For years, I’ve struggled with managing certain relationships. I do fine with family and close friends—I’m in touch with them regularly. (Mom may beg to differ sometimes.) It’s people outside this inner circle that I have trouble keeping up with. They get my attention at random times. Someone will pop into my mind and I’ll reach out to them when I get home (if I don’t forget).

After acknowledging my weakness, I decided to do something about it. I did some research and spoke with people about what I was trying to do. A close friend recommended the Fabriq app. It’s new and still evolving, but I decided to give it a try. I’m using it for my personal contacts. (I take a different approach to nurturing professional relationships.)

Here are some of my takeaways:

• Circles – The app triggered me to think about the type of relationship I have with each person and what circle they’re in (inner, middle, outer, etc.). This exercise took a bit of time, but it was very helpful.
• Schedule – You set the touch point frequency for each contact, and the app nudges you when it’s time to reach out. This has been useful—it’s helping me work toward establishing a habit.
• Reminders – Custom reminders can be set for important dates, follow-up activities, and anything else you like.  
• Notes – Information can be added for each contact. After a call I sometimes create a note about something important that I just heard but that I’m not likely to remember. I look over my notes about a person before calling them next time.
• Initiate contact – Texts and calls can be initiated from within the app. There are templates for conversation starters too.

Overall I’m pleased with the app. It’s not perfect, but it has improved how I manage relationships. I like how proactive Fabriq’s team is. They’re constantly improving the app, so I predict that it will get better over time. That said, it’s not a silver bullet. I still have to make the effort to use the app consistently.

What’s your strategy for managing personal relationships?