Summertime Relationship Maintenance

by Matt Mattson

Today is a good day to take a break from your break.

Many of our readers are enjoying their summer vacation from college, and have been spending time chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool, and all shooting some b-ball outside of their school.  Perhaps you’ve been working hard on your tan (please note the important warning in the picture to the left)…  You’re enjoying your summertime break, as you should be.

But too often, the summer can put quite a damper in the work you’ve done to become Socially Excellent all school year.

Well, if you need something to break the social monotony of the summer season (particularly if you find yourself only talking to your parents or your high school/hometown friends), tap into Social Excellence.

Here’s the deal… You probably spent all last semester building meaningful relationships with your college friends, strengthening the ties in your ever-expanding social network, and then POOF!  It’s summertime.  You forgot all about them because you’re doing summer stuff.  So are they.  Well, if you think you can just head back to campus in the fall and pick up those relationships where you left off without any awkward moments, you’re wrong.  Yes, they’ll be impressed by your awesome tan, but it will take a while to catch back up on the relationship front.

So, here’s your challenge for this week.  Call 5 people from your personal network — college friends you haven’t even poked on Facebook this summer.  Call them and ask them how their 4th was.  Ask them about their summer job.  Ask them to tell you the best story from this summer.  Ask them about road trips, love connections, that scandalous picture on Facebook you saw them tagged in, etc.  Ask them if you can connect in person sometime before the school year starts.

Social Excellence means maintaining relationships, nurturing friendships, and putting in the energy all year long that your social network deserves.  Work on your relationships as much as you’re working on your tan.  After all, the success and fulfillment you experience this fall will likely be because of the people you’ve surrounded yourself with.

In summary:

1. Wear sunscreen (particularly if you choose nude sunbathing… trust me on that one).

2. Call the people you haven’t talked with all summer.

3. Be Social. Be Excellent.