There’s something special about your first time.
You get the invite, apply, wonder if you’ll get in, then get accepted. Other than a location and date, you don’t really know what you’ve been accepted into, but, here you are, getting ready for your first A-Fest.
Here's what you should know:
10. Read the emails
Let’s be real. You’re busy! You aren’t going to read them all. So play dumb, ask your A-Fest friends what they say, then…read them anyway. They take less than 5 minutes each. Seriously, read the damn emails, especially the COSTUME one. COSTUMES are no joke here.
9. Take more pictures
The A-Fest photography team is SO good, you’ll be tempted to not do this, but do it anyway. As you cry your way through memories, and post on social media over the next six months, you’ll be happy you did. Your social feeds are about to get 100x more interesting.
8. Name Tags
Wear them during the day. Most people don’t wear name tags at night, but for a newb, it’s not a terrible idea to wear it for the first couple nights. Make sure people know your name and who you are as a human being. Leave your traditional networking skills at home. I asked every experienced a-fester why they keep coming back, 100% of them said “for the people”. 100% of them were right.
7. Sugar Cubes
Mindvalley has MASTERED culture. Sugar Cubes are part of that. They aren’t convenient. There isn’t a good time to do them. And don’t “do them digitally”. Just do them. You’ll feel good afterwards, and when you open that little packet of joy on the way home, it’ll mean even more to you then. Get out the Kleenex. This group bleeds emotion.
6. Not Funny
In the mindfulness community there’s a lot of LOVE, PASSION, & COMMITMENT. But there is a dearth of FUNNY. It’s just not a thing. Don’t freak out if you can’t find the funny. You’re more likely to run into an ‘energy clearing’ than you are a joke. If you’re in a pinch, go find Jason Goldberg or Oscar Perriman. They provide comic relief as needed.
5. Notes
The speakers are LEGIT. You will want to write notes and take photos. “I’ll get slides later” won’t happen. Bonus: Bring a recorder, and put it by the stage (especially for breakouts). When speakers like Lisa Nichols, Vishen Lakhiani, and Steven Kotler are on stage, it’s physically impossible to write notes fast enough.
4. Do it All
Go to parties at night AND do the morning sessions.
Will you be up until 3am at parties? Yes. Is it worth it to get up at 8am for a dance/workout/meditation/ice bath? Yes. Do it. You look beautiful.
3. Logistics
For some reason, Mindvalley’s 4-day A-Fest is actually a six-day event, bookended by some of the best experiences. Come at least two days early, and leave at least two days late. Get with Rebekah Uccellini for Give Back Day.
2. Summarize Your Experience
Before my first A-Fest I was told “it will be exactly what you need it to be”. That sounded like a load of crap at the time, but it’s true. And I needed a lot. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget key takeaways. Review notes on your way home and summarize them (in-between sugar cube readings). Use them. Apply them. Come up with your “before my next a-fest” plan.
1. Eat your fear
Your specific fear will be different. Maybe for you it’s meeting a bunch of new people, maybe its opening your mind to new possibilities or experiences. Maybe it’s breaking the rules that have been governing your life. For me, dancing has always been a fear. I’ve seen myself dance in a mirror. It’s not pretty. A-Festers dance. Loooord. They dance every night. Then they wake up, and dance again in the morning. I saw a few people dancing as they hugged (a whole other topic). But for any of you with the same fear, this is the place to DANCE. Between the rhythmic beats of Jessie Campo / David Block / Sammy Taggett, or inspiration from Ashok Thakur, Kien Vuu, Jade Osborne Bellequest you can’t help but dance. This is a safe place for you to explore, enjoy and break-through.
See you at the next a-fest.