How are your news year’s resolutions coming along? If you’re like a lot of people, the first week or two was great — you stuck to your promises and worked dutifully toward your goals. But maybe the last few days have been difficult, and you’re have a hard time staying motivated. It’s not just you: this is the time of year when people start to fall off the resolution wagon!
How can you stay inspired to keep making those changes that you promised yourself you’d make? By putting technology to work for you! There is, as the saying goes, an app for that. Here are the seven apps we like best for helping you reach your goals, no matter what they may be.
- Chains.cc
Whether it’s writing, working out, or any other behavior that you want to turn into a habit or a ritual in your life, the Chains.cc app will help you stick to it by employing what’s often referred to as the Seinfeld productivity method. Yes, that Seinfeld! The popular comedian noticed that when he would write every day and circle the day on a calendar, he would be more motivated to write the next day and the next day and the next day to see the progression of circles. Stopping, he feared, would break the chain of productivity. Chains.cc is a free web tool and iPhone app that can visualize your behaviors and make sure you don’t break the chain.
- 7 Minute Workout
There are actually a handful of different 7 Minute Workout apps available for both iOS and Android, including several that are free. Which one should you choose? It probably doesn’t matter; what does matter is that you do the workout! And since it’s only seven minutes a day, you really don’t have any good excuse to skip it.
- Fitstar Yoga
Maybe 2016 is the year that you’ve resolved to improve your strength and flexibility with yoga. However, if you can’t seem to fit a yoga class into your schedule, or if you’re a yoga novice who’s intimidated by being in a session with more experienced yogis, then an app is the ideal way to go. The Fitstar Yoga app is great because a free account will get you enough sessions to decide if yoga is really for you. If you like it, a premium membership is $39.99 a year, and you get unlimited access to all the Fitstar Yoga sessions. It’s much cheaper than a class, the intimidation factor is nil, and you can do it in your living room.
- Headspace
The benefits of meditation are well documented: you’re more alert and less stressed, you enjoy a higher level of brain function, and you are able to be more present, focused, and happy in your everyday life. Getting started with meditation is easy, thanks to Headspace. Your initial sessions are free; if you like it, you can sign up for an unlimited access subscription for roughly $80 per year.
- Mint
Make 2016 the year you get right with your money. With the free personal finance app Mint, you can see when all of your bills are due, schedule payments, check on your investments, and see how your money gets moved around. The handiness of having all of your financial information in one spot is unbeatable.
- Audible
It seems like every year, we resolve to read more and spend less time watching tv and trolling on social media. Audible is an app that allows you to fulfill this resolution by listening to books rather than reading them. So, if you’re driving to work, going for a jog, or taking part in any other activity that requires you to pay attention visually, you can still get your “reading” in.
- 1Password
How much time have you wasted trying to remember passwords or resetting passwords to your myriad online accounts? Get that time back in 2016 by using 1Password, a virtual safe that will lock up all of your passwords, plus banking information, credit card numbers, and more. All you have to remember is one password (hence the name) to unlock the safe. Trying it out is free, and the full version runs around ten bucks.
What app helps you meet your goals and keep up with your new year’s resolutions? Tell us about it in the comments!