Letting go, going with the flow, letting loose…all phrases that I’ve never associated myself with. I’ve always had a thought-out plan. Letting go of those plans isn’t always the easiest thing for me to do. It's not easy to accept, but letting go of things that you can't control is okay, and sometimes necessary.

I tend to stick to my plans. Even if all else fails, I have a plan in the back of my mind as back-up. I guess I’m just stubborn that way. It’s most difficult when I’ve laid out and pictured what a day is going to look like or how I think things will play out. It’s especially difficult to deal with these changes in my plans when I’ve planned out something for the long-term rather than the short-term, because that means that I’ve given it that much more thought and careful consideration.

It’s okay to not follow a schedule or a plan once in a while. It took my plan being changed for me by extenuating circumstances to realize that everything will be okay, even if it’s not penciled in all three of my planners and two calendars.

Sometimes the only way to actually get things done if you have a tight schedule is to try and fit in what you need to do wherever you can. Little changes, surprises, or unexpected circumstances may throw off any schedule, but being flexible can actually help with getting things done in time to meet a due date.

For example, if you’re used to doing things on time or getting things done for a specific time or day, then taking advantage of every few minutes that are not scheduled for anything to catch up on these things or do them little by little. Being in a fast-paced university environment every day can get a little hectic. While spending your only free five minutes to do nothing is valuable for a college student, it is also valuable time to be able to scratch something off of your mental list.

Not following a list or schedule can be extremely satisfying and healthy. Living by the minute is not a way to live fully presently. Rather than being focused on what's next, I hope that by leaving my planner behind more often, I can learn to be more present in my daily life.