Sunday night I saw one of my favorite bands, Phish perform live at Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. It was a fantastic show. The sound quality was amazing! I was VIP and had full stage access for their entire performance. I did not have to pay for tickets or fight the crowds of soap dodgers. I had a glass of my favorite wine and slept in the comfort of my own bed after the show. How did I accomplish this? Well, the story begins 20 years ago.
In 1991 I got my first car and my first cell phone. The car was a 1966 Mustang and the cell phone came in briefcase weighing about 20 lbs. I thought it was pretty cool at the time. Since then, I have owned over a dozen cell phones and/or smart phones.
Boy, was I wrong…
When cell phone companies decided to place cameras on cell phones, I remember thinking that the idea of a camera phone was stupid. Who wants a camera phone? It made no sense at the time. Boy, was I wrong!
When cell phone companies added ‘texting’ to phone capabilities, I remember thinking that texting is a waste of time. Why text, when I can call? Boy was I wrong!
Today, I have over 3000 photos and videos that I have taken with my phone. I text more than I talk. I check emails from four different accounts and have all of my calendars in one place. I video chat. I have 2500 music files. I can search the web. I can update my Facebook status from anywhere. I have GPS to get me where I need to go and locate my phone if it ever gets lost. I have 16 gigabytes of storage space on my phone that is backed-up on a cloud just in case my phone is destroyed. Finally, I have about 20 apps that tell me everything from the weather to a real-time constellation map of the night sky, all on my phone!
Back to Sunday night…
Sunday night, I enjoyed a live Phish performance from 800 miles away in HD video and surround sound on my iPhone in the comfort of my own home in Fort Worth, Texas.
The experience made me stop and take notice of the advances in cell phone technology in the last 20 years. The fact is that these handheld devices are super-fast computers with more processing speed and memory than the first Space Shuttle. The teenager inside my head said, “Dude, it’s not a phone any more”. It has become a vital appendage.
So what changed?
My desire to experience a great live performance has NOT changed. However, the way in which I experience a live performance has changed significantly. Experiences like this teach me that our desire for specific outcomes (usually) DOES NOT change. It is the method and process that we use to reach the outcome that change.
The same can be said for how we engage in successful work, communication and/or financial situations. Perhaps, the key is codifying the newer more efficient process, and then applying it in order to reach a specific outcome.