Hey girlfriend!
My friends have always been a huge part of my life. I truly don’t know what I would do without my people. They have shaped me into who I am and I would absolutely lost without them. I’ve always known I need to put in the work to maintain friendships. It’s not always easy especially as we get older and our list of responsibilities and obligations only grows longer and longer.
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I talk a lot about friendship on this page because I think it’s really important and not always so voiced and talked about. Friendships can be hard. They can get messy. But they are one of the most rewarding parts of my life.
I’ve realized over the years friendships take work. Friendship requires lots of effort on both sides. In order to keep up with someone’s life, you have to have that investment.
As I’ve grown further into my 20s, I’ve realized how important that effort becomes as life gets busier. There are always going to be those friendships that fade and grow apart, but that effort requires work. It really takes making your friendships a priority in order to gain the benefit from those relationships.
Here a few ways I’ve prioritized friendships in my 20s.
CALL OFTEN AND ALWAYS CALL BACK
This is one of my biggest priorities with my friends. A phone call can go such a long way. Don’t wait to catch up until you see each other in person. Calling frequently allows you to check in on an almost daily/weekly basis where you catch up on the day-to-day details.
You’ll find yourself always up to date on your friends life. The phone calls don’t have to be long each time if you’re always caught up. I always say it’s harder to catch up the more time passes because you don’t know where to start. Keeping your friends up to date frequently cuts this out.
I always call my friends when I’m driving, out running errands, making dinner, etc. I’ll just go down my list of the people I want to keep up with and if they are free, they will answer. If not, they’ll call me back later. Always call back!
This is especially important in long distance friends. You can read more about that in my post, How to Maintain a Long Distance Relationship with Your BFF.
FOCUS ON THE UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL
This has been one of my favorite parts of growing deeper connections with my friends in my 20s. I love being able to always feel like I have a person to go to for a unique situation. There are always going to be people who need different things out of friendships. Being able to recognize what those things are and how you can prioritize their needs for them allows you to be a better friend.
There might be that friend who needs that extra coffee date every few weeks or that friend that finds value through daily texts and DMs. Considering the needs of others allows you to prioritize them in a way that benefits your friendship.
I think this is especially important in big friend groups where you are used to hanging out as a group. Having that one-on-one or small group time is equally as important in fostering those relationships.
FIND INTENTIONAL TIME IN YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE
This is something I’ve really prioritized in my 20s especially living close by to the majority of my good friends. I never want to become the type of person who is ever “too busy” to make the time for a friend.
Most of my friends are traveling frequently on the weekends with our significant others especially as wedding season is in full swing. It can be hard to always find that time on a weekend so I’ve learned to really prioritize my friendships during the week. My friends and I will plan happy hours and wine nights during the week since our weekends are frequently packed.
I’ve also started finding time within my schedule to incorporate with friends. Getting my nails done on Thursday, who can come with me? Taking the dog to the park, a text to a few of my dog mom friends who wants to join. Working out in the morning, who can join me?
Look for ways your friends can join you in things you already have to do or get done. I’ve even had grocery store dates with my friends before. It doesn’t have to be long for it to have purpose and be meaningful.
PLAN AN ANNUAL TRIP MONTHS IN ADVANCE
This past weekend my friends and I went to my parents lake house in Maryland for the second year in a row. It was such a fun trip last year we decided to make it an annual thing. We planned the trip months in advance and got it on the calendar so we could all set aside the time.
It was so fun to just all hang out and really create intentional time with each other. It’s weekends like these that really make me remember how important these people are to me. I’m glad we have all found ways to really prioritize each other even as life gets busier. Here’s to next years girl trip!
xoxo,
Zoe