Planner

So you want to draft a little real...

You're holding the white Planner and wondering how helpful this little slip of paper is really going to be.

Well, honestly, a resource is only as good as the supplements behind it.

The prompts are intentionally designed to help you move beyond the phrases we're so used to hearing and writing. As good as they are, as heart-felt as they are to say, these well-worn phrases only half the story on your heart.

They're not unique to you and the lives of you're loved ones.

And while universal truths are, well, truths, we have the unique opportunity with every greeting card to sit down and make it personal.

To make it purely memorable.

Let's dig in.

First... who is this for and why are you writing?

Let not the simple nature of this question deceive.

We don't write to individuals in a vacuum. We're not writing simply to Jolene or Harrison or Andi. We're writing to a sister or a friend. We're writing to someone we want to know more or someone we feel out of touch with.

As we dig into this first box, think about the nature of your relationship with this person. Who are they? **And who are they to you?

So much for the 'who'. What about the 'why'? Your 'because' for this card?

It is usually not solely an event or an occasion. We don't write birthday cards to the person sitting next to us at work, the cousin we see at Christmas or every neighbour in the street.

There's usually a motivation. We can write out of guilt, of yearning, of tradition or fear... there is a percent of us who write because they simply couldn't dream of approaching an event or occasion without being armed with a stuffed envelope.

For the rest of us: What's the driver here? Is there something you feel is unsaid? Do you simply feel like it's unacceptable NOT to write? Are you preserving a relationship? Trying to build a stronger foundation for an ongoing friendship? Or is your intention to create something which will be stored and remembered over the years?

Whatever your motivation is, jot it down here. This section is for your clarity, so that you know how you are approaching this simple card in front of you.

Identify what you want

Now that you've identified the context of the card (who and why), it's time to think about how you hope this message impacts the person?

When reading this card, what do you want this person to feel? to know? to understand?

I try to continue looking inwards for this one and I find honesty with myself so helpful. There are letters which I have drafted and never sent, because I knew what I was hoping the person would 'know' was not true knowledge. And even though we cannot control the emotions our messages are read with, I have written cards which were more encouraging by identifying the key feelings a truly supportive message might bring, and writing to those.

So again, be honest. Think about the person's life, your relationship with them, the best outcome possible for this card in your hands.

Jot down what you want them to know. What you'd like them to feel.

Perhaps there's a quote or a verse or lyric which can help you capture those sentiments.

All done? Flip the page over... now's the time for drafting.

FINAL TIP

Use plain words.

You know the simple and unpoetic truth about what's on your heart and mind now. So just say it, describe it in terms of the real, tangible things in your world.

Not sure how? More of this in a blog post coming soon.