Curious about Admin Night? Not curious but here anyway? Awesome!
A few years ago I started noticing how busy everyone was with dumb, draining tasks. Endless hold times, byzantine unsubscribe mazes, trying to remember our childhood best friend so we could remember the password for the kids’ school portal.
It was grinding us down, fanning a sense that everything was broken. I wanted to know why—and who benefits.
I also wanted to do something about it. Something fun and easy—my favorite things!
In 2019 I started hosting monthly Admin Nights. Friends come over, we hang out, drink, eat—and then for 30 minutes we tackle the stuff we’ve been avoiding. Canceling that service, disputing that charge, dealing with that insurance nonsense. Then more hanging out. Rinse, repeat till 10.
I started writing about it as part of a bigger question: How did life get so exhausting, and what’s that doing to us?
I want Admin Night to spread. Not just because it helps, and it’s fun, but because I believe tackling this stuff together reveals the shape and scale of the problem. From there, maybe a resistance takes root. Maybe we start living on our terms more.
One more thing: I’m writing a book. Maybe you’re at war with an airline. Maybe you work in a call center. Maybe admin is impacting your marriage, or maybe you’ve been doing an Admin Night-like thing since the 1600s. I want to hear about it!
PS Click here for instructions on starting your own Admin Night.