How To Be Spontaneous and Deal With The Unexpected [Episode 149]

Do you have a fear of the unknown? Are you terrified of speaking ‘off the cuff’? Do you over prepare for everything?

As much as we would like everything in life to go to plan, more often than not, unexpected challenges pop up.

But life is inherently unpredictable. We can’t predict how an audience will respond to our presentation, or if our clients last minute cancel a meeting, or what questions your job interviewer will ask you, or if your blender explodes and your smoothie floods your kitchen bench (which is exactly what happened to me this morning, by the way).

And many people really struggle to deal with the unexpected, with things they CAN’T control. They may go into fight or flight response. They panic, or they let their emotions rise up into anger or frustration, and let it out on others. Or they freeze and do nothing. Which ultimately, doesn’t help the situation.

So this is why it’s so important to be able to deal with the unexpected and be spontaneous. If you can learn to be more spontaneous, you will feel more confident going into different situations, because you know you’re equipped to deal with anything that comes up. You’ll reduce your stress, as you’ll spend less time worrying about ‘what could happen’. And you’ll be a more effective leader, as you’ll have everyone’s confidence that you’ll remain cool, calm and collected in any situation.

Listen to the episode to discover how you can start embracing spontaneity in your workplace today 🙂

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Toastmasters — how to get started as a beginner public speaker (podcast)
• A sneak peek inside a Toastmaster’s meeting (podcast)
• How to handle Q&A like a ninja (podcast)