The talented and inspiring singer, Erykah Badu, has a lyric describing herself as an “Analog girl in a digital world.” Now, that was back in the late 1990s, but how prophetic a statement it was of how I would feel well into the two decades after I first heard it.
In my new life at my dream job at Pocketstop, I have been experimenting with the best organizational tools in all the land, both digital and analog. In addition to my iPhone that syncs to my Google mail and calendar, I have a little moleskine-esque notebook… a Rhodia web book… that is PERFECT for daily notes and to-dos for work and during training, so I can quickly go back and reference what I need with a quick flip of the page. I’m using it in chronological order to record my training and ideas I have for accounts I’d like to suggest, once I get deeper into my job duties and responsibilities. As I’ve blogged about before, the Rhodia web book has a cover that is amazing to the touch! Two years later, I’m equally as enthralled with the texture of this notebook cover as I was when I first got it.
The Rhodia Meeting Book is larger and has a different format. It is perfect for when I meet with clients. I can write down who attended the meeting at the top of the page, to help me remember names, notes from the meeting on the bottom, and the action steps side bar for what our team promises to deliver and what the client has said they would provide (ideas, data, etc.). These two books create a balance and professional harmony that I need to stay on my “A” game! My iPhone calendar and my work (Google) calendar sync up, so that entire aspect is covered electronically, which is good, because they send me automated reminders. But, I still need that emotional connection that I have with paper and more importantly, putting ink on paper. And, if you are writing notes into your iPhone during a meeting, there is still a perception that you’re “texting” or “uninterested.” So, writing down notes is timeless and still relevant for meetings in today’s professional culture.
To report “from the field,” I will tell you that nearly every single person here at Pocketstop – from the Creative Director who designs websites and Facebook pages to the CEO, have notebooks they use in meetings to jot down reminders. But, they all have smart phones too, because well… it’s a mobile media company – they BETTER all have smart phones! It’s really cool to see the combination of digital vs non-digital tools that creative and professional people use.
I wonder if Erykah Badu has an iPhone…
- Sandy Taylor, Accounts Manager
Photo credit: Flickr user mrbill
