For 24 hours, I decided to stop overthinking and say yes to everything (within reason) that came my way. It wasn’t a life overhaul where I deleted social media, woke up at 5:00 A.M. or suddenly became an influencer; it was just a fun little social experiment! In full transparency, this wasn’t a perfectly structured sunrise-to-sunrise day. It was more like multiple spontaneous moments that added up to roughly 24 hours of choosing yes, instead of sticking to my routine.
The Rainy Road Trip
It started with a plan that, on paper, was working out. Really. Out of the blue, my friend texted me a date, time and location, slightly ominous considering it was in the middle of nowhere, but we would find snow in Florida. That’s right ladies, we decided to go to Snowcat Ridge in Dade City, an all outdoors snow park that offers tubing, an igloo with real(-ish) snow, ice skating and food. So, we figured every detail out and it was all lining up perfectly. Then, it started pouring. Not the light Florida mist where the sun is still shining, it was actual windshield-wipers-on-high rain. The drive to Dade City from Gainesville became two hours because (as we all know) people forget how to drive when it starts raining. Now, every part of my brain was screaming at me to back out and stay home because I am never outside in the rain. My family is a “if you get stuck in the rain you will be bedridden for days” kind of family. They also believe the same thing will happen to you if you sleep with wet hair, so I’m sensing a common theme. But it was my Yes Day (and I had already bought my ticket), so although I would’ve liked to stay warm and dry, I jumped in the car. The drive was slightly chaotic, visibility was questionable and music was blasting. Though, there’s something about committing to a slightly ridiculous plan that just bonds people. So we did all the activities and by the end we were soaked, shivering and disheveled (think raccoon). I said yes to not only all the activities, but also to a big soft serve ice cream cone because yes, I am that girl who will eat ice cream in the cold, and I don’t regret it one bit. Thankfully, the rain decided to take the rest of the night off, so our drive back was a lot easier. Our next stop was Steak ’n Shake, and as someone who had never been before, I have to say that it was a good burger and fries. Sitting with my friends, eating fries and laughing about our day made me excited for all of the future adventures we would have together that I know I’ll say yes to.
Saying Yes to Bridgerton (And the Drama)
The next yes was much calmer. When my friends asked if I wanted to watch “Bridgerton,” my first reaction was no. I had never seen it before, and it felt like a lot to go through to watch all four seasons when I practically watched the whole thing through TikTok already. Also, I had “things to do.” But that was exactly the point: I will always have things to do, but I will never get this exact moment to hangout with my friends again. So, I said yes (are you sensing a pattern …). My friend and I are unfortunately talkers, and when we have a question, we just need to debate it, much to the chagrin of my roommate who prefers to focus on the show. It’s funny annoying her with our questions, so I think my friend and I will continue with our bad habit. We were predicting plot twists, debating how bad Lady Whistledown actually is and researching the historical accuracy of the show. Overall, I’m glad I said yes to starting the show, because it’s something I can do with my friends.
The 45-Minute Walk to Southwest
When my roommates and I discussed going to the gym on Sunday morning, I couldn’t help but think: I’m tired. But then again, this is college, when are we not tired? Then, they suggested we walk the 45 minutes to Southwest, instead of driving, to enjoy the day. Forty-five minutes is long enough to reconsider, but the weather was sunny with a nice breeze, so it was honestly an easy yes. Walking past Lake Alice, looking at the light reflecting off the water, and seeing people studying outside and hosting parties reminded me how beautiful campus can be when you’re not rushing from one obligation to another. It was so worth spending that extra time to enjoy the beauty of campus, and if you haven’t walked Lake Alice yet, I highly suggest you do.
The Humbling Weightlifting Lesson
At the gym, my friend who has actually competed in weightlifting and has been doing so for most of her life, offered to teach me. I can’t put my reaction into words, but I definitely wasn’t jumping for joy at the idea of learning something so entirely new to me. At the end of the day, it is one thing to say yes to fun, easy things. It’s another to say yes to something that might expose your lack of coordination. After trying (and failing) to understand these moves, I quickly learned it’s more about timing, balance, control and coordination than I ever imagined. She makes it look effortless while I make it look like anyone can do it. There were many mistakes, corrections and apologies to butchering her lovely sport. But I have to admit it was so much fun. Yes, it was uncomfortable moving my body in a way completely unnatural to me and I was getting it wrong a lot more than I was getting it right, but the challenge of trying something completely new kept me going.
Saying Yes to Studying
In my experiment, I had a lot of fun “yes” events, but not every “yes” was flashy. When my friends suggested we study for our upcoming exams together, I knew this was going to be a yes even if it wasn’t “Yes Day.” Unfortunately college isn’t all spontaneous road trips and long sunset walks. It’s also shared stress, sweet treat motivation and sitting across from your friends in Marston while everyone pretends not to be panicking about upcoming exams. Studying together was way better than isolating myself in a room with only my stress as company. In the end, sometimes saying yes is about choosing discipline with people instead of productivity alone.
What 24 Hours of Yes Taught Me
So, my botched little experiment isn’t a life-changing cure to overthinking, but it showed me how often my default response is to hesitate. It’s not because I don’t want to go – it’s because I am constantly attempting to think about what comes next to plan my time efficiently. This makes it easy to forget about living in the moment. The great thing about UF is that there is always something happening. Someone is inviting you somewhere. There’s a random event in Plaza. A last-minute dinner plan. A new club. A walk you didn’t plan. And sometimes, overthinking steals moments before they even happen. So, if you find yourself constantly saying no out of fear of inconvenience, maybe try a yes day. Say yes to the workout, long walk and see what everyone’s talking about. Especially say yes to the random road trip. But if you’re someone who already says yes to everything and feels stretched thin, try the opposite. Have a “No Day” (within reason). It’s not about people-pleasing or overextending yourself; it’s about intentionally choosing how you spend your time. For me, 24 hours of yes wasn’t about doing more; it was about being present enough to stop missing what was already in front of me.