How to learn on accident with Mentorist

How do you use your time? A survey conducted in 2020 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average American spends only 16 minutes a day reading.

On one hand, this makes sense - between work and personal commitments, it can be hard to find time for leisure. However, recent data from 2021 paints a different picture: over half the respondents spent 5-6 hours on their phones every day. 

It’s not that we’re too busy to read, we just don’t know how to make the most efficient use of our time. Few of us spend our days on the couch, scrolling through social media, but all the little phone breaks add up. The obvious solution is to use our phones less… Or is it? 

Use your phone - don’t let your phone use you

Spending time on your phone can help pass the time and kill some boredom, but what if it could also help you develop yourself and become the person you want to be? With Mentorist, it can. 

Mentorist provides more than simple book summaries - it turns abstract ideas into concrete steps so you’ll know exactly what to do to transform your life. You can go beyond reading. You can take action.

Instead of defaulting to your usual apps, try opening Mentorist. With just 15 minutes a day, you can broaden your perspectives, expand your knowledge, and learn the solutions to problems you don’t even know you have yet. 

Here are some tips on how to make the most of your phone-time: 
 

1. Keep a clean screen

Get rid of distractions on your phone - keep only the apps that help you lead a productive, more fulfilling life. Which apps bring you closer to the person you want to be? Which apps do you enjoy using? Which apps do you need for practical purposes? These are the apps to keep - the rest are only hindering you from your goals. 

If you’re on iOS, you can go a step further and remove the apps you use for enjoyment or practical reasons from your screen. Don’t worry, you can still easily access them by searching for them, or going to the rightmost screen on your iPhone. 

2. Log out of apps after using them

Tech products are constantly evolving with exciting newer versions and features. It’s implausible to expect us to delete them all - but we can make it harder to waste our time on them!

Simply adding an extra step of logging in can get you to think twice about whether you want to open it right now or not. Most of the time, when we pick our phones up and start scrolling through them, our brain’s functioning on autopilot. When we have to type our username out, we switch back to active awareness - and we may just realize that we could be using our time more effectively. 

3. Turn your notifications off

It’s hard to resist glancing at your phone when it lights up with a new message, even if you don’t respond just yet. However, each time you shift your attention from a task, even if just for a few seconds, your brain uses up extra glucose - the same glucose you need to maintain flow and focus while you work. 

Distractions will always be there, but an audible “ping” or “buzz” only amplifies them. Once you get into the habit of dictating when to look at your phone yourself - as opposed to letting your phone lead the way - you can go further and disable other digital features that distract you too. 

4. Screen your apps more selectively

Prevent problems before they even happen by being selective about the apps you download. Does it provide real value to you, along with multiple benefits? Is it the best technology to serve its goal? Does it align with the way you operate - and do you have clarity on how and when to use it? 

Ask yourself these questions after trying out a new app. If you answer even one with a “no”, that app has got to go! It’s simple: the more selective you are, the more quality content you’ll surround yourself with. Tailor your environment to best meet your needs - don’t expend energy on trying to change yourself to suit your surroundings. 

Ready to transform how you use your phone time? Check out the Mentorist app to get started.