Scheduled Spontaneity

Making room for play in a busy schedule

Do you have enough time to think?
Enough time to live in the moment?
Enough time to explore?
Enough time to imagine?

As creative thinkers and designers, our minds tend to be “always on” so although we absolutely love what we do, we tend to always be working and projects tens to very easily bleed in the evenings and weekends whether we need to be working on them late or not, since the mind never stops turning with new ideas and concepts.

This isn’t a bad thing, but it can definitely lead to a bit of burnout and may not leave any time for other hobbies you may have or just simply time to recharge. After all, you are human, and even if you love your job, there are other things you enjoy spending your time doing as well.

a screen capture of a busy calendar

It can be very hard to shut off and give yourself free time, especially when the traditional 9-5 no longer really exists. Although it may not sound very exciting, the best remedy for this, could be to simply schedule in your time to make sure it doesn’t get lost. It’s spontaneous to decide to schedule in time off, but you can be spontaneou with what you decide to do with that time. You can exercise to rejuvenate your mind, meditate, take a walk outside to relax or take in new sights to add to your repertoire of never-ending ideas.

We all know about the benefits of limiting our screen time – a quick Google search will tell you that. So peel away from your screen and gift yourself the time to be present and let your mind run wild.

Now you may not always follow it, but the reminder will be there like a little nudge to give you permission to kick your feet up and close your eyes for a minute and give your beautiful mind a minute to relax. Take this screenshot of my calendar for example – do you think I follow each one of those time blocks? Absolutely not, but when an item pops up, I know it’s time to take a break and I may choose to do something else, but it’s the reminder that counts.

Design and creativity doesn’t happen in a vacuum in front of your computer, so get out into the world around you, explore, imagine and don’t forget to take time to relax and be still!