Time flies by. One minute you’re celebrating New Years Eve and then a day later it feels like you are preparing for Christmas. A whole year goes by before you even know it. Next thing you know, it has been two years, then five. Where does the time go?
Time tends to fly by because we are so busy. In this hectic world, it’s easy to fall out of touch with friends and family. People who were your best friends, still are, in spirit, but not in practice. Time has pulled you and others apart. It can hurt your closest relationships and result in, Lord forbid, never seeing that person again. How does this happen?
How Does This Happen???
This happens because life happens. We all grow up, get caught up in our jobs, our own families, and our things. Ever see someone who works from sun up to sun down, who when they do have free time, is running from one thing to the next? They always seem to be on the run, keeping their kids in this club or on that team. These things are great, but can overwhelm you and result in a you that, when there is free time, just wants to sit and do nothing. I can’t blame ya, as I have felt that way before too. If most of your days are like this, it’s easy to fall out of touch with friends and family. But you have to make a change.
What Kind Of Change?
Part of the balancing act of life is taking time for things. If work needs more, you can give a little more time. If family has a challenge, you may need to put more effort there. We tend to balance our time between work and family, and it’s true that this is where we should spend a lot of our time, but we can’t forget our friends and extended family. We have to be purposeful in keeping in touch with them. Since we CAN’T create time for them…we have to TAKE time. We have to pull from somewhere else and put the time into our extended relationships as well. It doesn’t take a lot of time to tell someone you care, but if you don’t purposely try to keep in touch, you probably won’t. So, how can you purposely keep in touch? You have to have a plan…
Have A Plan!!!
We use technology for a lot of things and keeping in touch is one of them. I’m not talking about the superficial likes you provide on someone’s Facebook post or funny thing you share via SnapChat. I am talking about using technology to remind you to take time for your extended family and friends. The kind of time that allows you to send something personal to them. Something as simple as a personalized text or private message that can tell them that you care and you miss them.
Keeping in touch can be simple, if you plan for it. Have you ever considered making a list of all the people you truly want to stay in touch with and making a plan on how you can do that? It’s not difficult, but it does take awareness and a little bit of time to put something in place. Keep it simple.
Keep It Simple
Take 15 minutes, right now, and make a list of all the people you want to keep in touch with. Those people you care about and want to keep in your life. Once you have that list, you may also want to think of a few other people whom you may not want that deep relationship with anymore, but want to be able to reach out to because you were so close at one point or another. Once you have that list, put a name on your calendar the 5and2Guy way. Put one name for each day, Monday – Friday. It can be on a physical calendar, or on your Google or Apple calendar. It just has to be a calendar you check every day. If it is a physical calendar, establish a habit where you check that calendar first thing in the morning. If it’s a software calendar, you can make each name you put on your calendar an event. Simply create a new event, called Keep In Touch, that repeats Monday – Friday and put someone’s name in the notes of that event. Make that event remind you, at a specific time each day, to stop what you are doing and get in touch with that person. It can be a quick little phone call, a personalized Facebook post for them, or a text message wishing them a great day. It doesn’t take much.
Final Thoughts
We tend to get caught up in our lives and lose all track of time. We forget to keep in touch with family and friends and end up with regret when the relationship diminishes or that person is no longer with us. We HAVE TO BE more purposeful. You can keep in touch. It isn’t hard, but you need to remind yourself. That one little phone call or text message could completely change someone’s day. It could be exactly what they needed when they needed it. That little message can end there or turn into a lunch date.
We never know exactly how keeping in touch can impact our lives or others, but we can bet on it enriching both. The more contact and communication we have with a person, the stronger, richer the relationship becomes. So, take some time today. Be purposeful, make your list, put it on your calendar, and have a reminder set that helps you keep in touch. Be proactive and enrich your life and the lives you touch, rather than live the regret of lost time and opportunities.