As I get busier in life pursuing my dreams and ambitions I find myself thinking about certain people.
I go back in time and look through a chat thread and see all kinds of potential being discussed. Then, some day, the last message sent was 6 months ago. Everything on paper was a vibe but when real life kicks back in they never get entered into the lexicon of my life.
Even the people I like and regularly would like to see seem to slip into the oblivion of forgotten social media message threads.
I’ve come to realize as time goes on that I don’t try anywhere near hard enough to make people want to stay in touch with me. I forget basic details about them they’ve told me. I can barely remember their names when I run into them again.
Many of my peers are excellent at remembering people.
In a lot of ways, those fine folk are going to go farther than I will in this entertainment game so here’s an attempt to figure it out.
Taking notes on people in real time when significant things are said
Over the course of my life I’ve met so many people and had meaningful conversations.
Had I pulled out my phone and written down who said what that was noteworthy immediately after it happened, I’d have way better relationships today. People keep track of when you forget them. Even if your arrogance paints them as forgettable.
Even if sometimes people are “forgettable”, entertainment is mostly about hospitality.
Remembering the people who took a moment to share with you in this life will help build more meaningful relationships. As time goes on those relationships are the foundation of the community that will gift you with your career.
If, like me, you cannot remember half of what happens when you are outside, using the notes app in real time will be your new starting point. Duck around a corner like you got a call and just grab the relevant stuff you don’t want to forget. Write down people’s names.
When you get home later in the next step you’ll start to get organized to remember.
Take those notes and put them into a literal CRM system
There is a group of software known as Customer Resource Management (CRM) tools.
These software are specialized at taking a bunch of client information and organizing it. They are primarily used by salespeople and customer service teams and other occupations that track micro data on a large group of people. There’s nothing that says you can’t use this software to keep track of key things in the people in your life.
Now what’s dope is that most of these software are enterprise level tools. While you may not get access to the whole app, they will mostly have free tiers for a single user that can completely handle your personal life. If it’s quick and easy to use, you can create new friend profiles on the fly then add those notes directly to them.
These tools can track specific information. Such as the merch size of past clients or people’s birthdays. You can record people’s favourite songs or restaurants. Things that later on when the occasion arises you can razzle dazzle them.
If your memory is garbage for this kind of thing, use some technology and discipline.
You can then use those tools to create reminders.
Create a schedule where you reach out to a set number of people each day just to stay in touch
The last part of the equation is to take the time to reach out to people and say hi.
You don’t need a real reason to say hi to people. Just reach out and let them know you were thinking about them. As about any family/hobby things you took notes on.
While this sounds kind of artificial, putting this much effort into showing someone you care, is meaningful. As you stay in touch with people and learn more, update your CRM files. The goal is to make sure that the information is there when you need it.
Using the reminders in a CRM you can create a cycle where you reach out to 5 people who you know every single day. Schedule an hour or two a week to simply catch up with people. One day this will come in handy.
As you start thinking of people you need for the projects in your life, including people to sell tickets to, if you are fresh in people’s minds it’s a lot easier. Saying hi after 8 months of no contact to ask someone to come to a show is not really the flex.
Make it a habit to be a little more social, and one day it will become a joy.
You’ll also find out who doesn’t like you pretty quick.
Live Long and Prosper Everyone
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