Celebrating the 4th of July on a Thursday, is the best!

It doesn’t get much better than a 4-day weekend in the middle of summer.

How did you celebrate?!

I celebrated with a morning workout, focusing on growing my business and then took my paddle board out on the lake to watch fireworks at night.

Which is A LOT different than how I used to celebrate a few years back.

For those of you that don’t know this, I stopped drinking 2 years ago after nearly 15 years of heavy, heavy drinking and partying.

At first it was hard. My entire identity was tied up in drinking. I used to brag that I was an “expert partier” based on Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule and so when I went sober, I lost a lot of friends, I spent a lot of time alone, and was forced to reinvent myself.

Fortunately for me, I’m a very social being, so making new friends, trying new hobbies, and building community is something I’m skilled at.

But I know that’s not the case for everyone, so here are some tips to help you actually not only be sober and still have fun, but also how to have fun going sober. 

HOW TO have fun Partying Sober:

1) Be the Life of the Party

There is a misconception that the drunkest person is the most fun, but let me tell you the truth.

The most fun person is actually the person having the most fun.

Introduce yourself to people you don’t know, ask them questions, find commonalities! Also, if there is a dance floor, be the first one on it. 

2) Be the Grill Master (or their friend)

The person in charge of the food holds the keys to the party.

Volunteer to be the grill master or become their right hand man. Great connection can happen over an open flame and you’ll be excessively celebrated and appreciated by EVERYONE!

3) Be Intentional

If you’re choosing to be sober at a party, then commit to sobriety 100%.

If you give in to peer pressure or anxiety to drink, you’ll end up beating yourself up and resenting the party later. It’s not worth it. Set strong boundaries and stick to them. The more often you’re in integrity with your sobriety, the more fun it becomes.

4) Be Willing to Leave

If you’re not having fun, leave. There is nothing more empowering than leaving an environment that doesn’t align with your personal goals. 

WHY have fun Partying Sober:

If you want to play a big game in life, you can’t waste too much time or energy on drinking. It’s not only the drinking that takes time, but the nasty hangovers can take you out for days with anxiety. Oh man, Mondays after a bender are nearly impossible to get through.

Learning how to have fun, connect with people and still achieve your goals the next day, is a benefit that sets you a part from 99% of people.

I’m all about people living their most fulfilled life, with or without alcohol. If you’d like to explore how I support my clients in creating that, respond with “life” to this email.

Don’t be boring,

Joel