I admit to being an introvert by nature, meaning I need times of solitude to refresh my energy stores, but that does not mean I do not enjoy or need time spent with close friends.
Here are 5 ways I Cultivate Meaningful Friendships in a Busy World.
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1. I make time for them
I have one close friend I try to work out with once a week. Another friend whom I meet up with for a coffee chat at least once a month, and a third friend who lives just over an hour a way who comes to my house one month and then I drive to hers the next month to spend the day together with our kids who are also friends.
These meetings do not happen by chance; they are made by commitment to spending time with one another. Cultivating deep, meaningful friendships takes time and commitment.
2. I try to remember their interests and ask about them
I have a tendency to babble and I think a lot of introverts do, it is our nerves. When I find myself babbling, I try to take a deep breathe and think of something I can ask my friend about. How did their work week go? What happened to the trouble they were having with their child? How is the knitting project they started last time I saw them going?
3. I touch base with them regularly
I sometimes see my closest friends only once a month, but that is not the only time I communicate with them. I send them private Facebook messages letting them know I am praying for the concern they shared when we met last. I share funny stories of my day or share events that happened that reminded me of them.
4. I try to figure out their love language and speak it to them
Love language knowledge is not just great for closer relationships with your spouse and children, but also for your friends. I know one of my friends love language is gifts, so I try to bring her something little now and again. Another is quality time and I make every effort I can to see her more often. Another is words, so I try not to let my sarcastic tongue out of its gates around her.
5. I try to be open to doing any and all favors for them
This is a dangerous tip for friendships because if you do not choose your friends wisely, you can end up being at someone’s constant beck and call. However, pick your friends wisely and you will enjoy an amazingly refreshing game of give and take. For instance, if a friend calls asking me to watch her kids, I immediately think, “Would she do this for me if I asked?” If I have chosen my friends wisely, I know she certainly would and so my answer is yes–unless I really cannot make it work.
Bonus Tip: I am not a perfect friend–I mess up a lot! And when I do I try to let very little time pass from when I realized I messed up to saying the words, “I am sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Do you have any tips to share on cultivating meaningful friendships in a busy world? Leave a comment below!
For more advice on forming friendships, read:
- 10 Ways A Thrifty Gal Hangs Out With Her Friends For Less
- Why You Don’t Need To Make Time For Your Friends
- 10 Bible Verses On What It Takes To Be A Good Friend
- New Town To Hometown:31 Day Series
Follow Victoria @Snail Pace Transformations’s board Friendships on Pinterest.
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It seems harder and harder to cultivate friendships (in the real world) these days for me. However, these are great tips… and translate just as well to online friendships. 🙂
Thank you for detailing this important subject. Like you, I’m an introvert, so cultivating friendships needs to be a deliberate thing (something that I’ve failed to do… often) – and you’ve spelled it out in a way that’s “do-able”. Thank you!
Being a introvert myself I find this post very encouraging and those tips very practical. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Great tips. Friendships don’t just happen we have to work at it just like everything else.
Thanks for the reminders.
Lori