to my dad) I fell short of being able to meet.
Motivated to prove my dad wrong, help my family, and learn something new, I decided to take on the garage as a new project. I had no idea where to start, but I knew my dad could help guide me. With some convincing, my dad reluctantly got on board to oversee the project. With the help of my best friend Shelly, over the course of two weeks consisting of 8-12 hour work days 5 days a week, I was able to completely remodel the garage. I learned everything from efficiently and safely moving heavy objects, maximizing storage, epoxying floors, painting, cleaning, the donation process, downsizing (specifically, the art of convincing my mom to let go of items that no longer served a purpose for us), interior design, the importance of stretching before working (note: make sure you have an emergency aid kit nearby, just trust me on that one), spray painting, using tools, and then some.
Starting a new project that I had no prior information about was one of the most fun things I have ever done. By the time I was done, my parents had tears in their eyes because they were finally proud of their home. Shelly and I were also very pleased with the accomplishment of our girl power.
Sure, I may have planned which days to work on my garage, but I learned to adjust that plan throughout the process. I sustained a minor injury (you live and you learn) which caused things to be pushed behind "schedule". However, I picked the pieces back up when I was ready to start again. I had no idea what was in store for me, but I was prepared to experience new things. That is why I think starting a new project is one of the best ways for people like me to learn to go with the flow. This may seem intimidating at first and it certainly is the most time-consuming endeavor, but I can almost guarantee that it will be worth it.
Practice Compromising
As a busy bee, I try to maximize my time out with my friends and family by taking on the "mom role". I conduct research on the area, must-see sights, popular restaurants, scenic routes, directions and distance to and from each place, predicted weather schedules, recommended clothing for the occasion, price ranges, and more. I want to always make sure everyone is having as much as fun possible since it is so hard to make time for such experiences.
Before my trip to San Francisco with my parents and Shelly, I planned every single day based on a tight schedule to maximize efficiency and fun (believe it or not). On one of the days, we ended up finishing our plan early and still had time to do something random. I remember spending the rest of the time in the car anxiously searching for the next best place to eat, sightsee, or visit. I was so engulfed in finding the best place that I completely zoned out of the conversation happening in the car about the gorgeous park they had already decided to go to. By the time we got to the park, I asked Shelly to stay with me in the car. I tried to reason with her...
The weather has gotten unexpectedly windy and we were not dressed right. We did not even know how to navigate the huge park, what if we get lost?! My parents can go off and do their thing and we can just stay with them in the car and wait.
My pleas went to no avail. Shelly was going to have this experience with or without me. I try to be open-minded, so I was not about to skip out on doing this out of stubbornness. Plus, despite her cool exterior, I knew it would break Shelly's heart if I let her go without me.
As soon as I decided to get out of the car, I could see the relief on everyone's faces. In the midst of thinking about everyone's well-being, I was closing the door to adventure for all parties involved, including myself.
We ended up finding a beautiful area in the park that had the most magical feeling to it. I had never seen anything like it, there was a literal fairy swamp right in front of me. The little Shrek-obsessed girl in me could not believe what was in front of her eyes. The weather cleared up by the time we were taking photos. The initial overcast and breeze likely factored into why the park was not as crowded as it usually is. Ironically, I think the weather actually ended up helping us get a more intimate experience out of it. At the end of the day, I learned that I need to implement compromising more into my life and open my heart to new experiences. If you have the time, the right people, and the opportunity to, why not?
Take The Scenic Route And Enjoy the View
I have always been a "Maps" kind of gal, to the point where I use my cellphone's Maps directions to go to the same park that I take my dog to practically every week. I find that when I have my directions laid out in front of me, I can take the quickest and most efficient route. I save time — precious moments — that will surely be of use in the future. That can be a problem, though, when you are in an area with no cell service.
That is exactly what happened when a friend and I were coming back from the beach down Pacific Coast Highway. Poor service meant poor connection, which meant I could not play any music from my phone, talk to friends, or use any app. The radio was even being spotty, so my friend and I decided to put the rooftop of the convertible down and enjoy the fresh air, sunny rays, and beautiful scenery while in one another's company. Along the way, we noticed an astonishing painting. The painting was left out by the garbage along with some other materials someone was clearly attempting to get rid of. As we started to pull up to the painting, I saw that people would come by and take photos of it, but nobody was taking it with them. As an art lover, I had to pull over and observe the painting closer. The colors, style, and shapes stood out to me. I did not know how much the painting was worth monetarily, but I knew I had to have it. Thankfully, the last-minute choice to take the convertible played to our advantage: it had just enough room to carry the giant canvas if the front seat folded down and one person sat in the back and held the painting. In hindsight, it was probably not the safest way to go about it, but there was no way I was going to leave that painting for even one more second and risk it being taken from me. We put the painting in the car, and my friend cautiously drove 35 MPH while I struggled to hold the heavy and (surprisingly dirty) canvas to avoid it from flying out.
I decided that I wanted my friend to have the painting; they obliged on the condition that we can revisit whom it goes to in the future. I knew that they had been looking for a piece of art to spice up their space for a while, so I was more than happy to contribute to their happiness by letting them have the painting at their house. After some impromptu moving, we were able to arrange the furniture in such a way that the painting had the perfect spot, like its very own dedicated gallery.
We looked into the painting and found out that it was by an artist named Menelaw Sete, also known as the "Picasso of Brazil". I could not find images of that specific painting online, however, we both have no plans on selling the painting or finding out if it is a replica. At this point, it has such a sweet place in our hearts that we plan to take care of it and appreciate it for as long as we can. The painting spoke to me, to which I showed my gratitude by offering what I could: my care, attention, and absolute admiration in a loving home.
It is so crazy for me to think that if we did not end up living more in the precious moment, we would have missed this amazing painting, a wonderful day, and the bonding conversations which ensued. So, take the scenic route and keep an eye out. You never know what you might find.
Get To Thinkin' and Get Inspired
It can be hard to let go of the days, weeks, or even months you have planned for yourself. However, I have found that to be successful, one must practice flexibility. Start small, even if it starts with planning a day to do something adventurous. It may seem ironic at first, but slowly, you might be able to find yourself being more naturally inclined to do something unexpected. It is those very "unexpected" events in life that can turn into something spectacular. Trust the process, trust yourself, and trust the universe.
Anyways, I think that's enough thinking, so that's all — for now.
Unlike you, I am someone who needs more planning and discipline in my life. I may have tapped into my creativity (thus avoiding time pressing responsibilites), compromised, and taken the scenic route all too much. My point being, it is very advantageous for me to read a blog written by someone like you because it has encouraged me to recognize that planning and spontaneity are both important to a healthy lifestyle. Like the saying goes, "too much of anything is good for nothing". Thank you for your wonderful wisdom!