Tip #15: Schedule a Plan-Free Day

Downtime is where we become ourselves, looking into the middle distance, kicking at the curb, lying on the grass or sitting on the stoop and staring at the tedious blue of the summer sky. I don’t believe you can write poetry, or compose music, or become an actor without downtime, and plenty of it, a hiatus that passes for boredom but is really the quiet moving of the wheels inside that fuel creativity.”
-Anna Quindlen

In today’s fast-paced, multi-tasking world, few of us ever wake up without an agenda. The key to a successful plan-free day is thinking no further than a few minutes ahead. Concentrate on doing whatever you feel like, moment to moment, whether it’s taking a long walk before sunrise, spending hours on the phone with an old friend, or eating your favorite cereal for dinner. Allow for plenty of delightful detours along the way.

Now, for just one day, plan to NOT have a plan. Try to think of the 12 hours as a blank slate, with no rules or obligations. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised at the possibilities that emerge.

Take Home Message:

For just one day, abandon your agenda and experience life minute by minute.

“… Often our actions interfere with events that would happen without our actions. In other words, if we took no action, things would happen without us. Sometimes it’s better to let things happen. Step back, don’t act, things will happen without us.”
-Leo Babauta (From a post on the blog Zen Habits)