No Conference this year

This year the National Association of Professional Organizers annual conference will be held in Baltimore this week.  It looks like a great conference with many opportunities to learn about technology, handling client issues, and marketing, to name just a few.  However, I won't be attending due to the fact I'm still recovering from my ankle surgery in December.  Such a disappointment, since last year was my first conference and I learned so much from it, as well as having an opportunity to get to know some of my local organizers. 

The biggest things I learned about last year were Toodledo and Evernote.  Such an impact these two tools have had in my life and in some of my clients lives!  If I hadn't gone to the conference, I wouldn't have stumbled upon these tools (I literally stumbled upon Evernote since they had a booth which I tripped into.  Yes, call me Grace). 

The biggest thing I'll miss is watching Bill Rancic as the keynote speaker.  I remember watching him on "The Apprentice", and having seen him speak on tv in various settings, I have been very impressed by his business savvy.  I would have loved to see how he applied this to the organizing profession. 

I do, however, have the opportunity to purchase a recording of any of the seminars that I'm interested in, such as "Organizing the ADHD Brain", using project management to organize, and more tech skills about organizing in the cloud.  So I'll be posting the latest info I hear about on my blog.

To Digitize, or Not To Digitize - It's a Big Question

Frankly, it doesn't matter one way or the other for me if my client is still using a paper system (for calendars, contacts, etc) or an electronic one.  As long as their system works for them, I don't bother with it.  We move on and work on something else.  HOWEVER, if their system is NOT working for them, then that's when we have some discussions. 

I'll admit it that when it comes to technology, I can go kicking and screaming, dragging my feet into using it.  No kidding.  I believe if you have something that ain't broke, don't fix it.  I also believe that technology changes too quickly and there's always something "better" out there, so that people feel the need to get new phones, laptops, and software every 6 months just to keep up.  Yet, that doesn't mean the new stuff isn't bad, and may be worth looking at, even if everything you already have works fine.

Paper calendars are very good tools for the visually inclined, especially those who doodle and like to scribble notes.  I was one of those.  I would remember a particular date or address because of a doodle I had drawn on that page, or the color of ink I had used when writing it down.  Not the most scientific way of remembering, but hey, it worked for me.  What didn't work for me was the number of contacts I had and their information and my way of retrieving it.  Plus in my business, I have to keep up with what many of my clients are using.  It was the job that convinced me to go digital, and my smartphone obsession was born.  Ok, it's not an obsession, just a deep, deep respect for what it can do for me.

A smartphone can take some getting used to from someone jumping from a paper system, and there will be a short period of feeling uncomfortable, but everyone I've worked with (and even friends that I don't work with) that I've encouraged to take this step have never regretted it. 

Paper System (including datebook, rolodex/address book):

Pros -

• it's visual, and writing info is a snap.  It's tactile, so it feels good going through the pages.  And most likely, it's easy to read.

Cons -

• changing dates/names/numbers etc is messy.  Unless you write in pencil, your paper system could be full of crossouts and messy scribbles. Moving dates around is cumbersome and ugly.
• if you lose this, you are screwed.  Royally.  Unless you've taken the time to make copies on a daily or weekly basis as a backup, you have none.  All of your critical info is gone forever, which could make a huge dent in your business/work.
• your system could be big and bulky.  Even with a medium sized datebook, it's thick, and doesn't fit well in smaller bigs.  And are you carrying your entire rolodex around, or a subset (and then you're missing some information you may need)?

Digital System

Pros -

• combine your smartphone with your computer and you've got a system that is easy to access from anywhere.  Your entire rolodex, all of your dates (from now until years from now), it's all at your fingertips.
• the system has redundancy.  If you lose your smartphone, and you've been syncing your info to your computer, there's your backup,  And vice versa.  You now have peace of mind that you will not lose your critical information.
• information is easy to change.  No more scribbles or crossouts.  It's so easy to move dates around, change times, email addresses, phone numbers, etc.  And with people changing jobs and living spaces, it's nice to know this won't take long.
• color categorize.  Some systems allow you to color categorize, which makes finding information at a glance even easier.  And for those visually inclined people, it also makes it easier on the eyes.
• faster retrieval.  I can find information so much faster on my smartphone or computer than someone with a paper system can.  It's proven, and effective, which is important in business when time is money.

Cons -

• learning curve.  Yup, it's something you have to learn, and for the techno-wary, this is a scary prospect.  But jump in.  You really have to, because that's the way the world is moving.  And then you'll find it's not that bad.
• expense.  A smartphone and a computer are going to cost a helluva lot more than a datebook and rolodex.  Chances are, you have a computer already (how else are you reading this?), so that's one less expense.  Most likely, you already have a cell phone, so really, it's not that big of a leap to get a smart phone.  And there are some good deals out there, if you have the time to look.
• apocalypse.  If something should happen where we can no longer have electricity, then all of our info will be lost, unless you've printed out backups on a regular basis.  You can no longer use computers or cell phones to get your dates and contact info out.  The upside is, that no one else can either, so you don't have to worry about email address or phone numbers.  And after an apocalypse, I just bet that 9:30 meeting with your clients/co-workers has been cancelled.

Flexibility is key

Even the BEST laid plans, no matter how cleverly coordinated, can end up in the toilet.  Over the next 2 days, I had several appointments set up, some that were not easy to coordinate, that I had to completely re-work.  We're having a big snow storm happening this evening and, just like that, the plans are out the window. 

I was going to have lunch with a potential client, which I much prefer to do face to face.  Fortunately, he was VERY amenable to a video meeting.  We had a brief phone conversation about technology, and voila!  Meeting back on, in a way I hadn't considered viable for potential clients before.  Suddenly, it began to open my mind in how other things are done. 

Another appointment was with an associate to catch up and talk about business plans.  Due to the snow we're re-scheduling to a day that I was not that comfortable with due to other plans that day making it a very busy one.  I wanted to be flexible, so I agreed.  I then discovered a friend of hers will also be there, someone I've been wanting to meet to do business with for some time.  It's a perfect opportunity to swap ideas with someone new and potentially get into a new market. 

Sometimes, when you get thrown a curveball, and you can go with the flow, other, better things can happen.  It's all about how flexible you are willing to be.