Planned Spontaneity

To achieve "work / life balance"

1. Always do a job you love, that way it will never be "work"
2. Ensure your house / living arrangement is a place where you feel comfortable
3. Exercise daily - even if it's a 10 minute walk at lunchtime, you need to get out and feel the elements
4. Eat well, but never to extreme
5. Find time each day to reflect on what worked well, what didn't work as well and plan for tomorrow - today - then you can forget about "forgetting" things
6. Spend quality time with your family, friends and your significant other
7. Find time each day to do something just for you
8. Don't forget the spiritual side of who you are - if you believe, then it's important to connect

On your day's off "work" there are a couple of additional things which need to be added to those 8 key points listed above

1. Have a special date night / day with those people you care most about. We all have busy lives, so these will need to be planned in advance - but what happens after that is entirely up to you. And that is the key to planned spontaneity. Plan the time, but not necessarily every detail - doing so will only make you worry that it's not going to "plan".

2. Have a special date night / day with yourself and do something YOU enjoy, and without worrying about whether your partner is also enjoying the experience. When we give so much of ourselves to our customers, our families, our partners, our work, charities, churches and schools - we forget that we also need to be able to receive. And one of the best ways to do this is - having time to yourself to do what you want - WITHOUT feeling guilty.

Indulge your senses:

• Walk round a fabric store,
• Go to the movies on your own,
• Try a new restaurant and try one of the dishes you have never tried before
• Go to the library and curl up with a good book
• Get a massage or soak in a bubble bath

And the beauty of these planned spontaneous days, they don't have to cost very much.

When my kids were little there wasn't much money for treats and going out let alone on holiday, but that didn't stop us. We would pack the picnic bag - regardless of the weather - and we would go somewhere. The beauty of the parks around Perth, WA are the covered shelters - they stop rain as well as providing shade from the summer sun. My kids still to this day talk about going on picnic's in the rain - and usually with a wry smile.

Make sure you add some time every week to your calendar and start planning your first spontaneous day(s), believe me when I say - you will enjoy and be able to cope with every thing else if you have spent some time having deliberate fun.

Comments

[Sally]

Like your children. I also remember picnics in Perth during winter time. I remember having Kings Park to ourselves and my dad drying the swing and slides, so my sister and I could use them.
I also recall going to the beach in winter time and walking along the shores - strangely enough we also had that to ourselves.
As a child I always thought we only did these things in winter time becasue I had crazy POMs for parents, and that they were just use to doing everything in the cold.
Now I know better - they were creating these wonderful memories for my sister and I to talk about in our 40's.

[Elle]

Wow Sally, brought tears of joy to my eyes - i can just picture your dad doing that...you kids muffled up to the ears, nose glowing as you laughed your way thro the chill winter air.

And that's why doing silly things, strange things and wonderfully weird things for others is so important - the memories and the smiles they bring to our lives

All the best Sally

Thanks
Elle