The beginning of a new year, for many, represents a blank slate to start all over again. In greater or smaller measure, we’re all always trying to strike a balance between what we leave behind and what we want to reach for, aren’t we? We all know the New Year’s resolution classics: lose weight, give up smoking, or find that dream job. Who hasn’t set some sort of similar goal to be achieved in the next 365 days? Thus we present here seven apps that will help you reach the goal in front of you.
Everyone has different aims in life but when it involves improving our daily lives we all tend to fall into the same wishes. Some of them have even become a bit cliché. Luckily, like so many other things in life, several of these resolutions to correct bad habits can be managed from your smartphone.
Stop smoking with QuitNow
Any moment is a good one to put an end to your relationship with tobacco if you’ve got the will to do so, and technology has become a grand ally in the fight against addiction. This free app offers detailed tracking of a smoker’s habits, buffered by real-time statistics about how much time has past since you last smoked, how many cigarettes you’ve skipped, and how much money you’ve saved by not buying tobacco—three excellent motivations to struggle against your cravings. In addition, this tool supplies a list of achievements that are unlocked as the days pass without smoking. It’s available for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry.
Stop drinking with QuitDrinking
Drinking is another habit that damages your health and causes many excesses. This tool will give you several methods—and reasons—to stop drinking, by (similar to the previous app) calculating the money that you’ll save, the time that you’ve gone without drinking, the number of drinks you’ve turned down. It also offers motivation tricks for moments of weakness. QuitDrinking is only available for Android devices but iPhone users can find similar features in the App Store for $2.99 with Stop Drinking.
Lose weight with DailyBurn
Dieting is another old favorite among resolutions to help start the year right. DailyBurn is a program that centers on monitoring your eating habits from your smartphone, detailing the number of calories or carbohydrates contained in each meal. With this app you can regulate your diet thanks to a database that covers over 350,000 products. This tool is compatible with Android and iPhone and is totally free.
Do more exercise with Runtastic
“The first of January, I’m going to the gym” is the obligatory—but short-lived—refrain heard around parties throughout the festive season. If this year you don’t make it to the gym on the first, never fear: with Runtastic you can monitor your athletic activity whether you’re going out for a run or a jog, or any other type of exercise in the open air. This app has a broad array of specialized functions besides just geolocating your run routes: it also calculates the distance covered, the time and speed of the run, and even the calories you burn. In addition, with all this information the app can cook up a series of graphics and tables thanks to which you can track the history of your progress. Available for Android and iPhone.
Find work with LinkedIn
Having a good job is one of the greatest worries in all of society. If you’re unemployed, the LinkedIn app, a social network that connects professionals with job offers, will certainly prove to be of great help. With this tool you can do everything from updating your résumé to adding contacts, work colleagues, former employees, or bosses. In addition, the app will display loads of interesting news related to your sphere of work. This means a quick visit to the LinkedIn app home screen will keep you up to date in your field.
Find a partner with SayHi
If your New Year’s wish is to meet new people, SayHi is an app that lets you connect with app users who are near your location in order to chat with them and have the chance to meet them in person. You can add photos and videos to your conversations, create an avatar for yourself, and communicate by both text and audio. The app is free but is only available on Android devices.
Learn a new language with Duolingo
Another major New Year’s resolution is to learn a language. With Duolingo, instead of memorizing vocabulary for hours you can practice on your daily commute with phrases and exercises—adapted to your level—that will make your practice sessions much more comfortable and improve your fluency in the language. This system offers 15 different languages so that you can shore up your skills in a second language, no matter which one. The app can be downloaded for both iOS and Android.
