30 days of reconnecting
In my history books, 2019 will not be remembered as a great year. Upon reflection, three themes came up again and again: I didn’t work on my book as much as I wanted, I didn’t take care of my health as much as I wanted, and I didn’t nurture my relationships as much as I wanted. I’m on my way to addressing the first two issues, but what about the third?
For someone who specializes in communications, I am abysmal at responding to personal emails and simply terrible at texting. I can craft a killer email campaign, rally hundreds of people around a mission or cause, change minds with delicately-drawn arguments, draft procedures and directions that result in no questions, and smooth over snafus with honest appeals and well-placed jokes. But when it comes to personal communications, I am #fail. My WhatsApp messages are one-sided, my Twitter inbox is a graveyard, I read-don’t respond-mark as unread emails about five times on average, and please don’t look at my texts.
A beautiful scene on a recent trip to Vancouver where I spent time with some—but not all—of the people I could have reconnected with. The empty bench represents me being a bad friend.
Of course I can talk about burnout or the unbearable pressure of modern-day social media, but a look in my memory box under my bed will reveal dozens of letters from childhood friends that I received but never responded to, so this isn’t just a 2019 problem, it’s been building up over years and years, and I’m only now addressing it.
And yet, what is more joyful than connecting with a friend? Of actually answering a text that says “Hey, I saw this and thought of you, remember when we ___?” Of commenting on an Instagram post and chatting with someone on another coast instead of liking and scrolling by? As I think about what I want to achieve in 2020, reconnecting with people I know and love is at the top of my list. That’s why, after I get back from a much-needed holiday, I’m aiming to reconnect with at least one person per day for thirty days, the more heartfelt and sappy the better. So friends: I’m coming for you. See you in 2020.