The Best Apps to Keep You Motivated and On Track

Updated 1/2/2019 I was talking with a friend the other day about our mutual new year resolutions and asked her how she’s keeping the momentum going after the holidays. She pointed to her phone and rattled off the names of a few apps, which I furiously scribbled down on paper*. On top of this I did some of my own research to see what could help me stay focused, motivated and boost the chances for success. Although I haven’t yet given them all a spin, I thought I’d share a list of apps that are meant to do things like thin out your schedule and waistline, and fatten up your wallet. Motivation Makers

• Coach.me is a personal trainer, a best friend, and a motivational speaker all wrapped up in one. No judging.
• Habitbull helps you break some of those bad habits, and acquire others that are a lot healthier than, let’s say, scarfing down half a pint of Chunky Monkey at midnight.
• Zombies, Run! will come along on your jog or run, and keep you moving fast enough to stay ahead of an advancing zombie horde. The Running Dead, if you will.

A Sound Body and Mind

• Journey is a great way to keep a journal, jack up your diary entries with video and photos, and keep it all private.
• MyFitnessPal tracks that diet against a database of five million different foods, with a step tracker to boot.
• Weight Watchers is the best weight loss program, anywhere. If you don’t believe me, ask Oprah. Their “WW” app will help you hit the mark.

Simplify and Focus

• Forest: If you obsessively check your phone for new texts and emails and just about anything that happens anywhere on social media, break free and let this cool app help you put the phone down for an hour.
• Pocket is one of my new favorites because it downloads articles and videos all in one spot on my cell phone so I can finish viewing them later. It’s a lot easier than going into app after app to slog through bookmarks.
• LastPass: Yes, sure, I know we make this nifty password manager, but it really does make accessing anything online a lot easier, a lot faster, and a lot more secure.
• Parkmobile – The first time I filled the parking meter without leaving my car was the last time I ever needed to hoard quarters or rush to the car to avoid a parking ticket. There are different mobile apps for different cities and towns, so make sure to use the app posted on the street sign near you so you don’t fill a parking meter in Madison, Wisconsin, instead of the one next to your car in Manhattan.

Financial Wizardry

• Splitwise helps friends, family, and any set of roommates track bills and expenses and avoid those awkward moments like “I mean, it’s no big deal, but remember when I loaned you that $20…?”.
• Doodle – because making plans with a bunch of people at the same time is a big pain, until you start using this app.

Good luck on your new year journey, whatever it may be. And if you give any of these apps a try, I’d love to hear what you think and how they’ve worked for you (or not). *Note to self: replace scribbles with organized note taking app.