The new year is always an ideal time to begin a new, start with a new hobby or quit any bad habits. Do you plan on making any resolutions for the upcoming 12 months? According to research conveyed 2 years ago among the British population, one-fifth of the Britons made New Year’s Eve resolutions but only a few actually stuck to them as the year went by. In general, as much as 80% of these resolutions fail by February.
The reason for this is that most resolutions are too vague and not sufficiently specified when in reality they should be set up as goals and they should be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Once your goals fit those requirements, you can start looking for tools that can help you achieve them. Luckily, there are hundreds of various mobile apps that can make your journey to the new and better you that much easier to maneuver. The following are some of our recommended apps:
Physical Health
You might be surprised to learn this, but the resolution to become fitter and put down some weight is not the first or most widespread resolution. In fact, the first one is a bit broader – the most popular resolution is to exercise more and generally get in better shape. A good start to reaching this goal is the in-built app Health (iOS) or Googe Fit (Android). Both of them can measure your daily steps without the need for a smartwatch. If you want to get more serious with your runs, hikes, cycling, or more than 30 other sports, you can download an app called Strava, which is the number one tracker app. To keep track of what you eat and how much, you can try the MyFitnessPal app. By inputting your weight, height, and your desired weight, the calculator will automatically calculate how many calories you should give your body daily.
Emotional Health
Living in the 21st century is not easy and perhaps we don’t work physically as much as our ancestors did but our brains do not turn off for even a second. There is the everyday stress at work or home, the never-ending noise on the streets, and public transit. Stress can have really negative effects on us and that’s why many people make it their New Year’s resolution to relax more or even learn to meditate. The toughest part is to get started but apps such as Calm or Headspace can teach you to unwind, manage stress, find your focus, and release tension in both the mind and body. If you prefer to put your thoughts on paper, apps such as Five Minute Journal or Day One give you the opportunity to express your feelings and record your thoughts in writing.
Finances
The fourth most widespread resolution around the world is to save more money or to spend less. Here, once again, mobile apps can help you reach your goal. Pocket Expense, for instance, is an easy-to-use app that will help you track and understand your personal finance. It tracks and helps to manage your accounts, tracks your bills, and helps with overall budget management. There is also a number of cash-back apps that help you save on groceries or shopping in general, such as Rakuten and Ampli. Similarly, GasBuddy shows you the cheapest gas prices in your area (available in USA & Canada).
Intellectual, Professional & Personal Growth
Almost 20% of people with New Year’s resolutions aim to improve their career prospects in one way or another. If you want to get advice from some of the heroes in your line of business, you might want to reach for a book written by one of the gurus in the industry. To look for the books, make reading lists, and track them you can download Goodreads, which can also give you personalized recommendations based on your tastes. If your perfect job requires you to speak another language then you can reach for Duolingo and practice until you reach perfection. For more specialized topics the Udemy app is a favorite among audiences. It has a huge library of online video courses in Coding, Marketing, SEO, Design, Drawing, Photography, and much more.
