In Praise of Paper

As the number (and quality!) of scheduled networking events and meetings rise, and as the number (and quality) of individual face-to-face meetings rise, I am faced with the possibility of missing an appointment, or of getting downtown without an address or phone number.

The Solution is Simple

For each confirmation of a scheduled event, I print out a single sheet of paper with the confirmation - title, name, address, phone number, date and time, and the scheduled program, names of speakers - the lot!

For each confirmation of a scheduled face-to-face meeting, I print out a single sheet of paper with the confirmation - title, name, address, phone number, date and time, and the contents of the email (which had better be some sort of agenda!) - the lot!

These sheets are pinned to a cork-board with the earliest meeting on the top.

One of my morning tasks is to take the day's sheets from the top of the corkboard pile and place them in my letter-size wallet.

On my way downtown I have a sheet of paper, a token, for each meeting, and on it I can record my notes unobtrusively.

Of course, an empty corkboard sends me a useful message!