While a recent study conducted by OnePoll indicated that individuals who consider themselves spontaneous are nearly 40 percent more likely to be content and satisfied with their lives, different people are happy with different ways of living. Of the NatNews dear readers who participated in an online poll, 60 percent are occasionally spontaneous, 28 percent don’t prefer to do things not already in their calendars, and 13 percent see themselves as individuals who almost always enjoy the thrill of the unplanned adventure.
Dallas-area resident Morgan Fritz said she’s mostly a planner and not often spontaneous. While she enjoys some unexpected events every once in a while, she prefers her routine and schedule the majority of the time.
“My whole family—three out of five of them are middle children—is so laid-back and go-with-the-flow,” she said. “I am the classic firstborn who wants order and structure—who tells everyone when their Christmas lists are due, etc.”
Fritz is not alone in a desire for organization and quite a bit of predictability. Dallas resident Drew Mbiam said he likes to be able to see what the potential outcomes are before he gets too far into something.
“If there are too many variables, it makes it hard to be prepared,” he said. “You probably get a bit of an endorphin boost from spontaneity, but too much uncertainty isn’t a great long-term strategy.”
Dallas-area resident Ivan Alonzo considers himself somewhat spontaneous but also somewhat more structured, mainly because he has responsibilities as the father of two young children. He said he is typically open to taking part in the unplanned, but he doesn’t always have the availability to drop everything and go.
“The activity either has to be kid-friendly, or it must present itself while I’m without the kiddos,” he said. “You can plan around your responsibilities—whether that is work, kids, or other commitments. There’s also the financial aspect. While I would like to be able to do anything and everything, I have to keep expenses within reason.”
Like Alonzo, Dallas-area resident Cali Hoffman knows sometimes costs can keep her from going rogue from what her planner says is on the schedule. She said she is not always extremely spontaneous, but she can be every once in a while. Her actions and perceptions are contingent upon a variety of factors involved.
“It all depends on what intrigues me to do something on a whim,” she said. “I’m mostly not spontaneous because I need details, and I have to think things through first before I do something. Whether you do something big or small, a plan helps you put things in place, but you can also make changes over time. Financially, it makes sense to have a plan, too.”
But the specifics are not always the highest concerns for everyone. Arinda Cale, who lives just outside of Dallas, said she considers herself quite a spontaneous individual. She knows that it’s usually best to have a plan when others are involved and when an important task needs to be completed, but in general, she loves a bit of uncertainty.
“I love to let a day go wherever it goes,” she said. “If I don’t have plans that involve other people, I’m happy to let the day evolve any which way.”
Cale said she thinks that it’s also healthy to have free days that are not already completely mapped out.
“I can’t stand if every day has a plan and something to achieve,” she said. “I like at least one go-with-the-flow day every week.”
In a similar fashion as Cale, Jenae Slater, who lives in the Santa Barbara area, said while having a schedule and structure can ease the mind at times, she is the type of person who is ready to do something at a moment’s notice.
“I don’t need a plan in my life to feel fully satisfied—though sometimes planning things out is necessary,” she said. “It’s also really fun to say you did something just to do it.”
Spontaneity can also keep a person from overthinking in certain situations, which Hoffman said is certainly a benefit.
“Doing things that aren’t planned can allow you to do things that you maybe wouldn’t do if you had to put a lot of thought into it,” she said. “If I have the right influences to be spontaneous, I’m all in.”
Though Fritz is admittedly an avid planner, even she enjoys embracing the unexpected every once in a while and said such adventures can create lasting memories.
“I went to the Bahamas last year with a friend, and it was somewhat spontaneous,” she said. “She got new suitcases, and to give her a chance to use them, we decided to go to the Bahamas. The next thing I knew, we were purchasing flights and booking our hotel, and then were off to the Bahamas two months later. It was a really cool experience!”
For Salter, having a trip like Fritz did is one of the things she loves most about living the spontaneous lifestyle.
“Doing things that aren’t planned means ‘surprise!’—you don’t know what may come, and sometimes in those moments, the most memorable things happen,” she said.
And it’s that aspect of moving blindly forward that Alonzo said can appeal to individuals seeking a thrill.
“The unknown is exciting while also scary,” he said. “It’s scary in that a new spontaneous thing or adventure has the potential to be anything—anything that you choose to make of it.”
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