How to Make Letter Writing a Habit | The Art of Hand Written Notes

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Want to stand out in a digital world? Pick up a pen and paper and write a letter. With the current coronavirus, aka Covid-19, pandemic going around, we are left with time on our hands while we social distance, self quarantining, and the newest term on the block, ROMing (restriction of movement-ing). It’s the perfect time to pick up a new habit, and let your friends and family know that you’re thinking about them.

I am a pen and paper girl, through and through. I use a paper planner, and love hand written notes. So, it felt natural for me to start writing letters to friends, family, and clients. But, you don’t have to be a pen and paper person to still pick up the habit of hand writing letters.

What would feel more meaningful to you? A text saying “Sup?” Or, a thought out, meaningful note? Clearly the second, it takes more time and thought. And, that’s what makes hand written letters so special.

How do you make letter writing a habit?

Make it a Ritual

I have a lovely desk in my home office that feels nice and inviting to go sit at. I make myself a cup of tea. I have my favorite Lamy Fountain Pen. And, I have beautiful, personalized stationary from Basic Invite.

I get my stationary from Basic Invite because I love all the beautiful design options they have, which are all customizable and personalized. You even can move things around within your design! No other stationary company I’ve used gives you real time updates to see exactly what your personalized stationary will look like and give you as much control over your design.

Making this time feel special and an elevated expeirence makes me enjoy it more. And, the more you enjoy something, the more likely you are to keep at it.

Think About Your Message

While I don’t write out my letter before actually writing it, I do make a point to think about what I want to say before I write it. That helps from being awkward or running out of room! It really helps to take a moment and think about the general message you’ll be writing. It will make you feel less awkward once you get going.

And, remember this doesn’t have to be long! It can be a simple. Made this recipe and thought of you! Saw on Facebook that you moved/had a baby/started a new job and wanted to say congratulations!

Short and sweet is better than nothing. And, is often better than a long ramble too.

Just Do It

Take a page from Nike, and just do it! Like so many things in life, the best way to make letter writing a habit is to just force yourself to do it. The first few times you might feel a little awkward. But, the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the more fun you will have. If you are doing letter writing in a business capacity it can transform your business, creating stronger bonds with your clients. And, from a personal perspective it can help stay in touch and build relationships.

Take it Digital

Still not sold on hand written notes? There are quite a few tools that can take the idea of hand written notes and make it easy with digital options. Send Out Cards and Felt App are two completely digital options that are worth checking out.

Look for Occasions

Still struggling with what to write? Look for big special occasions coming up that would be a good excuse to send a hand written letter. Graduation is coming up, and for many it’s going to be a bit anticlimactic this year. But, a beautiful congratulations card might really cheer up a recent grad! Or, if you are a grad yourself, a graduation thank you card could be a perfect way of saying thank you to all the people who made your journey possible.

Look for Inspiration Every Day

Once you are in the habit of writing notes, you will find reasons to write hand written notes all the time. When I am especially on top of it, I utilize a page on my notes app on my phone so I can jot down ideas on the go. If I am out and about and someone mentions their new dog, their first born starting kindergarten, or their excitement finally getting tomatoes to grow (this was my mom, she only had to move towns, and get a sunny, southern facing lot to make this happen), etc. jot it down! And then you can follow up with a sweet note to celebrate with them.

If you have a running list of notes to write, this makes it much easier when you sit down to actually write them.

Be Thankful

One of the easiest hand written notes to send is a thank you card! When we sit back and think about it, we all have so much to be thankful for. An easy way to get into a habit of sending out hand written notes is to say thank you! Basic Invite has beautiful thank you cards for lots of occasions.

Do you send out hand written notes? Do you like recieving them?

If you like this, check out my engagement party invitations and save the dates, both from Basic Invite!