Cliff Jumping

I feel like alot of times taking risks is brought up in this blog, and funnily enough it's often refferred to as some kind of diving or jumping into water...a perfect visual that expresses the fear of the act of making oneself jump and the fear of the unknown that you're jumping into...
I've been feeling alot like that lately but in a slightly different way than I normally do...my life is planned...always schedules, schedules, schedules and future coordination and "I'm free this time during this week, when are you free so we can make a date"...Looking ahead though my calendar starts to thin and this scares me. It was intentional, because who knows what I'll have time for once I pop out a little one, so I didn't want to schedule a bunch of stuff and not be able to handle it...but nonetheless, not having a plan scares the shit out of me. So in order to appease my planning self I looked online for actual cliff jumping instructions to see if they would apply in any way to metaphorical cliff jumping...

From Wikipedia

Platforms for cliff jumping

For cliff jumping, the platform is usually a simple clearing in the bushes and other vegetation along the cliff above a river, ocean, lake, or quarry.

Sometimes railway bridges and other bridges are used as platforms. They can sometimes be distances up to approximately 100 feet above the water.

Abandoned quarries, and deep ponds will often have platforms, whether by design, or by improvisation of the people in the community. For example, platforms will often be affixed to towers in abandoned rail yards, overlooking a deep pond.

Safety and traffic control

Many naturally occurring platforms are unofficial, and simply known among the children in a community. For example, the children are often tresspassing on quarry land, or the like, when they use the platforms. Usually the locals check the water to make sure it is deep enough and free of clutter, but there is always the danger of a dead fish or beverage can, bottle, branches, or the like floating near the surface of the water. Bad angle of entry can also cause injury even in the absence of clutter (e.g. broken bones or re-arrangement of internal organs from the impact of the water itself, if landing crooked). Being knocked unconscious by the impact can also lead to drowning.

Technique

For cliff jumping, there are several techniques that can be utilized. The main technique involves landing in a pencil shape typically with hands at the sides or above the head. Keeping limbs in results in a freer and more painless entry. Pointed toes and closed mouth also assist in a smooth jump. Some prefer to jump with shoes or sandals, while others jump merely barefoot or naked.

For larger jumps (50 ft +), the angle of entry is critical. To ensure that you always enter the water vertically, it is proper to jump leaning slightly forward, keeping your point of entry in view. Extend your arms for balance. As you fall, gradually tuck in your arms, and bring together your legs. A gradual backward rotation throughout the jump will bring you from your initial forward position to complete a vertical entry. Common errors include backward over rotation, which may lead to butt flops and painful enemas, not tucking in arms or legs, which can leave nasty briuses on big jumps. Generally, the highest jump that should be attempted is 100ft. The world record dive stands at 172ft, set by Dana Kunze.

Always work your way up gradually in height and never jump big alone.

I guess what I can glean from this is that people jump from different situations all the time, some of them fuck up and/or do metophorical butt flops/get painful enemas (?!) , and some of them do just fine. I think "checking the water first" and planning your "angle of entry" both sound like good ideas...as does working your way up gradually in height and never jumping big alone...

Plan, 1, 2, 3, jump...