Four Tips On Making Meaningful Friendships As An Adult

blogger meetup

I’ve been blogging and running my own business for so long but haven’t reached out to women in my city yet. It was a problem because while the internet has made it so easy for you to connect to anybody, anywhere, proximity counts. I didn’t have that community of women in my own backyard that I could call upon for immediate support, instead having to always rely on “virtual hugs” and supportive Facebook messages.

So this past weekend I organized a meetup for women bloggers in my local area. We had a great time over brunch at Granite City, sharing our projects and figuring out ways we could support each other. (My favorite part of the brunch was discovering how many of them were cupcake connoisseurs as well!) It felt amazing to be around so much positive energy. I was wondering why I hadn’t done this sooner, as it could have made a world of difference over the past few years, as I was struggling for support with my events or in my personal life.

The lesson? If your support network is small or weaker than you would like, don’t just accept it. Put in the work to grow your team. Good friends/confidantes don’t just fall out of the sky. They’re cultivated and nurtured, just like any other relationship.

My tips for you: 

  • Double-check to see who you are overlooking. Sometimes we feel like there’s no one in our corner, but perhaps we’re not looking in the right places. Do you have friends that you used to be close to, but time and distance have weakened your bonds? There’s nothing stopping you from rekindling an old friendship, particularly if there was no nasty falling out.
  • Organize some type of dinner party/get together. You need face time with your support circle. It is so easy to just stay at home and text your friends or trade “LOLs” on Twitter, but over time, that kind of connection weakens.
  • Join a shared interest organization/group. Is there a young professionals group in your city that you could connect with? Are there student organizations on campus that fit your interests? Sometimes the easiest way to make new connections is to go where folks are already looking to make new connections.
  • Use your kids. Over the past few years, I have made a few “mom friends” by befriending the parents of my kids’ friends. It has helped me tremendously as I get to know them and their family and it also helps my kids feel like they have a bigger community as well.

If you found these tips helpful, care to share it on Twitter? 

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Comments

  1. Excellent post!! Exactly what I needed to get out of my own way and start connecting more. Thank you!

  2. Great tips! I definitely need to make some new friends so I think I’ll try these.

  3. This is a great post! It is so important to have a support system of friends, and it can sometimes be hard to keep up with old bonds, or form new bonds, but your advice is great on how to do that!

    Kasi | http://www.thestyleperk.com

  4. I needed to read this. I am trying to make authentic adult connections since I moved to North Carolina.

  5. Great tips! Looking forward to meeting other Cleveland bloggers at the end of the month.

  6. I love this idea! I’ve been wanting to organize something like it here. I should get the ball rolling.

  7. these are great tips. I find it harder to make genuine friends later in life. Networking definitely helps and meeting friends thru other friends.

  8. One of my goals for the year is to have more gatherings at my home! We all claim we are so busy so I want to have a regular gathering night each month. So simple.

  9. I love this, I’m all about making new friends. I’ve been wanting to do a meet up for so long, yet I’ve not put it in action. I’m going to make it happen in my area for sure. Looks like a great time.

  10. I soooo agree with this, so congrats on taking that step! Anytime I speak with a client struggling with lack of support, the first thing I ask is what steps they’ve taken to form their own support group? Often times, there is amazing support right in our own backyard.

  11. These are such great tips. I completely agree with developing your own support circle, especially as a solopreneur. I’ve had to do something similar just knowing that that sisterhood is so important to our well-being as women.

  12. As someone who lives in a different country from most of my closest friends, I get the importance of this.ni also feel like that it’s difficult to build strong bonds with other women. I love meeting new people and connecting though.

  13. These are great tips. The kids are a good one too. They kind of ease the process while still being the commonality.

  14. Great tips! All of my friends from high school and college are in another city and it’s been hard to find great adult relationships here in Atlanta. But a few mom friends and I started a monthly get together where we get together and talk while the the kids play. It’s awesome to have that group of friends. Also, my bloggy boos here in Atlanta have not only been blogging boos but my friends as well. That was a big surprise but a relationship I am so grateful for

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