Brake for Spontaneity

Reading over Cheryl Richardson’s “Life Makeovers,” I spotted this one. She tells us how important it is to schedule some time to do whatever you feel like doing. In this crazy world of tight agendas, it’s good to give yourself a break from it all. We need to slow down sometimes and feel. Cheryl says, “By creating the space to live in the moment, we strengthen the connection to our inner wisdom and give ourselves a much needed rest from the routine of day to day living.”

I am a believer in this philosophy and try to do it regularly. However, I don’t always do it. I try to block out time that’s free from “appointments or obligations” as she suggests. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s because I work from home, but more often than not, I find myself working on something. I always forget to stop and ask myself what I feel like doing. That, I’m afraid is the key: to just allow myself to follow the muse. Her final word is to “trust your gut and act.”

On the positive side, I would say that taking that time is beneficial, even if I do a project that feels lighter than my usual work. I try to schedule one afternoon and one weekend day a week. I rarely get all that time, but I figure, if I keep those times open, without the obligations, I can make something of them. From Cheryl’s guidance, next time, I will remember to put on the brakes and check in with myself to see what I wish to do. The idea, really, is to be able to float.

I’ve heard this advice from other sources, named in different ways. I highly recommend it for allowing your to-do muscle to rest awhile. Even if you do some “work,” at least you’re not gritting your teeth and sticking to a rigid schedule. I think the ultimate here would be to take a break spontaneously. Say today, I doan wanna and I’m going to take the day off! I’m not there yet, but in the meantime, I will follow Cheryl’s advice and continue to schedule these times. Maybe with practice, I’ll get better at allowing the spontaneity to flow.