Hack Your Letter-Writing Habit: Make it Easy

The second law of habits in James Clear’s ATOMIC HABITS is: Make it Easy.  The less friction there is between you and your letter-writing, the easier it will be to sit down and write. Here are a few things you can do:

Letter-Writing Habit Hack #5:  Decrease the Number of Steps

Letter-writing can feel like a big lift compared to writing a text or email.  You need to:

1. Remember the person’s birthday or milestone

2. Remember to make time a week in advance to write a card

3. Find the person’s address

4. Buy a card or paper

5. Find a pen that you like

6. Buy a stamp

7. Write the letter

8. Address the envelope

9. Stamp the letter

10. Mail the letter

Phew! That’s a lot. To make it easier, reduce the number of steps:

1. Keep a list of addresses of your favorite people to save time tracking them down. Use our letter-writing list here.

2. Keep a stash of cards for every occasions at your letter-writing station so you don’t need to buy a card on the fly

3. Buy a box of pens you like to write with, and a roll of stamps

4. Print return address labels, or get a self-inking stamp made with your return address to save time when addressing envelopes

5. Pre-address and stamp envelopes of people you know you’re going to write to regularly

6. Leave your outgoing mail in your mailbox instead of going to the post office

A little planning goes a long way to making letter-writing easy, fast, and fun!