The Need for Spontaneity
We often hear the recommendation that we must keep play in our lives. In discussing a culture of innovation, Duncan Wardle (Innovation Speaker and former Head of Innovation at Disney) discusses how we continue to give up play as we grow older. We may become better at time management and organization, yet we accordingly also lose spontaneity.
What is play but imaginative spontaneity? We think of something a little out of the box and then we see it through. It could be randomly hopping in the car to drive to the beach or just to work in a different location for the day. It could be packing up with friends or family and camping for the weekend. It could be cooking something new or trying a new hairstyle – perhaps a random dance party in your living room. We’ve got books, crafts, movies – so many things at our finger tips for doing something just a *little* different to help us feel rejuvenated and get the blood and creative juices flowing again.
Even so, many of these options were decreased – if not completely taken away from us – through those who went through the COVID pandemic.
Our favorite places were shut down, while time sped up and slowed down all at the same time. If essential, nothing and everything changed. If working remotely, we were constantly accessible (supposedly). We took on multiple jobs and roles. If we were unable to keep working, financial and emotional resources were drained for attempting something “spontaneous.”
Creative juices may have run low for the first time in new ways; even if they were raised, the “new normal” shifted things all over again. Social contexts continue to change.
It is no one’s fault, but regaining an ebb and flow to our life will help exponentially. We have had time for reflection and now we can integrate that reflection with connection and rejuvenation.
We need to think differently and make new connections, which can oftentimes take place in the most unexpected places.
We also crave connection. We miss the random asides that create connection (and either humor or at least “yup, I’m thinking the same thing!” confirmations) that happen when we are able to meet together, in-person (plenty has been written about what ended up being called the Zoom fatigue and even led into quiet quitting).
Multiple conversations can occur at the same time. At times those breaks are absolutely needed and give us that little spark to keep pushing through the difficult topics. Think back, also, to what it is like to when you are with a group of people—we can swap between conversations, move around to speak with people in different groups, or have cross-conversations across a table (or tables, for that matter) in a restaurant.
Each of these adds a spark for us.
The additional stimulation helps us to create spontaneous connections with others, but also the topics floating around in our mind. We may hear two conversations going at once and suddenly have an inspired solution for that problem we’ve been stewing on for days! One word may stand out, which helps us to create new connections of two people that could benefit from meeting each other. A new collaboration can occur because of an aside.
Beyond this, our world started to feel a little smaller. We can start feeling more comfortable, connected, and greater empathy even when someone crosses our path with a shirt on showing a favorite sports team, place to visit, or band. We can gain advice that would have otherwise taken much longer and more exerted effort.
All of this spontaneity encourages synthesis, inspiration, and also saves us a good amount of effort. Additionally, it feels more genuine and authentic when something is shared through a human connection.
I therefore give everyone reading this to go play and be spontaneous. It doesn’t have to be some grandiose thing and it certainly doesn’t have to be integrated into some serious self-help agenda. Instead, do something you really just feel like doing and it will help your productivity. Book that room for a trip you have been wanting (if you feel good doing so) and let your loved ones know that you’ll be nicer after you go – it is needed for a relationship tune-up!
Offer someone a random compliment, reach out to someone you haven’t for awhile, go for a walk and say hi to the people that you pass along the way. Put yourself out there and be receptive to whatever it is you might be needing at the moment and see what random opportunities come along. We are all in need of spontaneity tune-ups!