Throw Your Own Dang Party...
treat yourself to the celebration you deserve & on your terms entirely…
I've been reflecting on the power of throwing our own parties.
In a sense this goes along with the philosophy that we are responsible for our own happiness AND with my belief that if you can’t get in the front door, build your own house!
How did I get to thinking about this?
Book publishing isn’t budgeting for book launches any more. Apparently, unless you're famous already, they don’t really do much for book sales.
But I’m from the theatre where everything is about OPENING NIGHT and the idea of launching my book (The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale) with nary a peep just felt wrong.
After stomping around and licking my wounds, I thought F*CK IT. I’ll plan my own damn launch party.
I enlisted the help of my hilarious and fast-thinking, wittiest friend, theatre-maker and crackjack, Hannah Maxwell to co-host the party with me and we planned the Zoom Book Launch of my dreams.
Honestly, it turned out to be so much fun, exceeding my expectations. We had 60 people there for 90-minutes during which I read from the book, Hannah asked me whip-smart questions, we did a Q&A and then attendees shared short stories about how love has cost them (think crazy trips and stupid spending in the name of love) in exchange for prizes handpicked by yours truly. If you missed it, you can listen to the audio here! If you were there -- THANK YOU!
It was such a fantastic way to celebrate the years of work pored into the book. I got to connect with so many people who matter to me and it was glorious to gather for fun and good reasons.
I was so uplifted by the event. So here's my humble suggestion: THROW YOUR OWN PARTY. Just do it. Let yourself be annoyed that no one else has stepped up to do if for you, and then thank your lucky stars because being in charge of your own parties is the best.
Here are three reasons to throw your own party followed by 10 tips to help you do it without stress.
3 REASONS TO THROW YOUR OWN PARTY
It’s bad ass to take responsibility for your own happiness (read about the psychology of this here) rather than stay in “victim mode” and wait for someone to make you happy/feel special/celebrate you
You get to design the party to suit your tastes exactly (agenda, guest list, food) – think: no compromises!
“We’re Velcro for the negative and Teflon for the positive” – meaning the negativity bias is our evolutionary imperative. We linger on the bad stuff and slough off the good. But to feel good, we gotta focus on the good stuff. It’s important to celebrate and mark things that hold meaning for us. Here’s an article on the health benefits of celebrating if you need proof.
And now, should you feel inspired to throw your own party, whether it be for your birthday (big fan of this) or for a career milestone, or if you just want to gather people for fun here are …
10 PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THROWING YOUR OWN PARTY & HAVING FUN WHILE YOU'RE AT IT
Go with your gut on all decisions from the agenda to the concept, the food, the guest list (no duds!), etc.
Focus on simplicity, ease & fun – don’t worry about it being perfect
Enlist the help of a little team of people you LIKE (just a handful of your faves)
Invite people with 2-weeks notice & send them reminders 1-week, 2-days & 1-day before with clear instructions
Create a simple, clear but flexible agenda for your party & get your ducks in a row in advance (i.e. decorations, grab bags, choose your outfit)
Treat your team & your guests exquisitely (party favours, appreciation, clear instructions)
Dress up – trust me on this one – it’s part of making it special & you’ll feel great
Feed & water people generously with YOUR favourite things (it’s YOUR party after all)
During the event, let go. Be easy. And be present in spirit!
Thank your guests for coming the following day & thank your team for helping you
Give it a whirl! Take charge of celebrating yourself. Let me know how it goes.
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