Best habit making/breaking apps to set you on the right path for the New Year
- dec
- 29
Habits can be made or broken if you try hard enough and have a little help from a friend.
OK, I admit it, I have some bad habits. We all do. At the beginning of each year, I try to overcome at least one bad habit. Sometimes I succeed; sometimes I don't. This year, I'm going to let my iPhone help me succeed. Here are the habit making or breaking apps that I'm going to use to help me stick to my New Year's promises. Whether you are trying to save money, spend less time looking at your phone, quit smoking, or be a better person, these apps may help you, too.
Momentum Habit Tracker
Whether there is something you want to remember to do every day or something you want to remember not to do every day, Momentum can help you keep track. Did you drink 75 ounces of water today? Are you trying to get into the habit of going on daily walks? Use Momentum as a way to remind you to start theses new habits. Eventually, you won't need Momentum to remind you to do something every day, in which case you will have succeeded in your New Year's promise to yourself.
- Free - Download now
Moment Screen Time Tracker
We spend too much time on our phones. Whether it's for work, social networking, game playing, or emailing, we could all use a little away-from-screen time. Moment tracks just how much time you spend with your eyes on your iPhone screen and which apps you use the most. You'd be surprised at how many times you just pick up your phone each day. For a $3.99 in-app purchase, you can also unlock the ability to create better screen time habits by reminding you to put down your phone when you've reached a specified limit. With a monthly subscription, you can connect your family's screen time habits, too, and help keep everyone more present with each other by setting screen-free timeframes for such activities as dinner together or homework time. If you feel disconnected from the real world, maybe it's time to put down your iPhone for a while.
- Free, with in-app purchase - Download now
Grid Diary
If you are a particularly negative person and want to change your habit of always having a raincloud above you, try journaling with Grid Diary. It's a beginner's journaling app that includes templates for what to write about. It's great for trying to create positive personality habits because the writing templates include such questions as "What did I do for my family today?" And "What am I grateful for?" You can pick different questions and even come up with your own customized templates. The more you ask yourself how you worked to become a better person today, the more likely you will become that person you want to be.
- Free - Download now
PocketGuard
I have a very bad habit of spending money that I really shouldn't. I start off with savings, but spend too much and end up just barely squeaking by at the end of the month. With PocketGuard, you can gather insight into where your money is being spent and see what your monthly cash flow looks like. The "In My Pocket" feature gives you an idea of how much spending money you have today, this week, and this month. You can also ask PocketGuard whether or not it is smart to make a purchase based on your average income and expenses, as well as the money you have at your disposal. For example, if you wanted to buy the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, you could tap "I want to buy" to see if such a purchase would empty your pockets.
- Free - Download now
Quit That!
Sometimes, you just need a visual reminder of how good it is to quit a bad habit. If you are quitting smoking or drinking coffee, you can track how many weeks, days, hours, and even minutes you've gone without succumbing to your bad habit. You can even keep track of just how much money you've saved by not partaking in your addiction. If you break the habit streak, no problem. You can reset the tracker for the new date and start all over again. You can also brag about your quitting success on social media by sharing how long it's been since you did that bad thing, which will help you feel accountable to keep up the good work.
- Free - Download now
Your favorites?
Do you use a habit tracking app to help you make or break habits? Why is it your favorite? How do you make it work for you?