Tonight’s lesson: be flexible, but be prepared.

With the way my life has been going lately, I have a tendency to over-schedule everything.  When I am going to see someone again, which exact hour I have time for the gym, where we’re going for dinner, etc.  When this happens, I tend to get too involved in my plan, and then I become my own roadblock to happiness.  I end up saying things like, “Well, no, I shouldn’t have another drink, I need to hit the gym later,” or “Sorry, I packed my lunch,” or “I should get home before too long.”

To make matters worse, it’s really easy to convince myself that I’m somehow not prepared for spontaneous events.  Maybe my shoes are too uncomfortable, or my jeans are too casual, or I feel weird that I wasn’t specifically invited.

But tonight, I decided to be more like duct tape.  Flexible, durable, and ready for anything.

I was at an event for my old job, a close-out party within a bigger conference about consumer issues.  I planned to stay for a bit, see some old friends, meet some new people, and call it a night.  Then, I got  a text from my boyfriend saying that he was at a movie screening right down the street and could meet up with me after my party to give me a ride home.  For once, rather than taking the easy way out and getting home two hours before his movie ended as planned, I rerouted and went to join him.

And you know what?  It was totally worth it.

I had so much fun, it didn’t matter that I never had a chance to eat dinner, and that I barely knew the friend he was there to support.  It wasn’t a deal breaker that my back hurt and my bare legs were freezing as I walked to the car after.  I could have let any one of those things stand in the way of having a great night, and for once, I didn’t.

Now, I need more of this.  Less planning, more fun.  From everything I hear, that is exactly what my twenties should be for, and I intend to make the most of it from this day forward.