Have you ever scrolled through your contacts from your phone? Do you consistently keep in touch with them? Are there people from your contacts list who you would never call? If so why are they in there? 

Linked in uses the terms first, second, and third connections. I adopted these terms and applied them for categorizing my contacts list. Let’s go through what each of these terms actually mean.

1st Connection :: These are people who you would have more intimate relationships with. You should be able to call them share your deepest, darkest secrets, or even just because you’re bored and have nothing else to do. That’s how comfortable you should be with 1st connections.

2nd Connection :: A little less intimate than your 1st connections, but still have a personal relationship. These people might not be family members, or your significant others, but you have built a personal relationship with them because you see them often. You might not feel comfortable sharing everything about yourself, but you’re close enough to ask if they’re interested in grabbing a bite on the weekends, or just to hang out.

3rd Connection :: These people can range from people you would call only several times a year; to set up an appointment, holiday greetings, bosses, to “who is this person and how did his/her number end up in my phone.” 3rd connections are diverse, but one thing is for sure. You’d never call 3rd connections out on a whim and you would, definitely, not call them because you’re bored. There’s always a specific reason for you to reach them. Another thing about 3rd connections is that it’s very awkward after you call them by misdialing. For example you meant to call Amanda (your girlfriend), but you accidentally pressed Alana (your boss’s wife, who you only met once because you needed to drop some documents off).

So, today is 3rd Connections Day and you must categorize your contacts list (like I did down below) according who is your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd connections. The rule is that you must call one of 3rd connections without any special reason or occassion. Just say “hello” and tell him or her that you called just to see how they and their family are doing. It’s a nice gesture. If this tradition continues, sooner or later, the world will not have such thing as a 3rd connection. The goal is for everybody to become like your 2nd connections. Good luck and Happy 3rd Connections Day!!~~~