It’s January again! Some of the more common resolutions people make every year are to be more organized, to accomplish a big goal or to be more productive in some part of their lives. Like most things in 2018, there’s an app for that! Whether you’re looking for accountability in reaching that goal, motivation to get through your day in a better mood or tools for becoming better organized, we’ve found some apps that can help you make the most of your time and energy. If you’re looking for apps to help improve your health and fitness, check out Seven Apps to Help Beat Bad Habits.
Productive
Free on iOS –in app purchases available
Productive has an easy-to-use interface that lets you track habits from walking the dog to meditating. You can set multiple reminders to track as many habits as you need to reinforce! There’s no Android version yet, but Productive works on the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Google Keep
Free on Android and iOS
Don’t you hate it when you tell yourself “I have to remember that!”… and then you don’t? With Google Keep, you can easily capture what’s on your mind in notes, voice memos and photos, as it happens, and then be reminded about it later! Pin the most important items to the top of the app so you can’t forget them. Google Keep provides a great way to keep track of items you see in stores and want to research online, books you want to check out at the library, hairstyles to show at the salon and so much more.
Google Calendar
Available for free on iOS and Android
Google Calendar now helps you become more productive through Goals, a feature which lets you create new habits and reminds you to stick with them. Goals has a few categories: exercise, build a skill, friends and family, me time and organize my life. Notice what’s not there? WORK. The idea behind Goals is to help busy people make time for things they often overlook because of work. Simply input each goal by answering a few pertinent questions about your goal. To get started, just download Google Calendar, click the red circle with the plus sign and choose Goal!
Forest
Free on Android and iOS
Whenever you want to focus, just plant a tree. The tree will grow, as will your forest, the longer you stay focused. But if you LEAVE the app (to check Facebook or Twitter!), the tree will DIE. Forest is based on the Pomodoro technique of time management, which breaks work into short blocks with breaks in between. You choose the amount of time you want to focus and the app grows your trees in that time frame. Bonus: Forest partners with Trees for the Future to plant real trees!
Your Daily Motivation
Free on Android
Every time you open this app, you get a compliment! Who wouldn’t want to keep coming back? With that compliment, you also one of 3,000,000 combinations of an inspirational quote and photo.
Motivate
Free on iOS
The Motivate app delivers short motivational videos that will brighten your day and inspire you to go that extra mile when you need to. The app can play in the background, so you can listen to motivational messages while working out and driving too!
Fabulous
Free on Android and iOS
This app promises to help you make and break habits in 19 days. Winner of Google’s Material Design Award for Most Charming Engagement, Fabulous is bright and colorful and fun to play with. Fabulous was created at the Duke University Behavioral Economics Lab, so its coaching is science-based. Whether you want to get active, eat better, sleep better, stay motivated or lose weight, Fabulous calls itself “your own happiness trainer” and includes music and meditations too!
Calm
Free on iOS and Android; in app purchases available
You’ve done a lot! Now you deserve to rest and relax. Calm is an app full of soothing bedtime stories, accompanied by music and nature sounds, as well as tracks that are nature and music. Transport yourself to a mountain lake or sunny meadow in seconds. The app contains several series of short guided meditations themed around sleep, relaxation, calming anxiety and more.
