A great app to take small steps with your personal development!
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, but it is part of a collaboration with Headway. I receive complimentary access to the app. I only share tools I genuinely use and love.
I am all about finding new ways to uplevel my personal growth. Whether it’s through building new habits, reading new books, or enhancing my daily routines, I am all for it.
Here are a few things I was striving to improve on:
- Making the use of “dead time” or when I’m bored in general, and not just scrolling on social media.
- Having something productive to do when I’m out and about, and find myself with random free time, and not just scroll on social media.
- Finding more ways to multitask with everyday mindless habits, such as eating meals, walking, and cleaning, instead of again, scrolling on social media.
- Discovering new books that suit the situation and circumstances in my life.
As you may notice, most of these things involve trying to avoid scrolling on social media.
That’s where Headway comes in. This app has not only completely transformed the way I approach learning, but also become the perfect app for me to use to help uplevel my personal growth journey and enhance my productivity.
Why I Use Headway (Even Though I Still Read Books)
While Headway is a book summary app, I didn’t download Headway to replace books because I genuinely love reading!
But, to be real with you, I struggled most with wasting so many little pockets of my day scrolling on social media or doing something completely unhelpful.
Remember the four things I mentioned that I always striving to improve on? Here’s how Headway fits seamlessly into my routines and helps me improve all those aspects.
1 – Make Use of “Dead Time”
Dead time refers to the random blocks of free time when you’re out and about. This includes waiting in line, waiting for a train, or in a waiting room… any situation where I find myself just going on my phone to pass the time.
Those used to be throwaway moments. Now, I open Headway and read a book summary (or two!) instead. It makes those random gaps feel intentional and productive.
RELATED: 5 Tips to Master Your Productivity and Get Things Done
2 – Replace Social Media Scrolling
This is a HUGE one! Just like the previous point, I would be using random blocks of free time to scroll on social media to pass the time. Even when I’m at home and don’t have much to do, my brain automatically feels the need to check social media, and it ends up lasting a while.
It took about a week to build this habit, but when I catch myself about to open Instagram or TikTok to kill time, I’ve trained myself to go on Headway instead.
Opening the app and reading a book summary gives me that same dopamine hit as when I scroll on social media. It satisfies my urge to consume but with something that actually add values to my day and makes me feel productive.
3 – Preview books before reading the full version
This one was a game changer for me.
Usually, when I start reading books, I just start reading them, not knowing what to expect.
Now, before I start reading a book, I check out the Headway summary first. It helps me figure out whether the full book is worth investing time in, and it often gives me a head start on the key takeaways.
Like I said before, Headway isn’t to replace my reading habit, it’s to enhance it.
RELATED: Productive Ways to Live Your Main Character Life
4 – Listen to Audio Summaries
When I’m having breakfast or lunch, I find myself just going on social media while eating. Plus, on my walks or even doing any mindless task, my first instinct is to listen to music.
Although I regularly listen to podcasts, I want to listen to something different. Yes, there are audiobooks, however, one of the reasons why I personally don’t like audiobooks is that I can forget the key points easily.
Most audiobooks can be up to 6 hours, and if I’m spreading it out, I can forget about the things I’ve listened to earlier in the audiobook.
Book summaries were the next best thing that resolved this. Headway also has a feature that allows you to listen to the book summaries as an audio, which was so helpful for this.
Why I Love Headway
On top of how useful it is, the app itself is enjoyable to use:
- Easy to navigate – no clutter, no distractions.
- Wide range of topics – from productivity to mindset to finance to relationships to confidence :)))
- Streak feature – keeps me coming back every day, which helps me stay consistent. Breaking the streak motivates me to come back.
To Wrap Up
Headway has made personal growth a natural part of my day-to-day life. It’s not about reading more for the sake of it, but instead, it’s about using the time I already have to pour into myself.
It is all about using those little pockets of random free time to do something more productive and valuable.
Plus, it’s a great app to start your personal development journey in small steps! If reading books feels overwhelming, book summaries also add as much value!
It’s available to download on the Apple and Google Play stores!
P.S I suggest you read these blog posts next:
- 8 Habits That Improved My Lifestyle
- 10 Ways I Use Notion: How it Organizes My Life
- 5 Tips to Master Your Productivity & Get Things Done
Share This Blog Post Here:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, this is Lauren! I’m a lawyer from Melbourne, Australia. On laurenbarri.com, I create content on all things personal development, productivity, self-care, and habits! I am super passionate about these topics because of how they helped me in all areas of my life, and I want to share it with others!
CONNECT with ME!! 🗯
Instagram:
@laurenlbarri (blog Instagram)
If you got value from this blog in any way, it would mean the world if you could show your support on my Buy Me a Coffee platform! (otherwise I am just really happy that you’re here 😊)
