Weekend Engagement - Stop And Smell The Roses

Do you prefer to plan aspects of your life or let it happen and go with the flow?

As much as I want to deny it sometimes, I am really a 100% planner when it comes to most of the things in my life.

For most parts of my life, I plan my schedules in advance, so that I know when to allocate time for myself, my family and friends, as well as when to do household chores, and run errands like getting groceries at the supermarket. I think the rationale behind this is that I can maximise my time fully, and also have a bird's eye view of how I spend my time. For example, I might have forgotten to set aside time for exercise, or even some mini projects that I am working on, and having this schedule would provide me this clarity.

I settle my meals myself most of the time, so I would even plan my meals in advance, for example, which restaurants or cafes to try on a particular day, or just keep things simple with hawker food. I think what started this planning was because I wanted to watch my diet, to cut down on oily and unhealthy food, to get sufficient portions of fruits and vegetables, etc. So planning my meals this way allows me to incorporate a balanced diet, and even allows me to have my "cheat meals" where I could indulge in sinful desserts, knowing that my calories are okay from on overall perspective.

Onto something more macro, I do plan my personal finances too. This would cover both my expenses and personal savings/investments. This is so that I know how much I am spending, as well as, how much my net worth is. Retirement has always been a goal that I am working towards, so having occasional checks would help to ensure that I am on track to achieve my personal financial goals.

I guess I could go on and on about the stuff I plan.. And that sometimes includes stuff that I post on Hive too! But I will spare the repetitive details. After all, there's no right or wrong in this - but that said, like all personalities and habits, there's always pros and cons.

I do acknowledge that I am more resistant to change, and less spontaneous, because when everything is planned and allocated nicely, changes in one little part will have a cascading effect to the entire plan. And that stresses me out. But over the years, I have learnt to accept it, and manage it better.

In the recent years, I have gradually embraced the fact that it's perfectly okay to just go with the flow and have tried to do so. For instance, I used to plan my holidays in detail, what to do, what to eat, where to go, for every single day. But last year, I thought why not just go with the flow since it's just a holiday. There were days which I just spent lazing at hotel swimming pool getting a tan, or just stepping in random restaurants to try out their food, and it was actually okay.

Ultimately, I am still a planner at heart, and being spontaneous for a few specific situations doesn't change that. I don't think I will change this part of me, but at the same time, I do appreciate that sometimes I should slow down my pace of life, chill a little more, enjoy the blue skies, and just stop and smell the roses.

What about you?