Where Would I Be Without My Filofax?

Growing up I knew phone numbers. It was important that I knew at least 15 of them. I knew my mom's work number, the house number, my friends' house numbers, and dad's work number. Seven digit numeric sequences that were paramount to my day to day functioning. Without them, I couldn't make it day to day. Socially, my world was integrated through asking my parents permission to do things and connecting to my friends. The important life aspect of this was the connection, the memorization of the phone numbers was the key to unlock the opportunity, in no way was it vital to the opportunity.

In the 20th century, business leaders were so important that they had secretaries whose sole job was to organize their day. The secretary kept track of the schedule, facilitated appointments, managed key contacts, and helped the business leader pace the day. In the 1980's, more and more business was on the move. As a result Filofax's and Franklin Covey planners rose to prominence. Inside people kept the key information of their lives. Calendars, contacts, credit cards, and meeting notes all in one place. The problem being solved was one Gary Larson put so eloquently in this Far Side cartoon:

Excuse Me - Gary Larson, The Far Side

Needing something to keep track of all of the information we need to have in life is not a new problem. It is simply a problem we are getting better at solving. The 1990 Charles Grodin-Jim Belushi movie, Taking Care of Business, was centered around the premise of what were to happen to a person if they accidentally left behind their Filofax at an airport. The antics surround an individual trying to establish his identity and another impersonating him, with a fun side story of the Cubs trying to win the World Series. The reality is remembering key information is not a new problem, our ways of coping with it are better.

Frequently I hear concerns, what would these kids do without their devices. Inside it is their lives. Their music, their messages, their contacts, and their calendars. In saying this, we are like the old criminals on a Scooby Doo episode. We are curmudgeons mistaking tool for the objective. The device, like the phone number is simply the key to the lock. The child's texts are simply a replacement for hours on the phone with their friends. Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora have simply replaced our CD players and boom boxes. Our calendars have moved from unwieldy Chandlers that if lost our lives would be in peril to digital images that we can pull up on a phone or a watch. 

The truth is that I remember my friend's Steve's home phone number during middle school better that I know our "landline" phone number right now. If I, my wife, or my sons, lose "these devices," our key information is mostly secure, encrypted, and can instantly be pulled down from a back up or accessed by us on the web. Now we have the opportunity to instead of remembering the minute details that opened the doors to relationships, conversations, and business to focus on these interactions instead. As Jim Belushi reminds Charles Grodin after catching Mark Grace's fictional home run in the World Series, it's important to see the moment rather than working towards getting to the event.

Taking Care of Business