What I Learned from Writing 365 Thank You Notes

I just completed writing my 365th thank you note for 2014.

Waaaay back on December 26th, 2013, after a humbling experience,  I had a light bulb moment. Inspired by a friend from High School, I thought, what if, in order to grow in an area where I am admittedly weak, I take the year to write a handwritten thank you note each day?

So, I did.

The practice of writing a daily thank you note, (and up to three notes on some days – gotta keep things honest, here), changed me in several ways. Here is what I’m taking away from the experience which I just completed TODAY:

• My eyes and ears are alert. Now, I actively watch and listen for opportunities to thank people. (Which means I stare and eavesdrop.)
• My handwriting will never change. It continues to look like my Dad’s. (It does, Dad – and people can’t read yours either. Hugs!)
• People still enjoy receiving handwritten notes. And REAL MAIL. (I even wrote a note TO our mail carrier.)
• Stamps are pretty. My favorites this year were the Farmer’s Market, and Go Green sets. (It’s funny how much time I spent choosing the “right” stamp. My apologies to those who received Bellatrix Lestrange– nothing personal!)
• I love notecards! Marshall’s had an amazing selection this year, with several unique ones on sale in their magical clearance section. (Plus, I received notecards as gifts. In response, I would write thank you notes for thank you notes!)
• Writing thank you notes encouraged others to do the same. I received notes back! And not only from those doing the yearly challenge with me. There were surprise thank you notes all year long – which was encouraging, as this was a tough year. (I kept every single notei.)
• I enjoy giving. My favorite giving spurt was during a cruise we took in March. Beachbody puts on amazing events, and the staff work around the clock to spoil us. Thus, I wrote notes and slipped them to many a Beachbody staff member AND members of the Royal Caribbean’s crew. (This included the entire cast of Saturday Night Fever, with whom we were all enamored. Well, maybe not our husbands as much.)
• One can be thanked for even the simplest thing. Truly, if I felt a nudge to thank, I thanked. (Thanks for taking my husband out for a beer – he so needed that.)
• Handing someone a note is awkward. But I did it, anyway. There were times when I just needed to hand someone the envelope – rather than having them receive it in the mail. (I would run away before they would open it.)
• I will continue to write notes, albeit, not daily. If I haven’t picked up the habit by now, I am hopeless. (By Jove, I think she’s got it.)

There were people who received several notes. And you know who you are . . .

There were some who would receive a note, check the calendar, and tell me how excited they were to have received number “such and such” thank you note. (Those people can really count.)

There were some notes that were long overdue.

The 2014 mission may be accomplished, but the habit of writing thank you notes is far from complete.