Listen here.
Something I've always struggled with is going with the flow. And honestly? I think it comes down to a few specific reasons -- so let's break them down.
A Packed Schedule Was My Normal
Growing up, I was busy. As I've mentioned before, I grew up dancing, which meant that between school, homework, extracurricular activities, and dance rehearsals, there was barely a moment to spare in the day. That kind of schedule turned me into a night owl for a long time -- we're talking 1-2 A.M. without even thinking twice about it.
Interestingly, that's starting to shift. I've been slowly evolving into more of a morning person, which has been a fascinating change in terms of my productivity and daily rhythm. It's still a work in progress, but I can feel the difference.
The Struggle With Downtime
When you're used to having every hour accounted for, having actual downtime can feel...disorienting. There's always one part of me that desperately wants to rest, and another part mentally running through the ever-growing to-do list.
This is something I'm actively working on, especially around time management. I've gotten much better at planning out my weeks at a high level, but time-blocking my days more intentionally is the next step -- and I think it's going to make a huge difference.
Hello, Type A Tendencies
I'll own it: I lean pretty heavily Type A. By nature, that means I need structure and planning to feel grounded. One of my jobs is very structured, which I genuinely appreciate. My other job used to have a shifting schedule, which made it really hard to plan anything -- you'd never know which days you'd be working, so making plans with friends or even just organizing your week felt like a gamble.
Now that my days are more consistent even at that job, it's helped a lot. But it also reminded me of an important truth: so many of those scheduling conflicts are simply out of your control -- and that's exactly where learning to go with the flow comes in.
The Best Moments Are Usually Unplanned
As I've gotten older, one of the biggest things I've come to appreciate is living in the moment. And here's what I've noticed: the most memorable, most meaningful moments in life tend to happen spontaneously -- no calendar invite, no itinerary, no plan.
That doesn't mean structure is bad. I truly believe having a framework for your days and your weeks is valuable and important. But it has to leave from for openness. Because sometimes, the most amazing thing can come along and completely rewrite your day -- in the best way possible.
When Life Forces Your Hand
This month has been full of the unexpected for me -- and unfortunately, not in the good kind of way. A lot of things happened that were very much outside of my control, and I've had to adapt pretty quickly, adjust on the fly, and just...keep going.
It was a real lesson in going with the flow, not by choice, but by necessity. And while it wasn't easy, there was something clarifying about it. You can map out everything perfectly, and still have the smallest thing throw the whole plan off -- sometimes without you even realizing it at first.
Stay Open To Possibilities
So here's the takeaway: plan, yes. Build structure, absolutely. But hold it all a little loosely.
If you're too locked into the strict path you've created for yourself, you might miss something incredible happening just to the side of it. Go with the flow every once in a while -- because you genuinely never know what it might bring!
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