According to some studies, the average person touches their phone 2,617 times every day. And, on average, we now spend an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes per day on our phones.
When I was young, our phones were just a tool for communication with others, but those days are long gone. They are now an almost essential device to get through our days. Even more, when you think about it, they have become the screen and lens through which we experience life. We scroll, text, shop, track, plan, capture, play, and navigate every day—all from a device we carry in our pocket.
With a device that has become so powerful in our lives, it is important that we are intentional in how we structure it and use it. Not just in terms of the amount of time we spend on it (although that is incredibly important), but how we use it. Are we setting up our phones, and the apps we download for it, in a way that improves our life or detracts from it?
Are the apps on your phone helping you live an intentional life focused on the things that matter most—or distracting you from it?
Distraction is everywhere these days. But unlike many of life’s interruptions, the apps on our phone are entirely within our control. Every single one is something we chose to download, chose to keep—and chose where to place on our screen.
Some apps are helpful, no doubt. They serve a clear purpose—whether it’s finding directions, tracking habits, locating information quickly, learning a new skill, focusing on a hobby, improving productivity, capturing family memories, or connecting with others. These tools can absolutely improve our lives and drive an intentional life.
But not all apps serve us.
Some only consume our time and attention. They distract us from people and relationships. They steal our focus and dash our productivity. They compel shopping and poor financial decisions. Some stir up stress in our lives.
There are some apps on our phones that do not motivate us to live our best lives. They offer the illusion of a better life while simultaneously pulling us further from the people and purposes that matter most.
I encourage you to look at the apps on your phone in a new way today. Ask yourself about each one, “Is this app helping me live the life I want and achieve the dream I have for my life?”
Because if it’s not, it’s distracting you from it. And the power to decide how your phone is going to serve you is in our hands today—literally.
How to Use Your Phone More Intentionally
Here are five simple but helpful ways to make sure the apps on your phone are contributing to a more meaningful life rather than keeping you from it:
1. Take Inventory
Begin by taking a look at how much time you spend on each app on your phone. Don’t just guess, but actually look. Here’s where to check on an Apple phone and here’s where to check on an Android phone.
Decide, right then and there, whether each app (starting with the most used) is one that is helping you live a more intentional life or keeping you from it.
2. Remove One App That Doesn’t Align with Your Values
It’s okay to start small. Just choose one app (the higher up your time-used list, the better) that consistently wastes time, distracts you, adds stress, or leads to unhealthy habits.
Just one. Delete it—and pay attention to what happens next in your life. If you like who you are becoming after the change, consider finding another… and then another.
3. Make Your Home Screen an Encouraging Place
Your home screen receives more of your brain’s attention than anywhere on the phone. It is the first thing you see when you turn on your phone and has the potential to immediately encourage intentionality or distraction. Build it strategically. Fill it with the apps that reflect your desires and values: a calendar, a reading app, a journal, a health app, a shortcut to Becoming Minimalist…
And move time-wasting, distracting apps—like social media, games, or shopping platforms—to your second or third screen.
4. Do a Little Research on Apps that Support Your Goals
Just like there are many time-wasting and distraction-filled apps on the market, there are also many, many wonderful apps and tools available for you to use to improve your life. I encourage you to not just delete time-wasting apps and leave a void, but fill your digital space with tools that help you in life.
Whether you’re trying to exercise more, eat better, read more, write better, spend less, save more, focus more, grow in your faith, learn more, expand a hobby, build a habit, or declutter your home—there is likely an app that can help.
Sometimes all it takes is thinking to yourself, “I wonder if there’s an app that will help me….” and then googling to see if any options pop up. If you find one that might help, put it on your home screen (see Step #3) to encourage your progress.
5. Review Your App Choices Regularly
Apps seem to come and go pretty quickly in our affections and in our attentions. Removing one time-wasting app doesn’t mean we don’t default to another. Or trying out a habit-building app this week doesn’t mean we’ll still use it next week.
Set a regular reminder to review your apps. Quarterly, at least. Maybe even more often at first. You can decide—just know creating a phone set-up that serves you isn’t a one-time decision. Take some time to ask questions like: What’s serving you well? What’s becoming a distraction? What’s no longer needed?
There is no doubt our phones are powerful tools in our lives. In fact, most of you are reading this article on a phone right now. Let’s work hard to craft them into tools that help us live better, not more distracted.
