In my last few posts, I have heavily advocated ordering and managing your world. At work. At home. At night. During the week. You get the picture.
Managing your time is a good thing. You have been gifted with a life to live and it is your responsibility to be a steward for the time you’ve been given. So make the most of it by being organized, prompt, and efficient.
But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I do not plan every single thing I do.
In fact, I believe everyone needs a few YOLO moments in their lives.
You heard me…YOLO.
If you do not know what it stands for, YOLO means, “you only live once”. Wikipedia defines it as “similar to carpe diem, it implies that one should enjoy life, even if that entails taking risks.”
YOLO has a bad rep for being something younger people say to justify doing stupid things, but I am not advocating base jumping off the closest high rise or seeing how fast you can go on the highway. My YOLO moments are a bit tamer than that.
They often include going somewhere with friends that I had not originally planned on, spending a little bit of money on a surprise date when I had intended to save cash, or doing something else unplanned.
When life gets in a rhythm of planning and organizing and rigid structures, you lose something. You lose a certain spark that comes with not knowing what will happen next or where you’ll be in 12 hours.
Working YOLO moments into my life is not easy. It does not come quite as natural to me now as it did in college. I start to believe at times that I have too many responsibilities, too many people depending on me, too much to do. I don’t have margin in my life to spend time doing things that may not line up with my agenda.
But there is always time. It is just whether or not we are willing to get out of our comfort bubbles and into the world of YOLO every now and then. I am sure that the friend who called you and wants to get dinner is far more important that watching Monday Night Football or the most recent episode of your favorite show, regardless of the fact that this friend lives a solid 40 minutes away.
I am not trying to tell you to schedule YOLO moments, but rather be open to them. When an opportunity arises and stretches you beyond your comfort zone, take enough time to really consider your options. Do not shoot it down upon first contact. Allow it to come through your barriers before you shoot it down.
Be willing to sacrifice your comfort for the YOLO moments. They help remind us that we are alive and keep us focused on the things that matter most in life.
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Hi Adam…funny you should bring this up! Yesterday I was stressed to the max. After a week of working with 3 suicidal clients and trying to get a website design right before a radio interview, I almost felt like taking a tranquilizer! But today is the first day of a week off! My daughter, son-in-law, and three precious grandsons are all coming to see us. We will be at a cabin and will see Yellowstone (for the 20th time but I never get enough of that place!). I had planned on taking some work with me. This morning I prayed and thought…no…and as you said, I need YOLO time. I am going to unplug (as much as possible) and just be present to the joy of family and nature. Great post, Adam! A timely reminder.
Hi Adam…funny you should bring this up! Yesterday I was stressed to the max. After a week of working with 3 suicidal clients and trying to get a website design right before a radio interview, I almost felt like taking a tranquilizer! But today is the first day of a week off! My daughter, son-in-law, and three precious grandsons are all coming to see us. We will be at a cabin and will see Yellowstone (for the 20th time but I never get enough of that place!). I had planned on taking some work with me. This morning I prayed and thought…no…and as you said, I need YOLO time. I am going to unplug (as much as possible) and just be present to the joy of family and nature. Great post, Adam! A timely reminder.
Daniel, I really like the post. I agree: being more open to the moments is the best way to do it. Just having it on your mind, makes you more aware of potential YOLO moments.
Thanks. It was really helpful.
Here’s to YOLO! Have a great weekend.
Thanks Diego!
Daniel, I really like the post. I agree: being more open to the moments is the best way to do it. Just having it on your mind, makes you more aware of potential YOLO moments.
Thanks. It was really helpful.
Here’s to YOLO! Have a great weekend.
Thanks Diego!
Good reminder Daniel. I’ve been saying “yes” more often than “no” lately to those spur of the moment, not really sure what I’m doing, but going to try it anyway moments. For the most part it has paid off, and when it didn’t, I learned a lesson. I had a friend visit me a few months ago and we did a bunch of things around town. Upon telling him I hadn’t gone out and done any of these things yet, he said “Man! What do you do, sit at home every day?” It was a good wake up call and now I make it a point to get out and explore.
Thanks Leo!
Good reminder Daniel. I’ve been saying “yes” more often than “no” lately to those spur of the moment, not really sure what I’m doing, but going to try it anyway moments. For the most part it has paid off, and when it didn’t, I learned a lesson. I had a friend visit me a few months ago and we did a bunch of things around town. Upon telling him I hadn’t gone out and done any of these things yet, he said “Man! What do you do, sit at home every day?” It was a good wake up call and now I make it a point to get out and explore.
Thanks Leo!
Great post Daniel. I love this reminder.
Thanks Adam
Great post Daniel. I love this reminder.
Thanks Adam
Had a YOLO moment today. Saturday means grocery shopping. But it was such a nice day out that my husband and I took our boys to a park that didn’t have play equipment. We raced, watched fish swimming in the lake, and performed our favorite songs on the outdoor stage. It was perfect! The grocery store isn’t going anywhere! YOLO!
Perfect! Love it!
Had a YOLO moment today. Saturday means grocery shopping. But it was such a nice day out that my husband and I took our boys to a park that didn’t have play equipment. We raced, watched fish swimming in the lake, and performed our favorite songs on the outdoor stage. It was perfect! The grocery store isn’t going anywhere! YOLO!
Perfect! Love it!
My teenage son, a tall, athletic boy in the prime of health, recently contracted and survived a rare but often lethal virus found in western US. He took us all the way to the death and back, coding for 6 minutes and spending several days on a lung bypass machine before his body fought off the virus and he started to recover. Yolo, is one of my children’s favorite sayings. Now my son says “I think I beat YOLO” because he is on his second chance now. YOLO is not just about getting out of our busyness and drive to be ever-more productive, it’s about the “why” we are working so hard, the “who” we are doing it with and for, and never forgetting that most of us would chuck it all out the window in an instant if it came to a choice between the people we love most and our endless task list. Thanks for the post – my family is a hyper-aware state of YOLO right now and we are savoring the small and big moments of simply being together.
I’m guilty of not taking the time to have those moments when I feel it inconveniences me. I’m a huge planner so when something comes up that I wasn’t expecting, I tend to shut it down or if I do do it, it annoys me. I need to change that. Thanks for the insight!