Welcome to
my 101 series, which explores 101 little things you can do to improve your day
to day life, and the world, just a little bit.
Our sixth post is: PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE
I have
nightmares about forgetting birthdays.
If there is
a worse feeling than hurting a loved one because you forgot their special day,
I don’t want to know what it is. Maybe you’re not great at keeping track of the
date and you forget Christmas, Valentine’s Day and your Anniversary too. Maybe
you don’t care about those things and you don’t think it’s a big deal.
However, it
probably is a big deal to the people you love and if you love them, I know you
wouldn’t want to be hurting them just because you’re forgetful. Particularly
because once it’s done, it’s done and it’s very hard to undo.
I live out
of my day planner, I have said it before. When I get a new day planner, usually
in November or December some time, I put aside a few hours to go through and
write in all the birthdays of the people who really matter to me, and any other
important dates I need to remember, like close friend’s anniversaries. I never
rely on facebook to remember people’s birthdays if I really care about them.
Some of my friends don’t have their birthday listed on facebook and every year
I am the only one who remembers to say happy birthday to them!
For the
people I need to get special gifts for: my mother, my brothers, my best
friends, etc, I put another reminder a week BEFORE their birthday. ‘Gift for
X’s birthday.’ That way, I am reminded a week early and can go and shop for
something really awesome.
It’s no good
only having a reminder ON the day, particularly if you live with that person.
Then it becomes obvious when you have to rush out and get them something!
If you don’t
use a day planner, find another system. Your phone’s digital calendar might
work. Or google planner. You may even want to find a system that lets you send
emails on a set date and email yourself.
And
remember, sometimes remembering a bad day is as important as remembering a good
day. Don’t be like the ex-friend of mine who decided to read me the riot act on
the first anniversary of my father’s death. If someone’s family member dies,
make a note of it and give them a little extra care on that day. Few people
will remember the exact date of tragic events, but you can bet they do.
Just a
little effort in late December will make sure you have plenty of time all year
to buy gifts, make reservations and send special messages to the people you
love, to show them that they really do matter to you. That even though you are
forgetful sometimes (and we all are), you care enough about them to make a note
and remember when it matters.
If you want
advice on how to shop for the perfect gift though, you’re going to have to wait
for a future blog post!
