Organization Tips to Keep Your Relationships Thriving
Organization Tips to Keep Your Relationships Thriving
Being organized isn't just for your home - organization helps you to do all the things you want to do in your lifetime. For many of us, that includes having thriving relationships with friends, family, and significant others. We all have busy lives, so sometimes we have to schedule in time for our loved ones, and that’s okay. Maintaining a relationship is hard work and is a decision you wake up and make every single day. I think my relationships thrive the most when we never forget to prioritize the other person’s happiness!
Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks for keeping your relationships healthy and happy:
Send a birthday card! I love sending hand-written cards, but a text, facetime, or a digital card work just as well. In order to always remember your loved ones birthdays, I add them to my calendar as soon as I learn of a birthday (let's say you're at lunch with a GF and she mentions her birthday is coming up on June 16th...I enter that into my calendar, set it to recur yearly, and add a reminder).
Send flowers just because. This is my favorite way to surprise a friend! Bonus points if you send JUST the flowers, but no vase. #clutterfreegifting
Hide love notes for your partner to find; put cute notes on the mirror; tuck a note into their car - anywhere you know they'll see a cute little note and it will make their day! You can do this with friends too! I love texting something sweet in the middle of the day - it's a nice reminder that someone is thinking of you while you're working away!
4. Never stop dating even if you are married! Plan date nights that are outside of the norm. Don’t go to the same restaurant every week! Get out and do something fun, explore a new area, or try a new food group. Equally as important - communicate to your person how you feel about them, tell them what you love about them, tell them the value they add to your life, and tell them the things they do for you that you appreciate.
5. Spend time with your kids! I loved having one on one time with my parents as a child, and we try to schedule to same thing for our kids now. My favorite days were father + daughter days when I could pick whatever I wanted to do! I always chose a trip to IKEA so I could rearrange my bedroom, Nordstrom for clothes, and a bookstore. (Still my 3 favorite things to do as an adult, haha). We would do a little shopping, get lunch (I can still remember the turkey croissant sandwiches at the french bistro in South Coast Plaza mall), and end the day with a coffee, dessert, and a movie. Try scheduling a day with your kids individually - they'll love the attention and get to be themselves, without the influence of siblings.
6. Remember and ask about things relevant to your friends and family’s worlds outside of you. Stay connected to things that are important to them. Sometimes I jot down notes about things my loved ones enjoy or are up to, so I can be sure to follow up.
7. Put away your phone! It is so easy to be distracted when you are with the ones you love. There’s always something coming up - an email, a work reminder, etc. Remove the stress and be present so you can really check in authentically with your people.
8. Cook together! This is one of my absolute favorite activities to do with someone. It can be so intimate and cooking is a true labor of love. Dancing around the kitchen with my partner or my pals is always a blast.
9. Listen to the love languages of the people in your life! Not everyone loves in the same way and not everyone feels love in the same way. Communicate with each other what acts of love register for you the most. It will foster a deeper relationship if you put in the effort to love someone in a way that may not be your natural inclination.
10. Have a hard time remembering to check in with your loved ones? Add them to your to do list! I keep a note of loved ones near and far who I want to be sure I check in with regularly - otherwise life gets in the way and a month passes before you remember to check in with everyone!
