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Keep your New Years Resolutions with these Apps

Keep your New Years Resolutions with these Apps
Softonic Editorial Team

Softonic Editorial Team

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Congratulations! You survived another New Year’s Eve. Hopefully you fared better than Mariah Carey.

Perhaps you partied a bit too hard and are feeling a little pain or maybe you just spent a quiet night at home with friends and family. Either way, chances are good that you have been thinking about New Year’s Resolutions and how you can keep them this year.

Good news: there are plenty of apps that can help you. With the help of Softonic’s ApplCrawlr app recommendation site, we’ve picked out some of the best apps to help you keep each of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions.

New Year’s Resolutions are a mixed bag. So many of us set them in an effort to start the New Year with the intent of becoming better people. There’s a lot of great intention there, but for most of us, New Year’s Resolutions are difficult to keep.

According to research from StatisticBrain.com, only 75% of us manage to keep our resolutions past a single week. As time goes on, it gets worse: only 39% of people in their twenties keep their resolutions for the year. Over 50? It drops down to only 14%

In order to keep you on the better side of those odds, we’ve put together some helpful suggestions for apps designed to help with some of the most common New Year’s Resolutions, as compiled from a variety of different sources, including Neilsen, NBC News, and Statista.

We’ll take a look at apps designed to help you with the following common but challenging New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Lose Weight
  • Get Organized
  • Spend Less, Save More
  • Stay Fit and Healthy
  • Learn Something Exciting
  • Quit Smoking

Apps to Help You Lose Weight

Losing weight is a very common New Year’s resolution, and the entire fitness industry depends on it. It’s also a notoriously difficult resolution to keep, or even to start!

On a recent podcast on NPR, it was revealed that half of the people who sign up for a membership at the popular Planet Fitness gym chain never actually show up.

Weight loss is at the top of our resolutions list, which isn’t surprising as many of us make this same promise to ourselves every year. But while January may see us buy a gym membership and start to diet, come February the pull of chocolate and chips – not together of course – can prove too much.

So how can you set yourself up for success if your goal this year is to shed some of those pounds? Fortunately, your choice in apps to keep you on-track and motivated is enormous. Here are some of our favorites.

Noom

Noom

Noom is an easy to use app, which provides multiple convenient ways to track calorie intake against a recommended limit based on your size and how fast you want to lose weight. It also color codes for foods, to help you eat more healthily – another commonly broken resolution.

If you set realistic weight goals, then Noom is a great aid.

Download Noom for iOS

Download Noom for Android

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal Screenshot

MyFitnessPal is the heavyweight of calorie counter apps and has built up giant community of users over the past several years. Now owned by athletic apparel maker Under Armor, MyFitnessPal boasts over 1 million ratings, a score of 9.0 for the Android version, and a stunning 9.9 score for the iOS version on AppCrawlr.

MyFitnessPal helps you track everything you eat and count the calories. It makes things simple and easy with a large database of foods (over 6 million) and the ability to quickly scan bar codes on packaged goods. It also integrates with several other fitness application to help track how you’re doing and burning those same calories.

Users rave about the product, calling it, “an awesome way to keep count of your caloric intake” and, “This app is the most useful health tool on the market.”

Get MyFitnessPal for iOS

Get MyFitnessPal for Android

FatSecret

FatSecret Screenshot

Like MyFitnessPal, FatSecret helps you lose weight by tracking what you eat. It is first and foremost a calorie counter app. It also features a bar code scanner and even an image recognition feature that lets you simply take photos of the food your eating to count the calories.

The Android version of FatSecret has lower user-satisfaction ratings than some of its competitors on AppCrawlr due to technical challenges.

Get FatSecret for iOS

Get FatSecret for Android

Apps to Help You Get Organized

Another common New Year’s Resolution is to get organized. This one has appeared on our own personal lists several times, and many of us can attest to just how challenging it can be.

There’s no end to the advice you can find on the Web about getting organized. Everything from simple tips to complete organizational systems to implement.

Regardless of how far you need to go to get your professional and personal life organized there are a number of apps out there to help out. Here are some of the best to try.

Evernote

Evernote Screenshot

Over the past few years, Evernote has emerged as the leading note-taking and organizational app out there. With good reason. It’s the ideal app for collecting all of the information bouncing around in your head and keeping it organized in one safe place.

Evernote excels at collecting all sorts of different information — everything from written notes to images and even sound recordings. It also keeps everything synchronized across your devices, making it perfect for people who are often on the go. And these days, who isn’t?

Evernote has over 1 million ratings and the Android version has a rating of 9 on AppCrawlr (it fares slightly worse on iOS with an 8.5 rating). Users have called it a, “Very useful way to organize ideas and information.” and a, “Must have and life changing productivity app.”

