A night out on the town can be a memorable event. But it is not always the best option. It has some definite drawbacks that must be considered, but often aren’t:
- Going out can be very expensive and time-consuming.
- Going out is more exhausting than staying in.
- Going out can be difficult if you have to get a good night’s sleep and be ready for work in the morning.
- Going out carries higher expectations that are often hard to meet.
- Going out means you actually have to make preparations, get dressed, and go out. And after a long day’s work, that is often a bridge too far.
The good news is that you can make a lot more of your staying in time. With just a bit of planning, you can make staying home on a weeknight just as memorable as your nights out on the weekend. Here are a few ways to spice up your night life without going anywhere or making a huge investment:
Conversation and a Movie
The thing about dinner and a movie is that by the time you go to bed, both are already a fading memory. However, if you pair a movie worth watching with a period of stimulating conversation about what you saw, you will have something to chew on for years to come.
It starts with picking the right movies to watch at home. Picking the right movie is facilitated by having the best availability to the movies that are most worth watching. For that, you are going to have to ultimately deal with the choice of DIRECTV vs. cable.
You will have to consider factors such as customer service, content availability including sports, and price. This is not just about one night in, but many memorable nights in to come. This will replace a lot of going out to the movies. So choose wisely. Watch movies worth watching. And have conversations worth having.
Make Dinner More About the Food and Less About Eating
Don’t worry. You’re still going to eat. And it will be delicious. That’s not the point of a truly great dining in experience. The best meals are often more about the journey than the destination. The journey from farm to fork is just one example.
Have you ever tried to prepare an entire meal that is 100% locally sourced? Do you even know if it is possible? With that as a starting point, you can do better than just dining in. You can have a dining experience that you will never forget.
Thoughts That Are Worth More Than a Penny
When a person wants to know what you are thinking about, they may say something like, a penny for your thoughts? If you want to have thoughts that are worth a lot more than a penny, then you are going to have to put a lot more time into generating them.
Many successful people spend as much as 10 hours a week just thinking. It would do us all good to spend a night in from time to time getting in touch with our inner thoughts. The hardest thing about doing quality thinking is finding the quality time to do it. Taking a night off from going out is a good start on finding that extra time.
Rather than intentional deep thought, you might engage in the escape from deep thought in the form of yoga or meditation. It is never a bad thing to relax and center the body and mind. Not only can these have positive, long-term effects, they can have the immediate effect of making you more relaxed and focused for the following day’s work. That is a night in worth having.
So don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the only way to have a good time is to go for an expensive, time-consuming, and exhausting night out. Instead, try conversation with your movie, a dinner worth breaking out the fine china, and some time for your mind to focus.