My 4 Favorite Apps for Learning on the Go

Learning is the most important thing we can do as human beings. It is how we grow, develop, and become better than we were. If we aren’t willing to continue learning we become stagnant, useless, and mindlessly moving through life. So we need to learn to progress further. This could a new skill, fun fact, or get better at something we already love. Some of the best ways I’ve found are through books, podcasts, blogs, YouTube videos, coaches, and personal experience there are tons of ways to learn something new.

Even with all this information out there I still find books to be one of the all around best ways to learn new ideas from experts. The free information on the web is good but there tends to be holes left in the material or it’s really broad making it difficult to find actionable. Personal coaching and personal experience can be extremely informative but can be expensive as well making it less practical to most people. Books are the best of both worlds: informative and inexpensive.

The problem with books is an issue of time. I’m sure there is plenty of wasted time which we could relocate to reading Instead we tend to watching TV or playing on our phones rather than read. Then there’s the portability issue. Sure most books are small enough to fit in a purse or backpack but who really wants to carry one more thing around with them. Don’t we already carry enough stuff with us?

As I’ve tried to read more, within the last couple of years, I’ve run into these issues and avoided reading because of them. It’s not a priority if it’s not on my phone, am I right Millennials? Seriously though there is still so much out there I want to learn and plenty of time I waste when I could be productively learning. Thankfully I’ve found a few ways around this problem.

Here are 4 of my favorite apps for learning:

Kindle eReader: If you’re reading this post there’s a better than likely chance you’ve heard of Amazon. Whether you like them or not they make it easier than ever to buy all kinds of books. One of the most exciting things they’ve done is turn every book in their inventory into eBooks allowing users to carry entire book libraries on a device as small as your phone. Now, no matter where you are, you can skip Social Media and read a book.

Audible: This Amazon owned company is the largest supplier of audiobooks around. Leave your CDs and Walkman at home because these audiobooks can hang out on your phone, iPod, or tablet. I know it’s not always easy to find the time to sit down to read but Audible lets us “read” those books when are eyes are otherwise occupied. I’ve listen to books while driving to work, doing chores around the house, and running errands. Since most business/productivity books last between 7-10 hrs long it’s fairly easy to go through 1 book a week. Imagine finishing 52 new books by next year. That’s crazy. How many are you reading now?

Overdrive/Libby: This is one of my new favorite apps and the main reason I wanted to write this post. I actually found out about this app by accident and I’m so glad I did.

I love reading to my kids but books can be expensive so we don’t buy them frequently. This means I’m reading the same books over and over again which is boring. (Sorry Mom). About six months ago I did something radical and took the kids to our local library. “Do people still use libraries anymore?” one might ask. Good question and I asked the same thing. Much to my surprise people still do and it didn’t take me long to figure out why. THE BOOKS ARE FREE AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! Within 10 minutes my kids found more books then we would read in the two weeks we had them. I even found some things myself.

The problem was I could borrow whatever book I wanted but was I seriously going to sit down to read them? Let’s be honest… I wasn’t. Thankfully, they had pamphlets for this app called Libby by Overdrive. This would allow me to sync my library card with the app and borrow ANY eBook my library had purchased, for free. They even have audiobooks on there too. This way you can find the format which works best for you. It wasn’t long before I felt like I was winning so much I was getting sick of winning. I’ve gone through several books using Libby and I can’t wait for more.

Apple Podcasts/Stitcher: Okay so this isn’t a book app but there’s so much information and stuff to learn, I couldn’t leave it out. Every year more and more people start podcasts and even more find them. There are so many podcasts out there you’re almost guaranteed to find something you’re interested in hearing. If not you can always start your own.

I’ve learned about so many different thinkers and experts in their field through podcasts I don’t think I would have found on my own. I’ve picked up their books, started reading their blog, or listened to their podcasts, again, expanding my horizons. The best part is they are free, you can listen to them like audiobooks, and they are constantly being refreshed with new content. If it not for podcasts I don’t think I would writing this blog.

I know each have their downsides and drawbacks but, I find, when they are used together they are a powerhouse of learning. I’m in at least one but usually using more than one just about every day. Though most of what I want to learn is business or personal development related, each app has something for everyone, including fiction and audio dramas. I invite you to check them out and let me know what you think.