New Year’s Resolution: Find the Apps that Motivate You

New Year’s resolutions are a funny thing because most people make them with the expectation that they won’t keep them. As the excitement of the turning year begins to fade away into the monotony of work and everyday life, so too does our resolve to make this new year the best yet by losing weight, saying goodbye to cigarettes, and making the effort to stay connected to family and friends.

But if you really want your resolutions to stick this year then you need to make a plan that keeps you on track for success, and modern technology can help. Here are just a few apps for Apple devices that are sure to help you keep all of your resolutions this year!

TraxItAll

If one of your biggest problems with your New Year’s resolutions in the past has been tracking your progress in order to stay motivated and see how far you’ve come, then this app will certainly solve your problem. With a user-friendly interface that allows you to enter goals and report on progress daily, a simple system for tracking that involves yes/no answers (Did you work out today? Did you count calories? Did you call mom?) and a section for notes (30-minute workout, 1,500 calories, blood pressure 110/70), and a chart to view monthly progress, you’ll quickly see the rewards of your efforts, and all for $1.99.

Resolutions 2012

There are actually two apps by this name in the iTunes store, but the better version by far was made by 2Morrow Mobile and comes with a price tag of $0.99.

You’ll have to start by entering your resolutions, and from there you’ll be prompted to make a plan of action that will help you to reach your goals. With a step-by-step approach and reminders to keep you on track (not to mention optional sharing via Facebook, Twitter, and SMS), you’ll have a much better chance of getting to your goal weight, laying down the cigarettes, or finally saving up for that dream trip to Paris this year.

Jillian Michaels Slim-Down Solution

If you ever wanted this pocket-sized personal trainer in your pocket, now you can have your wish. With her free app for the iPhone (or other iDevice) you can now take Jillian from The Biggest Loser everywhere you want to be. You’ll get 30 slimming recipes and 30 fat-burning exercise routines with this version (plus daily tips, weekly podcasts, and more), or you can get much more with the paid service. At $3.99 per month it’s cheaper than a gym membership or joining a diet program.  And having a personal trainer in the palm of your hand? Priceless.

LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach

For fans of the LIVESTRONG series of apps, this little freebie will be a welcome addition.  With a simple approach to finally quitting that sets reduction goals and prompts you to track your cigarette consumption, you should have no problem kicking the habit. With more than 1,500 satisfied customers (those are just the ones that rated the app), it could just provide the motivation you need to quit for good.

Skype WiFi

In the world of cheap internet innovations, this could just be the best service to hit computers, phones, and tablets. No matter where you are in the world, if you can find an internet café you can talk to your friends and family practically free with this amazing app. You only pay $0.06 per minute (via Skype credit) and it allows for unlimited talk, text, browsing, download, etc. And if you can’t find a hotspot, it will locate one for you from more than a million locations. So if staying connected is one of the many New Year’s resolutions you’re bound to break, this app could make it a lot easier (and cheaper) to get in touch.