The Dinosaur Age of Spreadsheets
I began using computerized spreadsheets as far back as the 1980’s when a desktop computer looked like a small suitcase with a ridiculously small screen. Compaq put them out, and the storage they contained would be laughable today. But it was a start. We used a program called QuattroPro which fell by the wayside, overshadowed by the likes of Lotus and Excel, and now Google Docs and a multitude of phone and tablet apps. QuattroPro has since become part of the WordPerfect suite, yet another software package which fell into disuse when Microsoft Office began grabbing a share of Lotus’ market.
Of course, my observations are limited to my corner of the U.S. where I saw my employers switching from one to the other, leaving the rest to find users in smaller, less corporate markets than the ones I “enjoyed”.
At any rate, whoever distributed the software, it made things a lot easier for accountants like I was in my former life. No longer did we have to drag those 17-column accounting pads with us to clients, or require a large, clean space on which to work. Software freed us from long hours spent painstakingly scratching numbers into tiny boxes, then adding them up with our 10-keys. Linking different sheets together to bring numbers into a lot of different places at the same time streamlined a huge amount of the work we’d been doing manually for decades. I would have loved to have the capabilities when I had a couple of clients with 15 or 20 linked entities. It took several days every three months to create financial statements for that client, a task which could be completed with a few keystrokes today.
Evolution is a Good Thing
Sure, the transition challenged those who’d been in the business for a while, but for the newer arrivals like me, we gratefully accepted the challenge. I, for one was tired of typing up financial statements on my old correcting Selectric. And don’t get me started on those heavy ledgers where everything we did had to be laboriously cross-posted and tallied several times.
Spreadsheets have come a long way since the 80’s, and people are constantly finding new ways 
for them to be useful. No longer are they simply a financial tool. Their value in tracking, filtering and sorting makes them an invaluable tool for almost anyone.
Recently, I created a spreadsheet to set up and track my cross-postings to Medium. I was able to set up a month’s worth of posts including links to the original, date I wanted to post them, and a place for the date I scheduled each post. I was able to sort and re-sort until I had them in an order that made sense, if not to the rest of the world, to me. I can tell at a glance what I need to set up, where I’m at, and how far I need to go to finish the tasks I’ve set.
Others use spreadsheets to track contacts for sales, schedule posts in the groups they follow on social media, create editorial calendars, create charts, and more. I don’t think there’s a single business which can’t benefit from the creation of a few spreadsheets to keep them organized. I even keep a master packing list on my computer which I can re-organize to fit the occasion, and mark off items as I put things in my suitcase. It’s kept me from forgetting anything important for years.
Sure, I still use them for numbers as well. I continue to offer accounting services along with my writing if for no other reason than it keeps my brain in balance. But these days, I think I use spreadsheets more for non-accounting tasks.
Getting Comfortable With The Choices
Though the medium of choice seems to be Google Docs these days, I see a lot of coaches using spreadsheets to keep track of clients, match people with accountability partners, lay out a schedule for their courses, and more. The uses for spreadsheets are truly limited only by our imagination.
It’s important to know, though the various programs and apps contain basically the same features, the way they’re organized differs from program to program. As such, I’m far more comfortable with Excel because it’s the one I’ve used the longest. I know where to find what I need, and I know it is an easy connection to my accounting software as well. I can link it to a variety of applications too. It’s even accessible from my phone, if with limited capabilities.
If you’ve learned one version of spreadsheet software, you can adapt to one of the others (and likely will have to at some point as people are using them more and more to share information). I’ve had to use Google’s version on occasion, though I still don’t see all the capabilities I have in Excel. Admittedly, I haven’t given it much of a chance. I’ll stick with what works if I have the choice.
Oh, The Possibilities!
Next time you’re creating a schedule, a to-do list, or anything which might require sorting, re-
organizing, tracking, or categorizing, I recommend you open up one of the spreadsheet programs and give it a whirl. You might be pleasantly surprised by how much it can simplify your life.
I also use a cloud storage app; in my case, DropBox for my spreadsheets and other documents. In the first place, I need to be able to access them on the rare occasions I’m away from home. I also know those times may well become more frequent this year. In the second, it gives me an easy backup for my work without having to find a safe place to store a removable hard drive, or remember which flash drive I put something on. Again, those who use Google Docs get offsite storage as part of the package.
Though I’ve yet to look into it, I suspect Office 365 offers a similar feature through their One Drive. I’ve yet to take advantage of it. Again, old habits die hard. I’ve reached the point where if something is a bit of a pain to set up initially, and I already have a workable system, my stubborn streak kicks in and I give up without giving it a fair chance.
Keeping Our Minds Open to New Ideas
I’d suggest you not take that page out of my book, as you’ll probably find something that works better, and maybe even cheaper than the older methods I cling to. Older ain’t always better. Improvements are being made all the time as new minds look at old methodology and see ways to streamline and improve further.
What are some unusual or unique ways you’re using spreadsheets to simplify your work or life? I’d love some new ideas for making my own easier, and I’ll bet others reading this would too. So come on. Share a little of your brilliance with the rest of us. Light our way to a simpler, less cluttered life.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, ghostwriter, and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, 
but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Life Torn Asunder: Rebuilding After Suicide”.
