Are You a Planner or a Spontaneous Soul? How to Balance Both

Different kinds of personalities might approach life in different ways. For some people, the idea of a life that’s planned meticulously, down to the last moment, might be particularly appealing, like a classically-trained violinist being guided by dots on a stave. Others might prefer to improvise, like a jazz trombonist feeling their way around a solo.

Many of us sit somewhere between these two extremes. But the truth is that it’s possible to learn from both.

Understanding the Planner vs. Spontaneous Mindset

Planners prize productivity, and take solace in rigid schedules. They want to feel that they’re in control of their lives, even if this control comes at the expense of flexibility.

Spontaneous people also prize control. But it’s the control that comes with being unbound by the wishes of other people – and even themselves. Spontaneous people tend to be more creative, but they’re also more easily sidetracked.

The Strengths and Challenges of Each Style

If you naturally fall into one bracket or the other, then you might find yourself coming up against various challenges. A rigid planner could be thwarted by an unexpected disaster. You might intend to complete a particular task at a given time, but what if you’re delayed by a traffic jam, or a personal crisis, or even a knock at the door?

If you’re not in the habit of dealing with disruption, then this situation might cause considerable stress.

On the other hand, if you’re a spontaneous person, you might struggle to squeeze the maximum from every given working day, because you struggle to manage your time efficiently.

Why Balance is Key to Well-being

You might think that you fall into one of these two camps, and that you’re destined to stay there. But the chances are that a little bit of experimentation with a different approach to your day might yield valuable insights – even if you simply come away with a stronger belief that your original approach was the best fit for you.

Tips for Planners to Embrace Flexibility

If you’re a planner, then you might think about your tolerance of risk, and how you can deal with uncertainty. This will help to improve your well-being, in that it will help you to stress less when things don’t go to plan. Mindfulness meditation can be helpful, here. You might also look to recreational gambling to introduce a little bit of risk into your life. A round of Megaways casino slots, for example, might help you to leave a few things in life up to chance.

How Spontaneous Types Can Benefit from Structure

The mental-health benefits of routine are fairly well established, and they’re not just felt by the people who crave it instinctively. Structure can help you to achieve your personal goals, and to stop being buffeted around by your whims.

You might, for example, pledge that you’re going to go for a long walk every other day, and set a specific time at which to do it. Fall into this routine, and over time, you’ll be rewarded with superior health and fitness – and you won’t need all that much willpower to earn it.

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay