At lunch today, one of my dearest friends told me that he’s making a point of connecting this year with the people who matter to him. He has scheduled time with friends and, before each time runs out, he is intentional about trying to set up the next date. Today, before we said goodbye, he made a point of saying, “When can we get together again?” What a great idea. Imagine if we did that in all areas that matter to us.

Schedule a workout and before the workout is done, decide when the next workout will be. See a great movie and before leaving the theater, pick a date to indulge in another one. Read a good book, and immediately schedule a time to read again. Write for a block of time and before the session is over, decide when the next writing block will take place.

That doesn’t mean being super rigid about a schedule. If today we say that we will connect again on February 9, that doesn’t mean I can’t call my friend before then and invite him to lunch. But we at least know we’ll connect again on February 9. At least I will know that I’ll read again on Saturday and that I’ll write again tomorrow evening.

I love it. The things that matter won’t get lost in the piles of things that don’t, and good stuff will always appear on the calendar. Plus, that approach functions as a built-in gauge for how important an activity is. I want my life to be full of people and things that I love. If setting up the next date to see someone or do something doesn’t bring up excitement, then maybe I need to rethink what I’m doing.

I think it’s a brilliant way to function. I’m going to try it.