Another year, another list of resolutions to reach for.
Whether your goal is to bring more mindfulness to your life or to cut out overly processed foods from your diet, you don't have to attempt to reach these goals alone – thanks to technology (and friends).
A wise rapper once said: "You can do it if you put your back into it."
Well, we say, you can do it if you put your app into it.
So without further ado, here are some tip-top European-made apps to check out if you want some help in keeping your New Year's resolutions:
1) Any.DO – Lists, lists, lists
Obsessed with making to-do lists? Then you might want to try Any.DO, a productivity tool for creating to-do lists, managing tasks and collaborating with others on projects. The app is sleekly designed and promises to sync across various devices even when you are offline. Founded in 2010 by Omer Perchik, Yoni Lindenfeld and Itay Kahana, Any.DO is headquartered in Tel Aviv and San Francisco.
Available on: iPhone, Android, Chrome app/extension and the web Cost: Free with in-app purchases
2) Runtastic – Get running
If you've set a number of fitness goals for the year, Runtastic's app could help you reach them. With reportedly more than 100 million downloads, the app tracks your physical activity via distance, time, speed, pace, heart rate, route travelled and more.
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Pasching, Austria, Runtastic offers a suite of apps and products helping users monitor and manage their fitness data. In October 2013, German media conglomerate Axel Springer acquired a 50.1% stake in Runtastic.
Available on: iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry Cost: Free with in-app purchases
3) Changers – Get CO2 fit
Germany-based startup Changers recently released a mobile app to accompany its social energy marketplace, which aims to create more awareness surrounding climate change and lets you produce/use your own energy with its starter kit.
The app tracks your journey and rewards you for each kilometre travelled while riding your bike, taking public transit or the train with 'Recoins' – a new green currency that can be used toward certificates and badges – based on how much CO2 you've saved.
Available on: iPhone, Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases
4) Sleep Cycle – Have a good night
Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling refreshed and being productive. According to Swedish game and app-maker Northcube, waking up during a specific phase of sleep can also affect how you feel when the alarm goes off. Developed by Northcube, Sleep Cycle is an "intelligent alarm clock" that monitors your sleep and promises to wake you in the lightest sleep phase so you can feel rested and relaxed.
Available on: iPhone, Android Cost: $0.99
5) Lifesum – Eating healthy
Based in Stockholm, Lifesum is a tech startup that wants to make it easy and simple for users to lead a healthy lifestyle. The app – which reportedly has 6.8 million registered users – tracks food intake, counts calories, monitors exercise and provides progress reports.
Available on: iPhone, Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases
6) Budgt – Manage your personal finances
Have problems managing money? You're not alone. Developed by Zürich-based independent app developer Sebastian Flückiger, Budgt is a simply designed app that helps you monitor your expenses monthly, stay within your budget and save up.
Available on: iPhone Cost: Free
7) Water tracker – Stay hydrated
Sometimes life can get so hectic that we forget to do the one simple thing that provides countless benefits: drinking water. Enter Water Tracker, an app that calculates the ideal amount of water to drink based on your physical characteristics and helps to ensure you drink enough liquids each day. And if you don't? Its alarm will remind you. The app is developed by Spain's JMSC Applications.
Available on: Android Cost: Free with in-app purchases
8) Buddhify – Be more mindful
Oftentimes, we get caught up in the past or in the future leading us to miss out on what's happening around us in the present moment. Sometime we need a reminder, which is where Buddhify comes in. Developed by Glasgow-based creative studio 21awake, Buddhify is an app providing more than 11 hours of custom meditations for various daily situations to help you become more mindful and calm.
Available on: iPhone, Android Cost: $4.99
9) YOU-App – The power of 'micro-action'
Helsinki-based startup Fifth Corner is behind YOU-app, a mobile app aimed at motivating users to complete 'micro-actions' – such as taking a photo or adding a comment – to empower change in their lives. The company, which believes that "life is the sum of all small actions and habits you do everyday, partnered with cooking celebrity Jamie Oliver for the recent release of its app.
Available on: iPhone Cost: Free
10) HabitBull
Whether you want to form a new habit (such as reading or running) or break a dirty one (drinking excessively or biting nails), HabitFull wants to help. Developed in London, the app helps to measure and monitor your habits as well as adds a gamified aspect to the process.
Available on: Android Cost: Free
READ MORE: Train your brain: 10 EU-made apps that want to boost your brainpower
Featured image credit: FXQuadro / Shutterstock
