Planning Ahead Is the Key to Living With More Spontaneity

People find the idea of timeboxing restrictive as if it’s policing their time. But the truth is, that timeboxing is liberating because it makes more time for spontaneity.

When we’re frazzled and distracted, the joy of spontaneity goes out the window.

If we don’t plan our time, someone else will. Scheduling spontaneity doesn’t lessen the joy of spontaneity; it enables it. You still have the freedom to do whatever strikes you in the moment — even more so because you know that’s exactly what you intended to do.

To create a weekly timeboxed schedule, you first have to decide how much time you want to spend on each domain of your life—yourself, your important relationships, and your work—according to your values.

Your values are the attributes of the person you want to become. Kindness, generosity, and being a good friend are all values, to name a few.

Allot a time for spontaneity in your timeboxed calendar. Each week you can reassess or fine-tune your calendar to best suit your values.

Making a timeboxed calendar is an important step to becoming Indistractable.

When you know exactly what you want to be doing every moment of the day, then you more easily recognize when distraction is pulling you away from that.

Then, rather than fall victim to the vicious cycle of distraction that eats up your time for spontaneity, you’re better equipped to escape it. You can quell any internal or external trigger that nudges you off course from your timeboxed calendar.

By making time for spontaneity, you enhance your ability to focus on work.