You may have heard the expression, “every day’s a celebration”. It’s not just new-age positivity (though a glass-half-full outlook is nothing to sneeze at); there actually are many unheralded “holidays” you can use as a springboard to connect with seniors all year long.

If you’re seeking some off-the-beaten-path ideas to help you reach out to seniors at the start of 2018, start here: these unusual holidays will bring a smile to most faces, and create some interesting talking points.

January 10^th: Dark Chocolate, Houseplants & Stairs, Oh My! 

The second week of the month heralds a day that has something for everyone: those with a sweet tooth, green thumb, and penchant (or need) for exercise.

Let’s begin with chocolate: Americans consumer over 3.1 billion pounds of the stuff annually. So on Bittersweet Chocolate Day, chocoholics are simply honoring the occasion. It’s also scientifically proven (with a grain of, um, cacao bean) that men prefer bittersweet, and women, milk chocolate. Some of us are the exception here. But regardless, it’s beneficial: A single chocolate chip can give a person enough energy to walk 150 feet. Need the energy to walk a mile? Consume just 35 chocolate chips.

That’s great news for seniors on National Take the Stairs Day, which is celebrated the second Wednesday of each month, and in January happens to fall on the 10^th. Seniors will tone their muscles, maintain (or possibly even lose) weight, and contribute to their cardiovascular health. I’ve long believed that my lifelong friend Ellie, who lived to 101, stayed healthy well into old age because she lived in a third-floor walk-up and climbed those stairs daily to retrieve her mail.

Do you have a HECM client or prospect who loves gardening? January 10^th is their day: Houseplant Appreciation Day. Plants require less tending than a pet, and give as many health benefits, starting with oxygen. Talking to them helps them flourish (after all, plants are alive, so they like to hear kind words, too. And they won’t talk back or misbehave.)

One way an astute LO can utilize a day such as January 10^th is to honor clients with a gift of chocolate or a houseplant, simple little tokens of appreciation for their business that show you care, and remember what matters to them.

January 24^th: National Compliment Day

One of the sweetest, calorie-free odd holidays in January is Compliment Day, created by two clever New Hampshire women twenty years ago. Saying something kind about another can have far-reaching repercussions, as this poignant story, which appeared in the original Chicken Soup for the Soul book, makes clear.

What can you say about each of your prospects and clients that is original, true, and heartfelt? Give it some thought, purchase relevant greeting cards, and mail them in time to arrive by January 24^th. You don’t need to mention the occasion.

Receiving a piece of snail-mail that isn’t a bill or fake “sweepstakes winner” will be exciting enough for many seniors; your message will warm their hearts for days to come. The key is to be genuine. Whether it’s your reverse mortgage prospect’s excellent questions, lovely home, or fabulous African violets (if you visited on Houseplant Appreciation Day), acknowledge what stands out for you about who they are.

That’s starting the new year off right!