3 Benefits to Winging It!

Planning is overrated. It may be unpopular to say that, but here I am saying it anyway. In an age like this where five and ten year plans rule our thoughts and conversations, what if I told you that winging life is actually the key to success?

I plan to persuade you that winging life—essentially living life as it hits you—is not only valid, it’s actually superior to meticulously planning every detail of your future.

I’ve lived both lifestyles. One where my packed calendar ran my days, and another where I decided to let life take me where it may. I can safely say that the second option brought me much more joy and growth.

This could be valuable to anyone, but as a college student where we are constantly pressured to plan every detail of our futures, it’s more important than ever.

Here are three reasons why winging it is the way to go.

1. Freedom that comes from flexibility.

2. Creative spark found in spontaneity.

3. Emotional growth that naturally happens when you live in the moment.

Let’s start with flexibility.

Flexibility is freedom. When you wing it, you’re not chained to a schedule that assumes the universe will cooperate—because let’s face it, it rarely does. Think about 2020. The entire world shut down. Every plan—every wedding, graduation, vacation, job opportunity—got wiped out in an instant. A 2021 article from the National Library of Medicine talked about nurses who finished their degrees but didn’t even get to walk across the stage. Years of hard work, no celebration to enjoy. It’s a clear example that no matter how well you plan, life can—and many times will—disrupt it.

But the flexible people? They adapted. They moved forward. Professor Mi Zhou, a cognitive sciences expert, revealed that adaptability is directly linked to life satisfaction. The more adaptable you are, the less stress you feel. In fact, adaptable people don’t even see disruptions as failures—they see them as growth opportunities. And when you live life moment to moment, you're present. You’re not worried about some future scenario you’ve mapped out in your head. You’re actually here—and that brings a kind of joy and calm you can't find in a calendar.

Ah, Creativity.

Creativity thrives without a script. When your life is overly structured, there’s little room to be spontaneous, to explore, or to innovate. Think about how many times you've heard the phrase “think outside the box.” How can we do that if we live inside the box every single day? Some of the most iconic moments in pop culture were totally improvised. That famous line in Jaws—“We’re gonna need a bigger boat”—wasn’t even in the script. It was a spontaneous reaction. And what about jazz? The entire genre is built on improvisation. Any member can add their personal flare wherever they see fit. No sheet music, no plan—just pure creative flow. And it dominated the music world for decades.

Even in business, spontaneity wins. A Forbes article on entrepreneurs revealed that too much structure kills innovation. When we wing it, we’re more likely to take risks—creative ones—that lead to something original and powerful.

Don't just Go through it, GROW through it.

People often over plan because they’re afraid of failure. They think if they control everything, nothing can go wrong. But ironically, that fear of failure often leads to inaction. You get so caught up trying to get it all right, you never actually do anything.

Dr. Sergio Edu-Valsania wrote about this. He found that constantly chasing long-term goals can lead to burnout and damage self-esteem. Why? Because perfection is impossible—and the pursuit of it is exhausting.

But winging it teaches something valuable: emotional resilience. When you stop expecting things to go a certain way, and instead embrace whatever comes, you grow tougher. You learn to trust yourself. You learn to adapt. And that’s real confidence.

Pia Silva, a successful entrepreneur, gave a TED Talk where she said her success came from jumping into the unknown—and learning to live inside of it. Not just tolerate it. Live in it. That’s a whole different level of courage.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Isn’t planning sometimes good? Absolutely. Planning gives people a sense of direction, a sense of control. Schedules help you stay organized. Long-term goals can be motivating. But here’s the problem: life doesn’t care about your plans and aspirations. You can plan all you want, but things will change. And if you’ve never learned to adapt—never learned to wing it—you’ll struggle. Practicing adaptability every day doesn’t just help you survive those moments. It helps you thrive in them.

So, let me remind you why you should embrace winging it sometime ...

Winging life isn’t just a lazy alternative to planning—it’s a smarter, freer, and more fulfilling way to live. It gives you flexibility to move with life instead of fighting against it. It fuels creativity by giving you space to think and explore. And it helps you grow emotionally by pushing you to be present, brave, and resilient.

So next time your plans fall apart, or you find yourself staring at a blank calendar, don’t panic. Maybe—just maybe—that’s where the magic begins.