The Power of Spontaneity: A New Year's Wish

As another year winds down, the resolutions and lists ratchet up.  Attempting to compete with the resolution racket is not my interest in this my final blog entry of 2012.  Instead, I wanted to share some words of encouragement as we go into 2013: BE SPONTANEOUS.  We've all heard this before and we all know how important it is to "live your life to its fullest," but for me being spontaneous has more to do with the little things we often don't end up doing.  Looking back over 2012, I've realized two new added benefits of being spontaneous.  When we allow more spontaneity in our lives, it often leads to Discovery and Decisiveness.  So for 2013:

Discover more about life through spontaneity- This is the "stop and smell the roses" effect.  Most people associate spontaneity with quick thinking, but there is a part of it that has to take time.  The next time we see a beautiful sunset, piece of art or moment of opportunity: seize it and take the time to discover what lies within it.  If we move too quickly, we can miss the beauty and excitement that is right in front of our faces.  Spontaneous thought can also to great discoveries.  Stuck in a rut creatively, romantically or personally?  Take some time to change things up in effective ways.  These need not be drastic or ground-breaking decisions.  Often times a different pub, coffee house or route to work can lead to new people, situations and connections.  Don't stifle those discoveries.  Don't settle for the status quo.  In 2013, let's keep things fresh and create situations where new ideas can flow and flourish.

Allow spontaneity to lead to more decisiveness- So much of our lives come down to choices. We all make daily choices that deal with our well-being and basic needs but we also make some longer-lasting "bigger" decisions that have a deeper impact on our present and future.  Spontaneous thinking can help in both of these cases.  Whether you are settling in on a place to eat or place of work, spontaneous thought leads to quicker decision-making and helps to avoid drawn out standoffs and analysis paralysis. Spontaneity itself requires quick thinking, swift reactions and snap judgements. These three elements allow us to be clear and crisp with some basic choices in our everyday lives.  Malcolm Gladwell wrote a brilliant book called "Blink" and its subtitle sums his premise up perfectly: "the power of thinking without thinking."  In 2013, let's learn to be more decisive through "thinking without too much thinking."  Those first inclinations, gut feelings and initial instincts often are right.  2013 can be a year of trusting those instincts and seeing where they lead.

May your New Year's Eve and your New Year be filled with new discoveries, more decisiveness and a stronger sense of direction and drive.  Here's to a safe and spontaneity-filled 2013!  Cheers.