Get Evernote for iOS

Get Evernote for Android

Wunderlist

WunderList Screenshot

If you don’t need the complexity of Evernote and are just looking for an application that helps you create and manage to-do lists, then Wunderlist could be just the thing you’re looking for.

Maintaining lists is one of the most popular forms of organization, and with good reason. They’re simple and effective, and who can deny the quiet satisfaction that comes with ticking off each item as it is accomplished. Some people, such as organizational guru Stephanie Winston, have advocated maintaining multiple lists to stay truly on top of things.

Wunderlist brings it all together is a very easy-to-use format that helps you create and maintain multiple to-do lists. It syncs your list across devices and even lets you share lists with other users of the app.

The basic version is free to use. The Pro version, which requires a $4.99 per month subscription, adds several features including the ability to access Files and assign sub-tasks. It’s the complete solution for lovers of lists.

Get Wunderlist for Android

LectureNotes

LectureNotes Screenshot

If you’re a student struggling to keep pace with your classes, then LectureNotes may just be the perfect app for you. It’s designed primarily for tablets and facilitates note-taking directly on-screen.

Although there are many options for note-taking out there, LectureNotes stands apart from the pack with extensive features and seamless integration with Dropbox for safe cloud storage of your notes. It also plays nice with more robust organizational apps like EverNote and OneNote.

LectureNotes is currently only available for Android devices. iPad users, don’t despair. There are several note-taking apps for iOS to choose from.

Get LectureNotes for Android

Apps to Help You Spend Less and Save More

Who doesn’t want to save money and find great deals? The urge, and often the need, to stretch your money further throughout the year is a familiar one. It hits home for many people immediately after the holidays following a significant increase in spending.

Once again, apps come to the rescue. There are several apps designed to help you save money on a variety of common purchases. You’ll also find great apps that help you get better about managing expenses and improving your saving habits.

RetailMeNot

Looking to save money with coupons? RetailMeNot is one of the most popular coupon apps on the market and features thousands of discounts, sales and promotions, all tailored to your current location.

You can get automatic notifications of nearby deals, and a bar code scanner for coupons so that you can simply show your phone at checkout.

RetailMeNot has a 9.3 rating on AppCrawlr with over 200,000 ratings.

Get RetailMeNot for iOS

Get RetailMeNot for Android

Mint

Mint Screenshot

Is your New Year’s Resolution to finally get your financial life in order? Mint is one of the best apps for reining in all of your otherwise disconnected financial information.

It assists with everything from managing your checking accounts and paying bilsl to preparing detailed budgets to help you save money.

Mint is now part of the Intuit family of financial products, meaning that it integrates both with QuickBooks and with TurboTax.

The iOS version has a very high rating on AppCrawlr (9.1), but the Android version receives many complaints and Android users might want to look for alternatives (see below).

Get Mint for iOS

Get for Android

AndroMoney

AndroMoney Screenshot

Using an Android device? Although Mint (see above) is the undisputed champion of personal finance apps, Android users have several alternatives to consider. One of the most popular is AndroMoney.

This app gets glowing recommendations from users and has an overall score of 9.7 on AppCrawlr. The app tracks all of your spending and provides detailed reporting by category.

Get AndroMoney for Android

Apps to Help You Stay Fit and Healthy

Losing weight is of course a popular resolution, but for many of us, it’s just a start. A very common resolution is to stay fit and healthy. This requires establishing commitment and good habits. These apps are here to help.

C25K – 5K Running Trainer

C25K

C25K – 5K Running Trainer is a free app that gets you up and running for 30 minutes three times a week, until – after eight weeks – you are comfortably running five kilometers at a time. By setting achievable goals, C25K gets you active and finding time to train, perhaps the hardest thing to get used to as you begin.

Download C25K – 5K Running Trainer for iOS

Download C25K – 5K Running Trainer for Android

If you are looking for more of a challenge, then Runtastic’s suite of apps are particularly good – specifically 6 Pack (iOS|Android) and vanilla While Zombies, Run! (iOS|Android) is a great way to spice up a run workout.

Runtastic, MapMyFitness and RunKeeper

Getting out and running more is a very popular New Year’s resolution. Running is easy to do — our bodies were built for it, after all.

Running is all about progression. You get stronger and faster slowly over time as you increase both your distance and time spent running. Of course, there are several apps to help you track and report on your progress.

The three top apps in this category, Runtastic, Runkeeper, and MapMyFitness all have roughly the same features and functionality, so it comes down to trying them out and seeing which one suits you the best.

Get Runtastic – (iOS | Android)

Get Runkeeper – (iOS | Android)

Get MapMyFitness – (iOS | Android)

Looking for more running resolution ideas for the New Year? Runners World has an article on New Year’s Resolutions specifically for running enthusiasts.

