“The fun stuff comes when someone is not so strict on sticking to the script. You’re allowed the spontaneity, and great moments can happen.” – Jennifer Aniston

I hope she was referring to the TV show “Friends” when she said this, because that show is the bomb. There is a lot of truth behind these words though. I wake up to my (first) alarm at 5:45 a.m. every morning. I then shower, get dressed and head to work for 10 hours, come home, make dinner, and then hit the reset button to do it all over again. If you know me, sticking to the script is not my forte. Even though it makes life easier when we fall into a routine, this type of lifestyle feels suffocating.

As I was contemplating the claustrophobia of the “script” I’m living in, I decided to go on a jog with a friend to clear my head. We made it to the Lake Shore bike path (that’s in Chicago for you out-of-towners) and saw a half marathon underway. Shamelessly, we jogged up to one of the runners and asked where the finish line was. A mischievous smile swept across our faces as the opportunity of spontaneity was knocking at our door.

Within moments, we were immersed in a pack of runners– dodging patches of ice that was sketched across the pavement.  After 10 miles of high fives, chest bumps, and even a refreshing bit of beer (don’t ask), we were rounding the last bend to the finish line. With cold ears and damp socks, we burst into an Olympic grade sprint (or so it felt like). All the sudden I was hit face first with the thought, “What the heck are we doing?!” There were a couple hundred spectators waiting at the finish line to congratulate us on our “hour and fifty-five minute” completion of a half marathon. They even gave me a medal!

After crossing the finish line, a sense of excitement and nervousness — topped with a hint of guilt since we didn’t register for the race–came over me, and an impulse to burst out laughing at our devious stunt was inevitable.

Spontaneity makes life real. It creates valuable memories and brings joy into the gaps of the script we are living in. My challenge to you is to take advantage of the moments when you can be spontaneous. It is amazing how far those experiences will travel with you.