The simplest thing that you can do to get time, sanity, and quality in your relationships back almost immediately

Kevin Lavelle
Sep 6, 2018 · 5 min read

I’m really busy.

Everyone says it. All the time.

I’m not just really busy. My mind is busy. My attention span is also getting worse too. I’m easily distracted, and it’s hard to stay focused and be present.

I generally hate articles that say “One simple thing to hack… [whatever]” because they’re largely clickbait, but in reality, one simple thing has made a dramatic effect on my life.

It’s made me feel less busy. I am able to better focus. I’m more present with my son. My relationship with my wife has been very healthy and strong but has gotten even better. What is this sorcery? How much does it cost?

It’s called Moment, and despite wanting fewer apps in my life, this is one I couldn’t be more thrilled to have downloaded and use every day. It’s also free.

Moment tracks how much time you spend on your phone and how many times a day you pick up your phone. As the app declares, most people underestimate how much time they actually use their phone by 50%! The reality is just about every single person reading this has a problem of using their phone way too much, and it’s causing actual harm in your life.

This video speaks for itself and is pretty depressing.

I wrote about pretty extensive changes I made in my life last year in a post entitled How a series of initiatives to train gratitude changed my life in 2017. Based on the reach it had and feedback I received, it was something a lot of people truly found value in. From gratitude and contemplating the reality of my eventual mortality (spoiler alert: it happens to everyone) to learning how to be more effective and productive, a lot changed for me in 2017 into 2018. That said, I still regularly felt overwhelmed, still consistently got too distracted, and still was not in the present moment near enough.

Then a friend, Kyle Walter (check out his book!), from my forum told me about Moment. Upon downloading it, I saw I was using my phone between 3 and 4 hours a day — not necessarily phone calls, screen time. I’m going to repeat that.

I was spending 3 to 4 hours of screen time a day on my phone.

You probably are too.

This is not how I want to live my life.

Is it how you want to live yours?

This is also just my phone, not my computer. That’s not ok. As Ryan Holiday’s Memento Mori token reminds us (with the wise words of Marcus Aurelius): “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or even next year, how much time would you be spending on your phone?

The point of contemplating your mortality is not to live in fear or despair, but to maximize the unbelievable blessing that life is every day.

Despite all the changes I’d made last year and all the positive effects it had, I carried with me every day and allowed to rule my life an unbelievably negative burden. I was also doing better than most people! I had already deleted Facebook and Twitter from my phone. I turned off ALL notifications except phone calls (it is a phone, right?). It was still a problem.


So what to do about it? Throw my phone away? Swear off technology?

No! I have to run a business, stay in touch with family, engage a minimal amount on social media for business and connecting purposefully with friends, and utilize important time saving tools like travel apps. That’s it now though.

I cut my average phone time from 3 to 4 hours to 1 hour overnight by simply being aware of how much time I was using. It’s been sustained too. I leave my phone in my briefcase at work rather than on my desk. I regularly just leave my phone on my nightstand once I get home because the habitual nature of reaching for it is too powerful nearby. Take a moment to think about how unhealthy that really is! Don’t get me wrong, I still slip. There’s no perfection here. It’s just about being better and more purposeful.

I have found a significantly greater level of mental clarity since making this change. It’s almost impossible to believe. I put a tremendously high value on my time but was regularly completely wasting it on my phone. Imagine with how busy you are if you could “get” 2 hours of your day back. How much is that worth to you? Is it worth breaking a negative and pointless habit? I don’t feel nearly as busy or overwhelmed. The quality of my time with my wife and son is so much better. I can focus in a meaningfully improved capacity.

As sincerely as I can say this, thank you Kevin Holesh, for creating Moment.

So… what are you waiting for? Do you want time, clarity, and improved relationships?


A few tips/tricks on effectively utilizing Moment:

You can exclude certain apps. I don’t track time on calls — that’s what a phone is for and I don’t have a home or office phone. I also exclude Google Maps and Waze.

The app runs entirely in the background and the only interactions are reminders on how much time you’ve spend on your phone and if you want to check in on it (but don’t waste your time there!)

You will be utterly shocked the first time you get a notification that says you’ve used your phone for an hour and it’s 9 AM. Welcome to the club.

As with anything, don’t be a slave to your tools or so rigid it becomes its own problem. The point of Moment is stop WASTING time on your phone, not completely getting rid of its effectiveness. When I’m traveling, I will use time in the car or plane or between meetings to do email, talk with team members on Slack, or catch up on some news articles I’ve saved for another time. Those days I use it my phone a lot more. That said, Moment has changed those days too. I don’t waste time the way I used to or use my phone nearly as much as a distraction. The most positive/productive change in my life is leaving my phone in my bag at work rather than walking around the office on it. I actually talk to more people now! It’s also about putting it “away” while at home too — that’s the most important.

The app tracks “pick ups” too. How often do you reach for your phone as a tic? It turns out a lot. Most of the problem with our phones isn’t spending hours straight, it’s brief interruptions that take us out of the moment or the flow. Moment helps break that habit too.

Now… Go for it!


Would love to hear any feedback on your experiences with Moment or similar apps! Please leave comments below.

Kevin Lavelle

Written by

Love @lady_lavelle. @MizzenAndMain CEO & Founder.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade