So I was just curious, have you ever done anything on the spur of the moment?  Have you ever just had a thought and decided right then in there that you will act on it?  A word of caution, this is not always the best way to act and I can think of a few examples where spontaneity does not rule.  I have participated in a number of planning discussions recently which entails trying to anticipate the future.  These planning sessions come in many forms like putting together a budget and a strategic plan.  I have a great deal of respect and certainly promote the ability to plan and to budget and make a road map for how to direct and allocate your resources.  Successful organizations need to do this to maintain and enhance its financial, operational and logistical perspective. Now, I am not suggesting we stop planning, however, I would like you to stop for a moment and think of a time where you made a decision on the fly.  You might have been faced with a need to keep things moving along and needed the decision made in order to stay on a schedule or within budget. 

I know I am a little crazy but I think back to my past and remember giving a spontaneous first kiss or making a spur of the moment decision to ask a girl to dance.  I can also think of people dropping by my office to ask my opinion on how this or that should be done and needing to assess the situation and make a decision based on the best information available at the time. This happens in business every day, and you need to be able to make on the fly decisions from time to time or things might grind to a halt.  The only thing that I would caution is that in your quick assessment you also need to assess the risk of the potential right or wrong decision. Think of the decisions made by surgeons, law enforcement, fire fighters and soldiers, all examples of the type of job that puts life on the line to take care of business and the outcome is one of substantial consequences.  But isn't it comforting to know that people in those positions know how to make a decision in a blink of an eye?

I love to be spontaneous when I know it will not result in a bad decision or have a life altering effect on me or those around me.  It can be very liberating!  A few weeks ago I was in the Netherlands and had the better part of a day to do or go anywhere I wanted.  Since this was my fourth trip in so many years, I decided to be spontaneous.  I left my hotel, jumped in a car and came to a roundabout and with little thought I chose a direction, then proceeded to the next intersection of decision point and chose another direction.  This game continued until I was in the little town of Oostburg, a place I had never heard of before.  It was a cool little town and I spent a few hours just chatting with locals and trying out a few samples of the local fare.  What a cool place to be, and in my opinion even better to have found it by complete accident as the culmination of the hour or so of random decisions that led me magically to its wonderful charming streets and people.

I do a number of things in this way and have found over the years it really works well with my personality and demeanor.  Choosing items from a menu, going in a store, trying on clothes and selecting the combination of clothes to wear.  It's amazing the fun to be had!

I know spontaneity is not for everyone and that's okay.  All I suggest is that when you have an opportunity to take a chance on the unknown, I would highly encourage you try it.  You might just find yourself in your own version of Oostburg and find you really enjoyed that little bit of excitement and unpredictable outcome that keeps life interesting.