How To Be An Exceptional Party Guest
Article Round-Up: 7.7.24
Enjoy this week’s curated list of articles, podcasts, and more from the web to help you live a healthier, happier life.
Featured Thoughts - Become A Master of Social Events
Takeaway: I really enjoyed this article. I found it entertaining and informative, as I was able to picture each piece of advice working in social situations I’ve experienced in the past. If you’re pushing yourself to be more social, to get out more and meet people, be sure to check this one out!
Some of my favorite pieces of advice from the article:
If you’re going to go, go. Do not plan to leave the party early. If you have to leave early, I say do not come. And don’t ask who else is coming. That is rude.
This is my general approach to events. I do think there is some grace if someone has other (prior) plans that interfere, but they’re making an effort to show up and support the host. Sneaking out early in this case feels acceptable.
One exception to this rule for me: If someone has invited me as their guest to another host’s event. Unless I’ve made a really good connection with the host, I leave when the person who invited me leaves. There’s nothing worse than someone you don’t know overstaying their welcome in your home.
Eat beforehand. You aren’t distracted about what’s being served or chasing down a tray of mini hot dogs, letting you focus on the most important thing: connecting with people.
This one might sound familiar, as I’m constantly preaching keeping the focus of social events away from the refreshments and onto the people.
I have this theory that dinner guests fall into two different categories: “characters” and “glues.” Characters are big personalities, the life of the party. They are conversation-starters. Glues are good listeners. They’re soft-spoken and hold conversations together. You need the right balance. Too many characters will start competing for attention. Too much glue and things can get boring.
This one makes so much sense. I recently had a friend staying with me from out of town. This guy is one of the most outgoing guys I know. Charismatic, confident, outspoken.
We’d planned to spend the day out bar-hopping with a group of local friends. As we returned home briefly for a short intermission between events, he had expressed how exhausted he felt. We’d achieved his “peopled-out” phase.
I was surprised because I didn’t think that was possible for him. It turns out, our group was full of big personalities. That led to a lot of fun and great conversation, but it was also exhausting.
P.S. I love the idea of not sitting spouses together at a dinner. I may have to pull this trick out next time we’re out to dinner with friends.
Published This Week:
10 Lessons For Life From 10 Years In Business
Takeaway: 65% of business fail before their 10th anniversary. I’m excited to say A-Team Fitness is not one of them, as this week marked our 10th year creating meaningful health transformations.
In this article, I’m sharing ten lessons I’ve learned from the last ten years in business:
Operate with the highest level of professionalism
Embrace all aspects of a growth mindset
Create a positive environment of change
“Can’t” does not equal “can”
Language matters, treat it delicately
Assume miscommunication before malicious intent
Long-term thinking is a severely underrated superpower
Pragmatism is overrated
If someone is rushing you to make a decision, the answer should be “no”
Take care of the people, and everything else takes care of itself
Takeaway: According to the author, there are three steps to overcoming criticism from the peanut gallery:
Who are they? Are they explicitly calling you out, or is this a pattern to tearing down everyone in their life who is successful. (Think anonymous trolls on the internet who just look for reasons to tear others down.)
Are they the people you want to reach? Are they the right person for your intended message? If not, then their opinion doesn’t matter. I’m not going to expect my dancing content to register with hardcore football fans. If they don’t see the point, I shouldn’t worry about it.
Do they have a point? Sometimes our haters see things we’re blind to because of our ego. Does any of their criticism have a point? Can we use this insight to improve our message?
A good article worth your time this morning.
Just For Fun:
Why Does Honey Come In Bear-Shaped Bottles?
Takeaway: The idea came to two friends while at a dinner party. Read the article for the full origin story of this quirky bottle design.
I bet they followed the rules from our featured thoughts section this week.
Speaking of dance content, I had a great time last week meeting up with a former client (now friend) for a dance social here in New Jersey. The last time we danced together was at the beginning of my dance journey back in 2019. Enjoy.