Have you ever had something break on you and then had to rush out to get it repaired or buy a replacement? Since most everything is throw away today, that is that it is cheaper to buy a new one than to get it fixed, chances are you'll be replacing many things in the next few years, so why not start thinking about some of the things that you'll need to replace. The idea is that you keep track of the features that you'd like to have in your next model, so that you're ready to buy it when you need to replace the current model.
My beard trimmer has been acting up and this reminded me of the this idea I first heard from Merlin Mann in a podcast that he did "A Phone Made of Human Ass" (you can find it at Podcast Alley). Merlin Mann is the man behind 43Folders. Because my beard trimmer isn't holding a charge very long now, I'm afraid that its days are numbered and I'll have to replace it soon.
The idea is to look at the items that you currently have and will need to replace in the near future. You should note any features that the current device doesn't have that you would like or think that you need. You might start looking at various models and brands so that you could buy the replacement tomorrow, next week, next year, or whenever you need to replace it. You can also note the features and functions that annoy you so that you don't have to deal with those annoyances again. This is something you might want to add to your GTD Lists, so that you can keep track of it.
So when your cell phone dies, if you have a broken or replacement list, you know which one you'll replace it with and you're more likely to be happy because your new phone is more likely to do what you want it to do because you've give its purchase some thought. Are you keeping a broken/replacement list?
Photo credit: Cell phone courtesy of zd.
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