The dog needs boarding. The package needs returning. The car needs servicing. The plumber gives you a four-hour window. Your parents need a little more help than they used to. And somewhere in between, you’re supposed to work, maintain relationships and actually enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build.
None of those things, individually, is particularly overwhelming.
It’s the accumulation that gets us
Convenience Changed Everything
We’ve become very good at finding ways to make individual tasks easier.
Groceries can arrive at our doors. Dinner can appear with a few taps on a phone. Cars can be detailed in our driveways. Prescriptions can be delivered. Appointments can be booked online.
These services have changed our expectations around convenience, and for good reason.
But convenience and support aren’t always the same thing.
An app can deliver groceries. It doesn’t necessarily know that you’re leaving town Friday, the refrigerator should be cleaned out before you go, the dog needs somewhere to stay, someone needs to let the HVAC technician into the house while you’re gone, and you’d really love to come home Sunday night to milk in the refrigerator and something for breakfast Monday morning.
That requires something technology hasn’t completely replaced: a trusted person who understands the bigger picture.
And I think that is where lifestyle management is heading next.