Rachel: Are you sure your anniversary isn’t the 25th?
Sara: Yes, I’m sure. It’s always been the 5th.
Rachel: Well, my board says the 25th…sorry!
Yes, I am that Rachel and my sister, Sara, has been married for 5 years. Apparently I’ve gotten their anniversary wrong for the past 5 years! The board I’m talking about was my inspired attempt to remember everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries—clearly it has not worked! My new year’s resolution for 2016 is to actually send my loved ones birthday and anniversary cards on time. I know that doesn’t seem like a huge thing for some people, but I feel so special when my family and friends remember my special day! There’s nothing better than getting your very own birthday card from someone who really remembered. I’d much rather get a single card than 50 Happy Birthday posts on my Facebook wall from people who don’t acknowledge me the rest of the year.
The Game Plan
So, this year, I’m going to show I care by remembering! But resolutions fail time after time because there isn’t a plan, no schedule, no commitment. Here’s how I plan on getting these cards out this year on time and filled with love!
- Set a reminder on my calendar:
At the end of each month (the 25th to be exact), I’m going to set a reminder to write birthday and anniversary cards for the next month. This way I can still make them personal, and set aside the time to write something meaningful. My forgetfulness can’t get the best of me this time! I’ve got two reminders set to alert me every month.
2. Set aside time:
This is a hard one for me. But when I see the reminder on my phone, I’ll sit down and write those cards. Not just sign my name to whatever Hallmark has to say, but really write something meaningful. I’ll stamp and seal each card & get them all ready to go. This will help me get them out on time!
3. Organize my outbox:
I have an outbox in my foyer where I clip bills that need to go out at a certain time. I’m going to clip the cards there as well and send them out the week before the actual date. Having them clutter up my foyer should help get them out the door and into the mailbox in a timely manner!
If you want a foyer organizer for yourself, see how I made mine out of old cabinet doors here!
What About You?
My goal might seem like a small one, but taking the time to really care about people is so important. I think we often times forget. What are your goals for this year & how do you plan on getting there? Telling other people is a great way to force yourself to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions, so please, tell me all about it in the comments below!
Happy New Year everyone!
I certainly can relate to your situation Rachel. Having three children and three step children Dave and I also have 15 grandchildren + significant others, and seven great- grandchildren. Then I have 6 brothers and sisters, etc. In order to maintain my sanity, I carry my appointment book with me at all times and in that book I have a list of everyone’s birthdays that’s stored in my computer. Each month I sit down, make out my cards, put them in envelopes stamps them, put a sticky on the envelope as to the date of that person’s birthday or event, then put them in my basket at the top of my stairs so they can’t be forgotten as I go out the door each time. Works for me most times. By the way, as soon as I said “I Do” 22 years ago, I inherited the job of doing all cards for my husband too. This is a man who sent 100 Christmas cards every year too. I’m curious to know how the younger generations handle this.
That’s a lot of people! I think our idea of writing them out all at once each month is much more realistic than writing them out each week or a few days before each special date! I guess there’s not really a new spin for snail mail, but I think sending & receiving cards is something that a lot of people miss and are starting to do again!
That’s hilarious about your sister’s anniversary. Totally sounds like something I would do. I’m horrible. I rarely send out birthday cards.
Oh my word- so glad to hear I’m not the only one! I don’t know how I got so bad at remembering that sort of thing, in our family, it’s vital that you send them out. We just grew up knowing that it’s what you do for people you love, so I’ve really got to get my system down!