By nature, we all have different personality types. The two types I want to highlight are being a planner vs. being spontaneous. I identify as a planner with some sprinkles of spontaneity. The way I move is often very strategic. I have never been one to thrive on procrastination, but sometimes things have been out of my control. What are the differences between the two personalities?
Being a planner is one who makes decisions on the future before it even happens based on current circumstances. You are organized and prepared. Being spontaneous is when you perform an act on impulse without premeditation. Being someone who does things without much thought summarizes this. When you identify as one or the other, there is no one who’s better than the other. That person who identifies as spontaneous can sometimes have a greater outcome than someone who plans and vice versa.
Many of the things going on in my life have been a plan in the making for many years. But they have not always happened at the time I wanted it. As I continue to get older, I accept the idea that there are many things out of my control. There are also many things where a plan can be beneficial.
Below are some examples of the planner vs the spontaneous personality within myself.
- I start my Christmas shopping in May. This is when the clothing from the winter season goes on sale which is the same season at Christmas. The prices are much lower as I PLAN to save some coins.
- Sometimes at the start of the week, I don’t have a PLAN for the weekend. I just go where the wind blows me literally because if the weather is bad I stay my butt in the house. Being SPONTANEOUS, as the day come, I may decide to go to the movies or go for a little walk.
- I start researching my vacation options months in advance to see the pricing, read reviews, etc. The PLAN is to get the best price at a great location. Waiting to the last minute can cost more.
- I like to cook. When you have a certain way to cook that is good it’s hard to stray away from that. Sometimes, I don’t have the said ingredients I would like, so I SPONTANEOUSLY google different recipes and take a chance. Everything usually comes out okay and I practice to perfect thereafter.
- I had a PLAN after graduate school as to where I wanted to work. I had an interview and was waiting for that position . One day I received a call from an employment agency 1 month into this wait. They had my name from a conference I went to prior. They were in need of an Occupational Therapist at a location. I SPONTANEOUSLY took the chance away from my PLAN. Three days later I started my first job in the field. I was in this position for almost a year before that job that was in my PLAN came back around in a better way.
- I got engaged near the end of summer. I knew I wanted a spring wedding and I had a PLAN to wait a year and a half. Spring was in 7-8 months which was not enough time, so I wanted to wait until the next one. This was during the pandemic. After discussion, I thought about it and SPONTANEOUSLY decided I could plan a wedding in 7 months. Life was too short to wait over a year. It was to be about the marriage and not the big party. We couldn’t invite everyone because it was expensive, but it happened with just under 100 family and friends.
So, which personality do you identify as and how has it benefitted your life?