We live in a world obsessed with optimization. Every day, we’re bombarded with advice on how to structure our mornings, our routines, even our thoughts, so we can be the best version of ourselves. Wake up early, journal, meditate, work out, drink two liters of water, do the work. The message is loud and clear: if you follow the right formula, you’ll feel happier, more confident, and well.

And to be fair, structure is important, especially if life already feels chaotic. Routines help us meet our basic needs and create a sense of stability. Things like brushing our teeth, eating a balanced meal, moving our bodies, and making time for small moments of joy are essential. But beyond these non-negotiables, the pressure to perfect our daily routines can quickly become another source of stress.

Life is already full of non-negotiables, whether we like it or not. Brush our teeth, eat, go to work, pay the bills. Beyond that, we might have personal priorities: moving our body, keeping up with friends, making time for small rituals like that first sip of coffee in the morning. The to-do list is long and can quickly become endless. If we pile too many expectations on top of it, we end up feeling drained, guilty, or like we’re failing at something as basic as being a person.

So instead of adding another thing to perfect, what if we loosened our grip a little? What if, instead of chasing the best way to do things, we made space for doing them differently.

I’m not saying you need to wake up and book a last-minute holiday or quit your job. I’m talking about small shifts. Tiny acts of spontaneity that shake up the rhythm of your day and pull you into the present.

• Order a different coffee than usual, maybe at a new cafe you haven’t tried
• Take a new route to work.
• Ask the barista how their morning’s going, instead of the usual “thanks” and tap of the card.
• Walk without headphones.
• Say yes to something unexpected.

It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be new. Research suggests that we spend on average 46.9% of our waking time thinking about something other than what we’re actually doing (Killingsworth, Gilbert. 2010). Our brains are wired to default to autopilot, constantly running through to-do lists, past conversations, or hypothetical scenarios about the future. But when we switch things up, even in the smallest ways, we can break that loop. We notice more. We experience more, and we pull ourselves into the present moment.

Spontaneity doesn’t mean throwing structure out the window. It just means leaving space for surprise and curiosity. For the little moments that remind you that life isn’t just a series of checklists but rather something to experience in real time.