*pssst* start writing your christmas letter now

….or soon, or maybe just have it in mind…let me explain.

I’ll admit that since I started writing a Christmas letter myself, I’ve started earlier in the year than most, I think it makes it more fun, and easier.

There are a couple of reasons for this choice.

Reason number one, I’m writing it and putting it together more in the moment and thinking about thinks a bit more in context, so it also doesn’t get forgotten as easily. Though I’ll admit I usually forget a couple of months at a time, especially in the beginning.

I can already say to friends, “Can we take a photo together today before we leave?, I want to put it in the Christmas letter.” I genuinely try not to overdo it, but be intentional with photos, it’s my main souvenir at this point for moments in my life, and I love looking back through them. I hope all my friends “hear” between the lines a tone of “I want to remember the times I’ve enjoyed with you, and I value our friendship.” That said, I get only one or two per event in many cases, and I think that’s often ok, I don’t want my phone to be out all the time anyway.

Thirdly, it helps me remember great times in my life as I go, like I said, I go through pictures, but thinking through what I enjoyed about my month helps me to be grateful for what I’ve gotten to do, and who I’ve gotten to see.

I’m not saying you have to write a novel for a letter, heck, it can be mostly pictures with tweet-long captions for many cases. If you do end up waiting until the end of the year, you can still make it just as long or short as you want, and hey, you can even put a rerun on TV while you do it, potentially.

Enjoy moments throughout the year, cherish the people in your life, capture a snapshot or 2 along the way, and share it with those who want to hear about your life.

Happy Writing!