Use an app!

Part of setting successful New Year’s resolutions includes being specific, clear, and staying positive. Using an app – especially one that tracks your progress – can help you get into the nitty-gritty of your goals and keep you encouraged as you see your activities stack up.

Whatever your goal may be, there’s most likely an app you can use to help you achieve your goals in 2021.

Resolution 1: Start working out consistently (at home)

Even when gyms begin to reopen, a majority of Americans plan to continuing working out at home. But if you never started an at-home workout routine or struggled to feel motivated, finding ways to get in or stay in shape at home can be tricky.

The Onyx: Home Workout app is like having a personal trainer on your phone. The app tracks your reps, helps you correct your form, and can even encourage you during your workout. The AI provides real-time feedback and adjusts or customizes your workouts using the camera on your smartphone. Plus, the app gives you detailed stats about the bodyweight exercises you do and how you are improving according to a tailored workout plan for your goals. And when (or if) you hit the gym again in 2021, you can take this app with you.

Resolution 2: Eat and cook healthier meals

Eating healthier goes hand-in-hand with working out, and if you want to learn how to track calories and macronutrients, an app is a great tool. With food-tracking apps, like Fooducate, you can keep track of your meals on the go or at home and get a good picture of what your eating habits look like.

Fooducate goes beyond most food tracking apps, tracking not only the calorie count of food but also the calorie quality. The app grades prepackaged food according to its nutritional value and provides suggestions for better choices. The app can also be personalized to any dietary goals or restrictions you may have. By educating you about what food labels mean, Fooducate can help you make better eating choices in 2021 and beyond.

Resolution 3: Manage your mindset

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. According to Mental Health in America, the prevalence of mental illness was increasing even before the pandemic started. Many mental health professionals tout the benefits of meditation for mental health, but it can be intimidating or even confusing to try to start meditating. An app like Insight Timer can help you track your progress as you meditate.

With thousands of guided meditations, you can pick the meditations that resonate the best with you. There are also multiple lengths you can choose from. The app also includes stats and milestones to help you keep track of and develop your new meditation habit. And, as an added benefit, the app fosters a connected community, allowing you to interact with meditation teachers and other students, which can help keep you accountable.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, reach out for help.

• Get immediate emergency assistance by calling 911 if your situation is life-threatening
• If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• For general information about mental health or connection to resources in your area, reach out to the SMAHSA’s national helpline for free, confidential, 24/7 and 365 help for families or individuals facing mental or substance use disorder at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Resolution 4: Build better family relationships

Did your family’s screen time rocket upwards in 2020? You’re not alone. Eyesafe estimated that the average screen time for adults 18+ jumped to 13 hours a day after March 2020. That’s a lot of time looking at computers, smartphones, and TVs!

Too much screen time can have negative effects on both children and their families, including behavior problems, sleep issues, and family relationships. Getting your family’s screen time under control with an app like Moment can free you all up for some more quality time together.

Moment helps you and your family see how much screen time you’re logging, where that screen time is spent, and how many times you pick up your smartphone in a day. At first, the results may surprise you! But after setting a baseline, Moment helps you set realistic goals to help you get those screen time numbers down. By creating a family group within the app, you can work together to keep each other accountable. If you need some ideas about what to do together without screens, check out these five ideas.

Bonus app: Being a good parent and building good relationships with your kids means keeping them safe online. A tool like Bark can help! Bark monitors content, helps manage screen time, and allows you block certain websites from your child’s device. The platform monitors your child’s texts, email, and 30+ apps and social media platforms to identify cyberbullying, inappropriate content, suicidal ideation, and much more – and it sends parents alerts if something concerning is going on.

You can try out Bark today for free, with 20% off your purchase of the full plan. This offer isn’t limited to CenturyLink customers and all plans include unlimited legal dependents and devices.

Resolution 5: Build (and stick to) a budget

Over 60% of Americans say their financial planning needs improvement according to Northwestern Mutual. Regularly monitoring your accounts is a great place to start. While you could do it on paper or in an Excel spreadsheet, a more convenient option is to use the app right in the palm of your hand.

Wally can help you manage all your accounts in one place, track your spending, and set financial goals. When you sync your accounts, Wally instantly provides up to two years of insights on your spending patterns. It also helps you set and maintain flexible budgets by category or need, manage joint accounts, and set goals with specific dates and real-time updates to keep you on track.

Catch-all

If you want to track all five of these goals and more in one place, look into a habit tracking app. An app like Strides keeps all your goals together. Create better habits, set goals, or create project milestones to reach your goals. The app provides detailed graphs so you can get a good visual of how your progress is going and can help you create a daily routine. And to keep you motivated, Strides provides detailed progress reports that show each goal or habit you’re tracking and your weekly, monthly, and yearly progress.

Have a great 2022

Setting an achievable resolution comes down to being clear about your 2021 goals, staying motivated, and seeing your progress stack up. Using an app for your New Year’s resolution can keep your goal with you at all times, helping you to stay on track. What are your goals and resolutions for the new year? We’d love to hear about them @CenturyLink on social media. Happy New Year!