Why I Still Keep a Contact List (Even Though My Phone Does Too)

It's Not Really About Phone Numbers

A while back, someone asked me why I still bother keeping a contact list.

At first, I laughed because it seemed like a legit question. The majority of us carry our contacts around in our pockets these days. Our phones remember people’s numbers, email addresses, birthdays, and just about everything else. Compared to twenty plus years ago, finding someone's contact information has never been easier.

So why should you bother keeping a separate contact list?

The short answer is: my contact list isn't really about phone numbers. My phone already does a great job storing those.

The real reason I keep a contact list is because I've learned that the information I need isn't always the information my phone is designed to organize.

The Information I Actually Need

I’ve built a system over the past few years where my contact list has become a place to keep addresses, birthdays, anniversaries, emergency contacts, service providers, and all the little details that don't seem important until the moment they are. It's become less of an address book and more of a much needed reference tool.

I didn't set out to create it that way. It happened gradually as I found myself looking for the same types of information over and over and over again. Say I needed an address for a holiday card, a birthday I hadn't added to my calendar yet, or the phone number for a contractor I hadn't called in a few years. The details were different most of the time, but the experience was usually the same. I knew I had the information somewhere, but finding it was a whole other story.

Barely any of these situations were emergencies. They were simply everyday reminders that information is only useful if it’s in a place you can actually find it when you need it.

Most Phones Store Contacts. That's Not the Same Thing.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting anyone throw away their phone contacts and go back to carrying around a paper address book. I use my phone contacts almost every day.

The distinct difference is that my phone is designed to help me call, text, or email someone. My contact list is designed to help me find information.

Over the years, I've found myself needing much more than a phone number. While your phone contact sections have evolved and you can add things like birthdays, addresses, etc, they are still lacking in easy ways to quickly find what you are looking for without having to search.

None of this information is difficult to store. The challenge is that it tends to end up scattered across different places. A phone number might be saved in your contacts, an address buried in an old email, and a birthday written down somewhere you'll never think to look when you actually need it.

Having a dedicated contact list gives all of that information a place to live.

The Small Things Are Usually What Matter

One thing I've noticed over the years is that most organizational headaches aren't caused by major events. They're caused by everyday life.

You might be looking for an address or trying to remember a birthday. Or maybe you need to call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. We want to find information we know we already have.

Those situations aren't unusual. They're just part of life. Having a contact list means I spend less time searching and more time getting on with whatever I was trying to do in the first place.

Why I Still Keep One

That's why I still keep a contact list, even though my phone does too.

My phone is great at storing phone numbers. My contact list serves a different purpose. It's where I keep the extra information that tends to get scattered across calendars, notebooks, emails, and sticky notes.

I don't use it every day, and that's probably the point. The information inside it is the kind of information that quietly sits in the background until I need it. When that day comes, I know exactly where to look.

Is it exciting? Not particularly. Is it useful? You bet.

The older I get, the more I appreciate tools that make everyday life a little easier.

If you've ever found yourself digging through emails, searching old notebooks, or trying to remember where you wrote down an important phone number, address, or service provider, a simple contact list can make life a whole lot easier.

My Contact List for Google Sheets gives you one place to keep track of family contacts, emergency information, birthdays, service providers, and all the details you need to find quickly when the time comes.