The Best Nights Out Usually Aren’t Planned
You remember that time you went to something you thought you weren't going to have fun...AND YOU DID!
Richard I. Marcus
9/16/20263 min read
The Best Nights Out Usually Aren’t Planned
Why spontaneous experiences often create the best memories.
Have you ever had one of those nights that started with:
“Eh, I don't know. What are you doing tonight?”
And somehow ended up being one of the best nights you've had in a long time? You didn't plan it six weeks ago. You didn't have an itinerary. Nobody wanted to go.
You just went. And something happened. You laughed. You met somebody.
You ended up somewhere you hadn't planned to be.
Then you think the next day “Damn. That was a good night.”
Funny how that works.
We plan the fun right out of things
Where are we going?
Who's coming?
What time?
What if nobody else wants to go?
What if it's crowded?
What if it's not crowded?
What if...
STOP. Sometimes you just need to go.
The problem with knowing exactly what's going to happen
When everything is planned, there's not much room for surprise. You know where you're going. You know who will be there. You know what you're going to do. You know when you're leaving.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
But some of the best memories don't come from knowing exactly what was going to happen.
They come from the moments you couldn't have planned. The person you randomly met. The ridiculous thing somebody said. The game you didn't expect to play.
The place you ended up after saying, “Let's just go check it out.” The story that gets told over and over because nobody can believe it actually happened.
Those moments are memorable. The moments that make you say, “You had to be there.”
We tend to remember the unexpected stuff.
You don't need a big plan. You need a reason to go.
That's one of the things I like about social experiences. They give you a reason to get out without requiring you to know exactly how the night is going to unfold. Maybe there's a game. Maybe there's music trivia. Or you laugh hysterically at the karaoke singer, in your mind, of course.
But, you show up. You participate. And then you see what happens.
That's the fun part.
Sometimes the best decision is “Why not?”
Think about how often we talk ourselves out of doing things.
“I don't really know anybody.” “I'm tired.” “Maybe next time.” “I don't know if that's really my thing.”
And sometimes those are perfectly legitimate reasons. But sometimes we're just overthinking it.
What if, instead of asking: “Why should I go?” we asked: “Why not?”
You might have a lousy night. Sure. Not every experience is going to be fantastic.
But you might have a great one.
And you'll never find out sitting on the couch scrolling through your phone.
There's something powerful about saying yes
Every once in a while, say yes to something you normally wouldn't.
Go to the new-to-you location for an event. Go somewhere without knowing exactly who will be there. Try new games. Talk to the person sitting next to you.
You might discover something you really enjoy.
More importantly, you might discover someone you really enjoy being around.
That's what we're trying to create at Local Social Club
The goal isn't to create another event that people put on their calendar and then spend three weeks worrying about whether they should actually go.
It's to create experiences that make people think:
“That sounds like fun. Let's go.”
Come with your friends. Come by yourself. Bring somebody you've never gotten out with before.
You don't have to know exactly what's going to happen. That's part of the point.
Because when people get together, give them something fun to do, and leave a little room for the unexpected...
Something usually happens. A new conversation. A new favorite place. A new story. Maybe even a new friendship.
And those are the things you can't put on an itinerary.
So the next time someone says,
“Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
Maybe don't immediately say “I think I am going to stay at home.”
Instead say:
“I don't know. What are you thinking?”
Then go see what happens. Because the best nights out usually aren't the ones you planned perfectly…
They're the ones where you showed up and let the night happen.