7 Minute Workout

7 Minute Workout Screenshot

Can you get fit and in shape in just 7 minutes per day? Several years ago, the New York Times published an article highlighting the scientific benefits of a high-intensity 7-minute workout and then followed that up with a more advanced version of the workout, but still clocking in at 7 minutes.

There are several apps available that help you perform a 7-minute workout, including one that the New York Times created themselves. However, the most popular one by far is simply called the, 7 Minute Workout.

7 Minute Workout takes you through a cycle of 12 exercises performed for 30 seconds each and very short rest breaks. This is known as a High Intensity Circuit Training loop. It can be tough to perform at first, but hey, it’s all over in just 7 minutes.

Get 7-Minute Workout for iOS

Get 7-Minute Workout for Android

Apps to Help You Learn Something Exciting

The New Year often brings a sense of wonder and excitement at all the opportunities in front of us.

The arrival of the New Year creates the opportunity to learn new skills and embrace new experiences.

We all want to expand our knowledge, so it should be no surprise that learning something new is a regularly made – and broken – resolution. The problem is, when it comes time to study, our resolve dissolves faster than a Snowman vacationing in Hawaii.

Luckily, there are plenty of apps out there that improve the process to fool your brain into thinking you are having fun. And hey, maybe you actually will.

Duolingo

If you’re seeking to learn a new language this year, then Duolingo is a great starting point. Download the app, pick a language, and get to learning with its various touchscreen quizzes. In fact the app is more for homework than anything else, with the main learning happening on the website where you can login for full lessons that will prep you for fun learning on the app.

Get Duolingo for iOS

Get Duolingo for Android

Khan Academy

If language isn’t your focus, then Kahn Academy offers hundreds of lectures and seminars around dozens of subjects to expand your mind. From physics to art history, this completely free learning platform will make sure you are fully versed on every topic you are interested in.

Get Khan Academy for iOS

Get Khan Academy for Android

Apps to Help You Quit Smoking

Smoking is a tough habit to tackle, and that’s why quitting smoking shows up near the top of the list of New Year’s Resolutions every year. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. It claims more than 480,000 lives every year.

It’s no wonder that so many people are motivated to quit. And once again, there are several apps that can help you out.

Quit Smoking Now with Max Kirsten

Quit Smoking Now Screenshot

Max Kirsten is a UK-based columnist and self-help expert who has built a loyal following, and most importantly, a long list of successful quitters that include celebrities like Ewan McGregor and Adele. This app remains steadily popular with over 480 ratings and a 9.9 score on AppCrawlr.

Users have called it, “life changing.” It sells in the App Store for $6.99.

Get Quit Smoking Now for iOS

Get Rich or Die Smoking

This insanely popular anti-smoking app for Android has over 10,000 ratings and a 9.8 score on AppCrawlr. Despite the quirky name, it has an almost cult-like following. Fans call it everything from, “Really inspiring and a great motivator” to “The best stop smoking app I could find.”

The app combines practical quitting advice along with a sophisticated rewards system to keep you motivated. Most importantly, the app recognizes that it’s tough to go it alone and brings together a solid community via a chat system where you can interact live with other real people trying to quit smoking.

Download Get Rich or Die Smoking for Android

LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach

This popular iOS app from the health and fitness gurus at LIVESTRONG.com combines a physician-approved process and a personalized plan to set you up for greater success when trying to quit smoking. It features rewards and badges, motivational tips and even charts and graphs of your consumption history so that you can track your progress towards quitting.

The app is completely free to use and offers the ability to purchase an in-app item to remove advertisements.

Get LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach for iOS

Smoke Free

smokefree

Much like the fitness focused apps we looked at previously, Smoke Free tracks multiple metrics to keep you focused and on track. These include the money you have saved, the hours of your life you have – in theory – reclaimed, and your general health.

Much of this is theoretical, but tracking things other than how many days you have gone without a cigarette is certainly a good way to stop you from fixating on what you are missing and focus on the benefits. Plus tracking it all on your phone keeps your hands busy.

Smoke Free has over 11,000 ratings and maintains a 9.1 overall score on AppCrawlr.

Get Smoke Free for iOS

Get Smoke Free for Android

Want to see more? Check out AppCrawlr’s complete list of apps for Quitting Smoking on Android and Quitting Smoking on iOS.

In Conclusion…

There you have it: an exhaustive list of apps that can help you get going and stay focused on achieving some of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions.

Remember that no matter what your resolutions might be, you’ll improve your chances of success if you set realistic goals and stay focused on achieving small wins. The apps we’ve highlighted in this article will help you get there.

Don’t forget to celebrate your many accomplishments along the way. And most of all, have a Happy New Year!

Softonic Editorial Team

Softonic Editorial Team

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