Apps to help you smash your 2019 goals
Mid Jan, and although you still can’t get a park at the gym, it seems as though people’s ‘New Year, New Me’ enthusiasm is already starting to dwindle.
Whether you’re trying to shift that Christmas pav weight, manage your money better, or find your inner peace, we’ve researched the top lifestyle apps which can help you keep on track with your resolutions and smash your 2019 goals:
Get fitter
Top of the resolution list is the predictable ‘get fitter’ goal, a high priority for many after a too indulgent festive period!
There’s no shortage of fitness apps on the market, so much so that it can be a bit of a minefield.
Mapmyrun is a good intro for people starting out on a new fitness regime; it’s easy to use, and you can track your activity along with your diet and weight gains or losses. However, syncing this app with your fitbit takes some manual effort, as opposed to Strava which automatically syncs your activity to your watch.
One of the most popular fitness apps on the market, Strava, allows you to easily track and share results with friends and other likeminded fitness fanatics. You can join online fitness challenges and teams, where people motivate and inspire each other, making this app a front runner for helping you stick to your new year fitness goals!
Read more books
Don’t know your Tolkien from your Tolstoy? Maybe one of your goals this year is to make more time for reading.
With the introduction of many E-book reader apps, you no longer need to invest in a kindle or hunt out your library card to conquer your literary goals this year.
We like Kobo which has a library of over 5 million titles. Kobo lets you earn reward points with every book you buy, which you can redeem towards your next read. Amazon’s Kindle app is also still worth a download; you can read the first chapter of any book for free to get an idea if it’s going to be your cup of tea. If you’re still struggling to fit in reading time then why not try an audiobook with Audible? Makes digesting novels easy on your commute or whilst at the gym!
Sort out finances
It’s hard not to have money on the mind in January when that post-Christmas payday seems an eternity away! If you’re planning on getting your personal finances in order this year, then you might want to start with Mint.
Free to download and set up, Mint lets you track all your ingoings and outgoings, categorising payments so you can see where your money is actually being spent each month. With recommendations and money saving tips, it can also help stretch your money that bit further.
Be less stressed / more present
Whether it’s work, finance, or family related; stress and anxiety levels are on the up in New Zealand. Almost 60% of Kiwi’s are reportedly stressed at least once a week, according to a recent Southern Cross Health Society Survey.
For many people, a New Year’s resolution might be to manage stress a bit better, with a view to becoming more peaceful and present.
You don’t need to escape to a Buddhist temple for a year to find peace, there are a number of meditation apps which can help introduce some calm into your existing lifestyle.
Calm and Headspace are the most popular, both offering short (10 minute) daily guided meditations to help you feel more relaxed. You can try them both out for free to see which suits you better.
The ultimate app to help you keep to any New Year’s resolution, stickK encourages its users to make a ‘commitment contract’ to hold themselves accountable to their goal. The next step is pretty radical but sounds like a winner to us…you can choose to fine yourself if you slip up or don’t succeed. You choose the monetary amount and the charity or ‘Anti-Charity’ (an organisation you would hate to give money to!) which will receive your donation if you don’t succeed. You can also employ a family member or friend to act as your ‘referee’ to make sure you’re being honest. Now that’s commitment!