Helping Planners Embrace Surprises

Helping Planners Embrace Surprises

When someone surprises you with spontaneous plans, do you…

Planners tend to organize their time with intention. You likely had a plan—or at least a mental outline—for how today would go. So, when someone springs a “fun” surprise on you, even if their heart is in the right place, it can feel like your whole system gets derailed.
You might feel stuck—circumstances are outside of your control and now there’s an expectation that you’ll be grateful. But what if this just isn’t how you wanted to spend your time? Saying so might seem like overreacting or being inflexible… but going along with it might leave you feeling silently resentful—and not having any fun at all.

🔎 How do you navigate moments where your structure and someone else’s spontaneity collide? Can you preserve your inner sense of order, even when the day doesn’t go as planned? And is it possible that small shifts in your schedule might bring unexpected joy—without sacrificing your values?

Compassionate Communication

Nonviolent Communication (NVC), also called Compassionate Communication, is a process developed by Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s. Rosenburg discovered an insightful way of working through the conflict that arises when two individuals have contrasting strategies for having their own needs and values met. His process involves identifying one’s own needs, the needs of others, and the feelings that surround these needs.

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