10 Productive Tasks You Can Do on Your Phone

When you have a moment of downtime, what is the first thing you do?

If you are like everyone else, without thinking, you reflexively pull out your phone.

However, the more important question is, “What are you doing on your phone when you turn it on?”

Is Your Phone a Tool or a Toy?

Recent data shows that the average iPhone user unlocks his or her iPhone over 80 times per day.

That’s a lot of phone time.

But, is it useful phone time? Are you getting anything done or are you mindlessly surfing?

I’d be willing to bet that most people waste more time with their phone than they accomplish with it.

‘You need to ask yourself if your phone is a productivity tool or a play toy.’

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Is your phone a time waster or a time saver?

It doesn’t have to be a toy that wastes your time with inane gossip, news, and social updates from celebrities.

Rather, it is a device that puts the entire world at your fingertips.

Here are 10 Productive Activities You Can Do On Your Phone:

1. Plan Your Day – Rather than surfing the Net, take the time to plan your day. Check your calendar for appointments and obligations. Where do you need to be and when? What could you confirm while you have some wait time?
2. Review Your Todo List – For a todo list to be effective, it must always be with you. You always have your phone with you, so this is a natural place to track your tasks. So, instead of reading social media, check your todo list to see what you should be doing right now.
3. Capture Notes/ Ideas – Your phone may not be a word-processing device, but it is great for capturing ideas and notes. I use Apple Notes to capture all kinds of ideas and information. As well, I use Ulysses for all my writing needs. Both of these sync from my phone to my desktop, so I have my information and writings no matter where I am.
4. Process email – Don’t read email on your phone. (And then leave it in your inbox.) Instead, process email on your phone. I find that acting on email can be more effective on your phone than on your desktop. (Yes, I have also written about not having email on your phone.) Spark email is on of the best email platforms I have seen.
5. Read a book – I stopped buying hard copy books a while ago. Yet, I carry dozens with me daily on the Kindle app on my iPhone. Always have a few books ready for when you have down time. Better to read something meaningful than surf the latest news or Facebook posts.
6. Shop – Wait, how can shopping be productive? When it saves you from running errands. Five minutes on Amazon yesterday saved me an hour of running about town.
7. Listen to a Podcast – Always be learning by listening to a podcast about something that interests you. I use Overcast to keep all my podcasts at the ready.
8. Call Someone – Believe it or not, one of the least used features of our phones is to actually call someone. Yet, this can be one of the most effective ways to reach out and connect with someone. Or to get business done. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to someone instead of sending a text. You’ll be amazed how a two minute conversation can get more done than dozens of back-and-forth messages.
9. Run Your Business – Our phones are more powerful than ever, you can run an entire business on one. I regularly check up on work statuses: projects (Trello), communication (Slack and Groove), and even financials (Stripe and Xero).
10. Write in Your Journal – While on the go can be a great time to write in your journal. When you have a free moment, jot something down in your journal while it is still fresh in your mind. (Day One or 5 Minute Journal)

Be Productive with Your Phone

Next time you pull out your phone and unlock it, think twice about what you will be doing with it.

Will you waste time surfing meaningless online information? (If so, you might as well put that phone back in your pocket or purse.)

Or will you actually get something productive done?

Question: What productive tasks do you perform on your phone? You can leave a comment by clicking here.