Over-planned trips with every meal booked and every activity scheduled miss the serendipity that produces favourite trip moments. Loose plans with flexibility built in allow it.
What 'loose plans' look like
Accommodation and major activities booked. Daily itinerary flexible. Specific 'free days' with no scheduled activity. Willingness to follow recommendations from locals encountered.
Where this works particularly well
European city breaks (easy to wander and discover). Smaller trips (less complex to navigate without structure). Solo travel (no negotiation about deviations).
Most planners struggle with this initially. The loose plans produce different (often better) trips than tight ones. Try one trip with deliberate looseness.