Do you want to have more money, be better in your work or studies, and also be more popular with your friends? Of course you do! It may seem that you will need a total life overhaul to achieve all of these things at once, but actually it is remarkably simple. You don’t necessarily need a new job or more time to manage these things, nor do you need to suddenly become the most charming and witty person in the world. In fact, all you need to do is stay home. It sounds easy, but how does it work?
If you are something of a social butterfly you will no doubt rarely pass up the opportunity to meet up with your friends for a coffee, watch a movie, or go out on the town. There is nothing wrong with socialising – you need to relax and what better way is there than spending time with friends or family? Always working without any enjoyment would be a pointless waste of your life, however you can have too much of a good thing.
Firstly, socialising costs money, and too much can leave you short of cash. Even small but frequent meet-ups with friends can soon add up if you are spending money on drinks or something to eat. Shopping trips are always going to end up costing money – with even the strictest of ‘window-shopping only’ rules being difficult to maintain. This is all before we reach the large-scale night out, where money can seem to just flow through your hands! Going out a bit less will certainly save you some money, but how will it make you work or study better?
Heavy-duty socialising can be a tiring affair, with late nights leaving you feeling drained and less effective the next day. You don’t have to have been out drinking heavily either, just a few hours less sleep after catching a concert or going to the movies can also have a detrimental effect. Now and again this sort of thing is OK, as your body will have enough in reserve to bounce back, but a lack of sleep is cumulative and will definitely harm your performance if left unchecked.
This is without the simple fact that, for students at least, if you are always out you will have less time to do your studies properly, and may end up rushing to complete an assignment and falling way below your best.
All of this makes perfect sense, but how, you may ask, will staying in make you more popular? Surely you need to go and see your friends in order to stay in their circle and be liked? And what if you miss something because you are at home?
It is important to spend time with your friends and family, and so you should certainly make time for this. However, it is a matter of being choosey with when and where you go out. If there is a movie that you really must see, then organise to go, but don’t, for example, feel that you should meet your friends every night of the week. If you have ever spent evenings sat around with the same friends feeling a bit bored then chances are you are going out too much. If you are too available you will become like a piece of the furniture – reliable, maybe, but certainly not exciting or interesting. Instead, by just staying slightly rarer, you will find that people will enjoy your company more when you are there. You will have more to talk about, and be slightly more in demand. Of course, if you never go out you will risk going too far the other way, but things are valued for their rarity, and you should be the same.
Not only will it make you more popular, but it will save you a few pounds, and give you time to rest, relax, or study…
