Aussies are control freaks who can’t do spontaneity

WHEN was the last time you did something spontaneous? No, picking up a bottle of wine on the way home doesn’t count.

A new survey suggests you love work, routine and rules. Like most Australians, you’re probably boring.

EARLIER this year, I quit my job and went on adventure.

I handed in my resignation on a Tuesday, and boarded a plane to Rome just 12 days later. The decision came as a shock, both to myself and my employer. I’m not the kind of person who does things like that. I think, plan, wait, and talk myself out.

I thought I’d go to Europe after high school, but then I got into university. I thought I’d go after university, but then I got an internship. I thought I’d go after my internship, but then I got a job.

I couldn’t afford it. I didn’t have time. It was too scary.

Trust me, I’ve used every excuse in the book.

Many Aussies think of themselves as relaxed and easygoing, but very few of us are. In fact, we’re control freaks who can’t handle spontaneity.

Here’s the boring truth: in a new survey commissioned by lastminute.com.au, 52 per cent said work gets in the way of spontaneity, while 62 per cent admitted they love rules and routines. At 58 per cent, women are the main offenders.

Apparently I’m not alone.

Sick of staring at cheesy stock photos on your screen saver? Do something about it.

Selina, a 32-year-old marketing professional from Sydney, was in the same boat.

“I was quite cautious, I stepped carefully and did everything by the book,” she said.

“I had a fulltime job, I worked out, I had a live-in boyfriend.”

But earlier this year, her world came crashing down. Her relationship ended. She moved back in with her parents. She was made redundant.

“I had plans to save my redundancy payout and put it towards a mortgage, new car or something equally as sensible, until my fun-loving best friend was visiting Sydney after living in LA for a few months,” she told news.com.au.

“She said ‘Why don’t you come to America for a holiday?’”

Within four days, they were on a two-week trip to the US, starting in Los Angeles, then heading down to Miami and New Orleans, and across to Texas.

“This whole trip was me saying yes to everything, even things I’d never normally say yes to. We got into a few dicey situations, but we had the time of our lives.

“One time we got stuck on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We’d had a bit too much to drink, and we couldn’t get a cab. There were all these prostitutes approaching us.

“Another time we just woke up one day and we were like ‘Let’s go to Key West’ in Florida, we were in Miami, so we hired a convertible and went there.”

Tim Milne and his partner are travelling to NZ for Christmas after snapping up cheap flights.

Throughout the trip, her friend constantly urged her to try Tinder.

“I was like ‘No. I’m a 90s kid’,” Selina said.

“But on the second-last day before we were going to fly back, I went on Tinder. He was like the second guy I swiped who I really liked. He messaged me and we met up. We got along crazy well. Two weeks later he came to visit me in Sydney.”

Fast-forward a few months, she’s still with her beau, a Canadian who works on a Texan oil rig. She’s visited him four times since April, and he’s coming to Australia again next month.

“It’s amazing how much your life can change. I feel like I’ve done more this year than in every year before. I can’t tell you how boring my life was,” she said.

“Everything in my life is completely different. New job, new man, new life, new place to live. I’m hoping next year I might make a move to Texas even, which is also quite spontaneous.

“I always used to secretly wish I’d get a kick up the arse. I’d daydream about just walking out of my job and flying to China or something.

“But the universe won’t step in if you don’t make a change yourself. I suggest everyone does it once in their life, just pick up and do something amazing.”

OK, you don’t have to start with a safari in Africa. How about a weekend staycation?

Sarah King from lastminute.com.au says the research was surprising.

“Although many like the idea of being spontaneous, they find it hard to let go.”

The figures, taken from a survey of 1000 people, reveals half the nation dreads big yearly events like work Christmas parties, and 70 per cent would go as far as planning a trip out of town to avoid them.

“It’s the end of the year, everyone is stressed and racing toward the finish line. A spontaneous trip is a great way to break routine. We also found those spontaneous experiences end up being more fun, because there’s less expectation,” she said.

OK, so booking flights to Europe or America is a pretty big deal.

If you’re not up for something that extreme, Ms King recommends starting with something like a five-star hotel stay in your own city, or a long weekend.

“Having a sneaky Sunday night escape can be a good way to make savings, and it also extends your weekend into a Monday which is nice,” she said.