As the new year approaches, many of us remember all the things we accomplished this year (getting a promotion, being more productive, or even getting places on time), as well as the things we couldn't do. (There may or may not be a barely used folding WalkingPad collecting dust in my closet.) The month of January is as good an excuse as any to start the year off right and generally improve your well-being.
According to a new survey of 1,000 American adult respondents, conducted by YouGov, the most common resolutions for 2024 are to save more money, improve your physical health, and simply be a happier person. No matter what your goals are, there are hundreds of apps that can be great tools to achieve your goals.
We've compiled a list of our top picks for you to try, from fitness trackers and budgeting tools to book management apps and more.
Image credits: gola
It's fitting to start this list with an app that can really help you create and track your 2024 resolutions.
Aptly named, Gola is a personalized goal tracking app where you can enter goals in a customizable template, view your progress on a graph, receive reminders via notifications, and more. There's also an ai feature that provides tips on how to complete your goals faster, as well as over 20 templates if you can't think of any goals, such as “read 12 books” and “try three new sports.” The app recently launched interactive widgets that allow you to refresh from the home screen and set a fixed goal, so you always see it.
Gola is free to download on iOS devices. It also offers an annual subscription for $2.99 for unlimited goals and motivation tips, among other advanced settings.
Image credits: pocketguard
It can be difficult to monitor your spending habits across multiple credit cards and bank accounts. For overspenders struggling to save money, PocketGuard is a budgeting app that features an automated savings tool so you can regularly transfer money to linked bank accounts and offers a bill payment tracker, spreadsheets so you can view your transaction history and the ability to create a budget strategy. An “In My Pocket” feature tells you how much spending money you have.
PocketGuard is free to use. However, there's also a $4.99 monthly premium version, which lets you set as many savings goals and budget categories as you want, set up auto-repeat bills, and more.
Image credits: smart gym
SmartGym is an ai-powered personal trainer that generates personalized workout routines based on whether you have a gym membership or work out at home, what equipment is available, the areas you want to target, and how much time you want to spend each week to it. to achieve your fitness goals. The app also lets you see your weekly training history, your average heart rate, and how many calories you've burned.
The free version of SmartGym offers two workouts, while the subscription ($59.99/year) gives you unlimited workouts. The application has more than 130 pre-designed workouts and more than 690 exercises.
Image credits: Application block
It may seem ironic that you have to download an app to reduce screen time, but app blockers are actually a great way to limit the time you spend on social media or other apps that take over your life. Users aged 16 to 64 spent more than six hours per day on their phones in 2023, according to Data Reportal.
AppBlock helps you reduce your screen time by blocking apps that you find distracting. You can set custom times for when apps are locked to ensure you're productive throughout the day. During these times, apps cannot open or interrupt you with notifications. You can also block specific websites or phrases in Safari. Additionally, AppBlock offers parental control settings, a “Strict Mode” and usage statistics.
Image credits: sunny side
If you're looking to cut back on alcohol this year, Sunnyside is a helpful tool for learning new healthy drinking habits. The mindful drinking app offers a judgment-free zone so you can track the number of alcoholic drinks consumed per week, as well as send SMS reminders, receive personalized advice, chat with the Sunnyside community and more.
Sunnyside charges quite a bit of money if you want to use the app ($99 a year), which means you have to be very dedicated to make it worth it. There is also a 15-day trial.
Image credits: libretto
Let's take a wild guess and say you'll probably read fewer books in 2023 than you expected. With Bookly, you can now set an annual goal and meet it thanks to its countdown feature, streaks, in-app timer for daily reading sessions, as well as reading statistics so you can see your total reading time, the number of pages reads, reading speed and more. Bookly can also play ambient sounds while you read. Additionally, there is a notes section to record your thoughts about the book or write down your favorite quotes.
Bookly offers a free version that allows you to keep up to 10 titles in your collection. If you want to expand your collection (without deleting books), Bookly offers a $4.99 subscription.
