Cup of Inspiration

Today, January 26^th, we celebrate Lotus 1-2-3 Day. Today we reflect on a spreadsheet application that enabled workers to move from massive time-consuming spreadsheets to a computer application that saved time and energy.

I am probably revealing a little bit of my age with this post. I remember learning how to use Lotus 1-2-3 while attending Georgia Tech. This application was the standard spreadsheet application at the time. Once I entered the workforce, I eventually transitioned from Lotus 1-2-3 to Microsoft Excel.

Lotus 1-2-3 was discontinued in 2013. A growing number of workers have never worked with this application. For me, this reminds me of my days working with computers before Windows 95, before social media sites, before the internet was standard in so many households.

Today, we are seeing articles everywhere we turn talking about AI. What will AI do? How will it impact us on a daily basis? What will it do to our jobs? Before we get too worried about all these changes, remember this is not the first time we have seen fast changes. In the 1980’s & 1990’s, the desks for many workers quickly transformed from one filled with stacks of paper to one occupied by a computer. More computer programs were replacing mundane tasks. Lotus 1-2-3 was one of these products.

Lotus 1-2-3 was an excellent product. However, this did not mean it could not be replaced by another program. A product that was once a star is now a distant memory.

A couple of takeaways from this day. First, do not stop in your growth. Do not think your company cannot be overtaken by a competitor. Do not think you can stop learning. Do not think you can afford to take it easy and assume the work promotions and job opportunities will always be there. We need to continue moving forward and looking for ways to improve. Second, do not fear change. We see the fast pace of change today, and it can be a little frightening. Remember we have seen fast changes in the past. These changes would close some doors and displace some jobs. However, new opportunities emerged as a result. New jobs were created to support modern technology. The key is to be aware of the changes and look for ways to stay ahead of them.

For those of us who remember Lotus 1-2-3, today reminisce a little about the way things were. We can enjoy fond memories of the past, but we should always remember to look forward and accept that changes will come.