Unscheduled
I’ve recently learned something about myself I never knew until now.
Nothing makes me feel more alive than being unscheduled.
I live in a world that helps people do more, be more, and achieve more. Most of our biggest accomplishments come from careful planning. We shape our state of being with a smart use of our calendars.
My calendar days are filled with things to do, places to go, people to see. My calendar structure works well, and I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.
I only have one friend who lives life without the constraints of a calendar. I’d like to tell you how they do it, but they don’t talk about structure and time in the same context I have chosen to mold my life. I can only tell you what I have learned from my experience.
My friend knows how to explore life without a goal, plan, purpose or agenda – and still achieve great success.
Even if we plan only a few hours together, I’ve learned to block out the whole day. When we set a time to meet, I know it’s more of a guideline than a demand. We adjust the time based on the circumstances of the moment.
Our plans are always fluid. We only go when and where the spirit moves us.
We are excellent communicators and superior truth-tellers. We don’t guess about what the other person is thinking. If my friend doesn’t want to do something or suddenly changes their mind, they tell me. And, I do the same. No drama. No disappointment. No expectations. No misery.
We are most productive in the present moment. We don’t talk about what we want to do in the future or what we have done in the past. We accomplish more in less time.
We play and explore the world like little kids. We don’t know what we are going to do before we do it. We don’t know where we are going before we go. We don’t know what we will find before we find it.
Logistically, I usually pick up my friend by car and we go. We pick the direction once we are in the car together. We don’t use GPS. We look for treasures not listed on someone else’s map.
And then, we laugh a lot. I laugh more with this one wildly unscheduled friend than I do with anyone else on the planet.
Schedule Time to be Unscheduled
I don’t live the same way as my friend. Most of my life is still scheduled. Although I only spend about one day a month with this one friend, I am seeing their positive impact on my life.
I’ve started blocking out more dates on my calendar with the word:
Unscheduled
I can feel the difference on these unscheduled days. I am always more productive. I get more done in less time. And, I am far more responsive.
Unscheduled means I am available for whatever arises in the present moment. I’ve had some of my best Individual Sessions on these unscheduled days. Someone will call or text and say:
Any chance you are free today for a session?
It feels magical to say: YES!
Unscheduled means I am more available for family and friends who just want to talk or go on a spontaneous adventure.
I don’t know what it would be like to have all my days unscheduled, and I am not ready yet to find out. I am simply grateful my friend has introduced me to a new way of being.
Nothing makes me feel more alive than being unscheduled.
