Looking to stick to your New Years resolutions? Join the club. Whether it's quitting smoking, losing weight, or putting more into savings, many of us are looking to develop new, healthy habits in 2014, while banishing the unhealthy ones from our lives forever.
The good news is that the human brain is amazingly adaptive. Studies tell us that when behaviors are repeated often enough, neural and synaptic pathways are built and molded, which eventually become familiar to the brain. Hence, the behavior becomes much easier the more times it is repeated because the brain has already developed a shortcut for it.
The reason most people can't seem to stick with their resolutions is that those good behaviors are not repeated often enough in the beginning—the most difficult, yet critical, time. But keep in mind: the magic number is 30. If you can stick with a habit for 30 days, chances are you'll be much more likely to succeed with any resolution long-term. And for that extra push to stay on track through January, here's a list of the best apps out there to help you develop new habits in the new year.
- Daily Budget: For many Americans, getting out of debt and/or adding savings is a daily struggle. Daily Budget is a fantastic financial management app that stands out due to its simplicity and ease. Just plug in your monthly (or weekly) income, set your expenses for that time period, and the app calculates a daily budget. And if you don't use the full amount on a given day, the remaining balance carries over to the next day. If you're looking to buckle down on spending, this one is highly recommended.
- SleepCycle: If one of your resolutions is maintaining a regular sleep schedule to get healthy and stay alert, SleepCycle is the way to go. By recognizing and analyzing your sleep patterns throughout the night, the app wakes you when you are in the lightest sleep phase—a more natural way to start off your morning rested and relaxed. It's also pretty interesting to visually see your sleep patterns over time: when your body typically goes into deep sleep, REM, etc.
- Habit List: This app allows you to keep a list of habits that can be checked off and updated throughout the day. Habit List also comes with reminders that can be set to help motivate you and keep you on track.
- Everest: For some, peer pressure can be beneficial for staying on track. But not everyone has a workout buddy to keep them accountable. Everest incorporates social into your resolution experience by allowing you to share your goals and progress with friends (or strangers).
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Mint: Another wildly popular financial app that can help curb spending is Mint, which offers a more comprehensive look at your finances. Mint pulls in all balances, transactions, loans, and bills, allowing you to view them in one place, either on the web or on mobile. It also monitors where you're spending and looks at trends to suggest new ways to save. - Quit Pro: If you're looking to quit smoking, 2014 is your year! Quit Pro can help by monitoring your progress and helping you understand when, why and where you smoke. It also provides motivation quotes and tips to help you quit smoking.
- Duolingo: Learning a new language can be tough, but the Duolingo app can get you up to speed in no time. Okay, maybe not NO time. But their language tutorials and courses in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Potuguese will certainly speed up the process.
Make this the year you stick to those New Years Resolutions. And be sure to let us know which apps you found to be most helpful along the way.