Today we manage more relationships than ever before.  And with social media driving the relationship model, we often find ourselves “friends” with people we’ve never met.  Many people today find themselves overwhelmed.  Between family, friends, and work, we find ourselves pulled in so many directions we often don’t know what to do.  This often leads to procrastination.

Procrastination is when choice meets confusion.  Given options but no direction results in procrastination.  Simply put, since we don’t know what to do we choose to do nothing.

While procrastination in our lives is counter-productive, procrastinating when it comes to our relationships can be devastating.  How many times have we thought we ought to call or write a friend or loved one but failed to do so?  Keeping in touch with the ones we love is often the hardest thing to do.  We know we should, but how?  You need a plan.

Here’s a simple system to stay in touch:

1. Create your list - list everyone you appreciate, care about, love, and generally wish to stay in contact with
2. Ask each person for their physical address and their birth date (no need for year)
3. In your Daytimer, calendar, or Outlook, enter each person’s name at the beginning of the month in which their birth date falls and at the beginning of the month six months after their birth date.
4. Choose two holidays where everyone will hear from you.  While it may seem obvious to choose Christmas and New Years Day, consider different holidays (e.g. President’s Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, or even Groundhog Day)
5. On a day of your choosing near the end of each month send a card to everyone on the list for the coming month.  You will be sending a card for birthdays, two holidays, and one day of no significance six months opposite each person’s birthday.

Of course you can substitute a phone call if you wish, but be certain to use a card for the birthday. You’ll be showing appreciation for each person on your list several times a year.  They will know how much you care and you’ll find that you feel better about yourself and your relationships.  Try this system - it works!

How busy are you?  Perhaps a better question would be, “Are you busy living or busy doing?”

We fill our days with tasks.  Important tasks.  Things that must be done or………..well or what?

The vast majority of people are on auto-pilot.  They engage in the same activity day after day.  If you charted their week by charting each day, you’d find that they wake up at the same time, brush their teeth the same way, and leave for work about the same time. Their work is mostly routine.  They sit in traffic with the same people and watch the same shows on television each night.  People are creatures of habit.

But what about living?  It’s been said that you’ve never lived until you’ve almost died.  Sadly today we have news that confirms that some believe this to be true so much that they try to live through near death experiences.

But the inspired life is one filled with wonder and awe of living!  Inspired life comes from a combination of truly seeking the magnificence in creation every day and by purposefully engaging in the experience of life.  When we fail to see or smell the flowers, we’re likely engaged in doing rather than living.

Inspired living comes naturally when you live your life congruent with your purpose.  Part of every persons purpose is to marvel at God’s creation:  Dew drops on leaves in the morning, the sunrise or sunset you enjoy with a loved one, the smell of freshly cut grass, hearing from an old friend, and watching children at play are just a few of the things that make up life.

All too often we engage in activity to fill our day so that we feel alive, failing to recognize the simplest things that make up living.  It’s a never-ending battle, a battle that cannot be won.

If you’re finding yourself busier than ever and feeling less fulfilled, stop for a few moments each day and ask, “Is this what I want to do with my life?”  “Is this congruent with who I really am?”

One thing is certain.  You will fill your day.  The good news is you get to choose what you fill your day with.  Begin and end each day with gratitude, and fill your day with a sense of purpose and awe.  We have a fantastic life.  Live it inspired.