National Handwriting Day
There really is a National Handwriting Day (January 23). Some think there are too many National this and National that days, but this one I like. It speaks to me in the way most others don’t. I believe in staying in touch with those most important people in your life in meaningful, memorable, lasting ways. That is what my business is all about and what I wish more business owners made time for it.
Let’s face it, most of us have great intentions, but things fall off our To-Do lists usually because the planning effort is not there. But in this case, the planning can be pretty simple, so really, there is no excuse for not making handwritten notes a part of your weekly To Dos. Here are some ways to make it easy.
Have your favorite pen and notecards/envelopes at your desk, along with a list of those people most important to you, their addresses, and stamps.
Make it a habit to send weekly handwritten notes. Schedule a day a week to do this, even if it is only one notecard a week. That is 52 a year. You will make 52 people in 2022 feel special, appreciated, cared about, and even loved.
It is all about creating an emotion that not only makes you feel good but demonstrates to the receiver how important they are to you.
A couple of quotes from Forbes article National Handwriting Day Is Real—Here’s How To Celebrate It
“Handwriting is a true art form and one of the few ways we can uniquely express ourselves. There’s something poetic about grasping a writing instrument and feeling it hit the paper as your thoughts flow through your fingers and pour into words.”
“With our many digital forms of communication, we have gained immediacy but lost intimacy,” says Ariann Langsam, vice president of marketing for Pilot Pen, whose background is in biology and neuroscience. “But handwriting is scientifically proven to solidify both cognitive connections needed for learning and comprehension, as well as emotional connections between individuals.”
My top tips for staying in touch by writing weekly notecards.
Those VIPs in your life want to hear from you. Be memorable and touch the people you love, care about, and are most important to you. Often, they keep these cards and read them over again many times.
Make someone’s day! You may even find this makes you happier. And that sharing how important they are and how much you appreciate them helps you know how much you value having them in your life.
Relationships are essential, and a thoughtful note demonstrates not only how much you care to those closest to you but can help grow loyalty with clients, staff, and business partners also.
The simple process of note writing can help you slow down enough to think about what you want to say and communicate what matters more deliberately. The win-win here is you are creating a wonderful surprise, not an email but a gift someone can touch and immediately know how you feel. It allows you to not only feel gratitude but share how grateful you are.