The Importance of "Winging It"

        It is understood in our society that the term "winging it" refers to not being prepared for any given event or circumstance. This term or action is looked down upon in many regards, but there are so many benefits that can come from enforcing this in our lives. Don't get me wrong, there are more situations in which one should not "wing it" (e.g. Presenting a sales pitch to a large company, interviewing for your dream job, teaching a graduate level class). 

        The reason this has come to light is because of the experiences I have had over the past 2 months of my life. I left my humble abode in Grand Rapids, Michigan on January 6th in order to search for, and experience a new place in this world. I packed everything I owned into my car and headed south for about 22 hours. I knew no one in Houston besides the few contacts I had made over the past month or so when searching for job interviews.  I had no job, never visited Houston before, but I wanted to change it up. Each and every one of us has dealt with going through the motions, I was just ready to make a change that not many were willing to make. I knew to some extent what every day held for me in Grand Rapids, so I wanted to be in a situation in which every minute of every day was a new and an unexpected adventure. I got that and much much more. 

        Arriving in Houston on January 6th, I slept in my car that night because it was something I had never done before and wanted to experience it (I don't think I'll ever do that again). I drove around Houston for about 2 days exploring the city and seeing what it had to offer. Let's just say I was glad that I didn't arrive to Houston with a job secured. I found myself in a concrete jungle, without anything that home represented. There were more unsafe places than safe as well. It left me thinking, "Wow, did I make the wrong choice? Do I have to stick with this choice, or can I go elsewhere?" This left me sick to my stomach. A decision was to be made, but nothing in life had prepared me for this. I didn't realize it at the time, but this type of situation was what I was looking for. I went with my gut, and looked elsewhere.

        Elsewhere being Austin.  I had heard so much about it from friends and family, but disregarded this place because I was so headstrong in my decision in Houston initially. From the first minute I entered Austin, and the countryside surrounding it, a sign of relief washed all of the emotion and worry away from my mind. "This was the place to be", I thought. I called one of my friends from college who relocated here, and to my surprise, he allowed me to crash on his couch for a few days. These few days involved visiting many neighborhoods and apartments looking for a place to stay. The housing situation was much more difficult than I expected. By day 5, I was signing a 6 month lease on a room in south-east Austin. Two months later and I am starting a job in an industry I would never have expected to be in, logistics. 

        On a side note, I also got involved in a startup in Austin (it seems that most people that reside here are involved in one of their own). It is a labeling company, that provides 1 or 2 color labels, and is based out of Austin. I'm extremely excited to be a part of it, and enjoy the daily unknown of starting a business. McAuley Labels is the name, and you can check us out at www.mcauleylabels.com. Let me know what you think. 

        You might ask why I am writing all of this, and the reason is because I want to encourage everyone to "wing it" at some point in their life. Take a journey in which you don't know what will happen, but doing it for the excitement and the invaluable learning experiences that you will encounter. Too many people today are so preoccupied in making sure that they are prepared for anything and everything that life brings them, but become angry when things don't go their way. I have learned too often and easily that God laughs at our plans, and that we must live every day knowing and trusting that He will provide and keep us safe.

        Not only do you learn more about who you are when "winging it", but you learn about all of the valuable life experiences that you might have missed out on in the past. For example, I have met so many people, most of them "keeping it weird" as we like to say in Austin. You also learn about who you are to the core. When you aren't prepared for something, your reactions are raw and reveal who you are when no one is watching. I never would have guessed that God would bring me to Austin, but hey, I'm just here for the ride. 

This is my first publish on LinkedIn, so I am not looking for arguments, or criticism on the theory or examples discussed here. My intentions are to encourage those that are willing to make the move that I have endured, and to share the experiences that have come from it.

Keep winging it y'all.