It’s almost July, which means most of us have long since given up our New Year’s Resolutions. What we often forget, however, is that we can still set goals for ourselves on the other 364 days of the year. These five tools will give you the productivity boost you need to pick a new habit and stick to it, too.
- Balanced
It can be difficult to find a habit-tracking app that
isn’t data-heavy these days. If numbers and charts aren’t your thing, Balanced might be a good fit for you. The app features an aesthetically pleasing and uncomplicated interface that functions on the basis of priorities. Simply input the habits you’d like to improve upon along with the target frequency, and Balanced will automatically organize your tasks in order of urgency. Overall, this app offers more of a gentle nudge than an aggressive reminder—and sometimes that’s all you need.
- Go F#%@ing Do It
For those willing to invest hard cash in their desire to change, Go F#%@ing Do It is the no-nonsense answer. The website’s process is remarkably straightforward—just pick a goal, select a deadline, and create a monetary penalty for yourself in the event that you fail to meet that deadline. No getting off the hook here—you are also required to input the email address of a “supervisor,” who will receive a request from the service to confirm your ultimate success or failure. Achieving your goals is all about accountability, and Go F#%@ing Do It puts that principle to work.
- HabitRPG
Ideal for the gamer, freelancer, or gaming freelancer, HabitRPG makes productivity enjoyable. The service essentially “gamifies” your daily life, transforming tasks and habits into monsters that your avatar must defeat. Slip up and miss a day, however, and your character will suffer the consequences. Predictably, HabitRPG also employs the social accountability concept by providing the opportunity to “compete” with others. Great for anyone who tends to lose interest in traditional productivity tools.
- HabitSeed
This visually oriented app is perfect for users who want to focus on one thing at a time. HabitSeed operates under the concept that it takes 21 days to make a new habit stick. For three weeks, the app will ask you each evening whether or not you were able to maintain your new habit. Affirmative answers cause a little “habit tree” to grow right before your eyes. At the end of that three-week time period, the tree will conceptually reflect the amount of progress you made. There’s also a daily motivating quote, if you’re into that kind of thing.
- Way of Life
With a tagline like “The Ultimate Habit Builder & Breaker,” you know Way of Life means business. As its subtitle suggests, this app is great for users who are as interested in ending bad habits as they are in starting new ones. With a significant focus on charts, stats, and streaks, Way of Life allows the user to record and closely monitor their day-to-day lifestyle with detail that few other productivity
apps can claim. Other features include the option to export data as well as an effective reminder system.
