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Modern conveniences like smartphones and the internet provide us with access to more information than we could ever hope to remember. The problem is, we often fail to differentiate between the important information we ought to keep in our memory and the less-important data that's better stored elsewhere. As a result we become too dependent on our devices and other modern conveniences. Here's how to break the cycle and develop a healthy amount of self-reliance. 
This is extremely useful when you want to recall data that isn't particularly important in your day-to-day life and isn't a skill you need to practice. I'm by no means arguing that transactive memory is intrinsically bad—it's the perfect route to accessing plenty of information. Because transactive memory is such an attractive option, however, we often use it to store data that is very important—even when that information really belongs in our heads rather than our phones. This leaves us checking our phones, phoning a friend, or searching the internet for an answer we should be able to recall in a matter of seconds. Basically, too much convenience can make me, you, or anyone else a lazy idiot. Reprogramming your brain to pass up the easy way in favor of the hard—and even enjoy it—however, is actually very easy. All you have to do is be aware of what's important, store that information in your own head, and you'll be well on your way to self-reliance. Here's what you need to do to make that happen.
When you ask friends for help, ask them to teach you instead of doing the work for you. Perhaps you're like me and you're terrible at assembling furniture. Naturally you'd call a friend to help you out. What you're really doing in this scenario is getting them to do the hard work for you that you don't do as well. They take control of the situation and you assist where you can. As a result, all the skills they possess that you don't—and should—remain a part of them and not a part of you. You may have some nicely assembled furniture, but next time you need help and they're not available you won't be able to get the job done as well.
Why? Because, presumably, you call them frequently. Your smartphone may be attached to you like a fancy, multi-touch tumor, but in reality you're not going to have it with you all of the time. You may need to make a call when your phone is dead, forgotten in the car, or out for repairs. If those numbers are so important, you should take the time to remember them so you don't have to always rely on technology.
When you get driving/walking/public transit directions on the computer or your smartphone, memorize them and only refer to them when necessary. If you have a GPS device, turn it off. If you're paying attention to the GPS rather than paying attention to what each direction actually looks like, you're not going to learn where you're going. It takes very little time to read through a set of directions, memorize each turn, and then recall them as needed. This process uses the information—in this case, driving directions—in repetitive but slightly varied ways. This kind of repetition can help you 
When you come across useful information, write it down on paper. Why? 
