8 Surprising Benefits of Being an Impulsive Woman ...

Being impulsive often involves taking some kind of risk, even if it's relatively small. Still, to take risks you generally have to trust your instincts, which hopefully means they're razor sharp. They might not be, of course – just because you follow your instincts doesn't mean they're automatically, or always, right – but still. You can hone them, and besides that, sometimes you just have to do what feels right and take a plunge.

Does that sound backward? It's not. I have a very dear friend who I would categorize as both reliable and impulsive. If she says she wants to come see me, she visits. She makes things happen. If you're impulsive, you won't just say you're going to do something without ever doing it. You'll never sigh and dream about visiting a friend or a far off place over and over again, you'll just do it.

As I said, my friend makes things happen – and that applies to all aspects of her life. If she wants to change her career path, she takes the steps she needs to do so. One benefit of your impulsive behavior means that good things will happen to you more often simply because you go after what you want.

You're not afraid to head off into the great unknown, wherever it may be. A new job, a new industry, a new language, a new country, a new stamp in your passport – you're not only open to new experiences, you actively seek them out. You'll happily travel for work as well as pleasure, you'll explore your own city or a tiny town halfway across the country, and you'll try new foods just as eagerly as you read new books and listen to new music.

Because you do so much and have so many experiences, you have fantastic stories to tell. They run the gamut from exhilarating to scary to hilarious to romantic, and you no doubt tell them well. The best part is that these stories extend to the friends who are lucky enough to be with you at the time, and they can be about anything – even a late night trip to Denny's.

Some of us (ahem, ahem) continuously set goals – sometimes the same ones, again and again – and never reach them. You impulsive people among us, on the other hand, use that willingness to take risks to go after every goal with a steely-eyed determination that stands in stark contrast to your adventurous whimsy. In my friend's case, the same woman who laughs with me over drinks well into the night when we hang out unfailingly goes after her goals with a quickness. Not only that but –

There's this picture of an impulsive person as scatterbrained and disorganized, but I've never seen that. More often, you plan with ease, down to the smallest detail, even in the middle of chaos – especially then. You pack like nobody's business, too, and I envy that.

You really do thrive in chaos. An abrupt change of plans doesn't throw you into a tizzy. You get frustrated, sure, and you might have to curse a little, but you know how to deal with absolute grace. I envy that, too.

What else? I not only admire my friend, I aspire to be like her. Impulsive stalkers, share your wisdom – please?