Lifestyle

This is how you prevent plans from being canceled last minute

By Bo Geschiere | #!31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:002231#31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:00-5Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 09am31am-31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:005Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200455457amSunday=9#!31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam7#07-09-2023#!31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:002231#/31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:00-5Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:45:22 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam7#

We've all been there. For weeks you've been looking forward to dinner with that one friend from the past and just after you pull the last roller out of your blow-dried hair, you get a message: ‘Hey buddy, tonight isn't going to work after all.’ That's a real bummer. But that can happen once in a while, of course. Still, I notice that the threshold to cancel — via text, no less — at the very last moment is getting lower by the day.

Now I'm not going to pretend I've never done this myself. Of course I have. We all have at some point. Sometimes something genuinely comes up or you've just had a really bad day. But be careful with whom you do this, and especially how often. Because for some, it becomes a habit, and we all know someone like that in our circle. Do you already have someone in mind who has this bad habit? With the tips below, you can reduce the chance that this person cancels your plans again next time.

1. Remind the other person once more
Not everyone has their life as organized as you do. Sometimes people just forget appointments. That's life. What you can do is send them a reminder a few days in advance: ‘Hey, are we still having a drink on Thursday night?’ You could even add that they should let you know by Wednesday at the latest if this is actually going to happen. That way, the well-known 'sorry-I-totally-forgot' excuse won't apply anymore.

2. Get a public ‘yes’
Many people like to keep their word. Out of pride. Especially if they have publicly committed to something, which others can also confirm. Call it thoughtful (which it actually is), but make sure next time that he or she is not alone with you when making plans. Perhaps you'll have a slightly better chance that it will actually happen this time.

3. Visualize your plans
Warm them up a bit. Send a few atmospheric TikToks in advance — for example, from the restaurant you're going to — and show how delicious the food is there. For me, that visualization of food would definitely work. If the other person then still gathers the courage to cancel with a lame excuse, I would be quite at my wit's end.

Source: hellogiggles.com | Image: Netflix