2017 already! What have you resolved to improve on this year? 

The beginning of the year is the perfect opportunity to turn over a new leaf and form new habits.

Twelve whole months stretch out towards the horizon, filled with the potential for you to be a better version of yourself.

According to Nielsen, some of the past top resolutions relate to our health. We also plan to take control of our money and spend more time with family.

Here are some online resources that will help you stick to these ten popular new year’s resolutions.

Stay fit and healthy 

Is this the year when you finally show up for your local City to Surf or complete a full marathon? It can be if you stick to your training goals!

Many Australians are turning to FitBit and similar devices to track not only their steps and their heart rate but how many calories they have burnt and how much sleep they’re getting.

You could always gamify your fitness with an app like Zombies, Run!, which encourages you to escape from bloodthirsty former humans.

Lose weight 

There are not many people who don’t finish the holiday period feeling like they could shed a kilo or two.

Keeping an app to hand can help you to stay motivated and stick with your goals beyond the end of January (which is when most of us give up and go back to old habits).

Check out the following:

• Calorie Counter PRO
• ControlMyWeight
• Easy Diet Diary

The apps share kilojoule and calorie information, sometimes with the help of product barcode scanners. They will also give you tips and rewards to encourage you to stay on track.  

Enjoy life to the fullest 

Step one: Pop on some tunes from a music streaming service like Spotify, Apple Play, Pandora or Google Music and pump up the beats to put yourself in a great mood.

If ‘living life to the fullest’ means heading out to events, festivals and concerts, keep an eye on local listing websites to see what is coming up near you.

Sites like lasttix.com.au and smarttix.com.au offer you the opportunity to snap up seats or entry passes at discounted prices.

Spend less, save more 

As the saying goes, there is always too much month left at the end of the money!

If this is the year when you FINALLY get on top of your finances, you might be using one of the following:

• Pocketbook
• TrackmySPEND
• Expensify
• Good Budget

These apps can give you a heads up when you have bills due, allow you to keep detailed track of what you’re spending and connect to your bank account for easy tracking of how much ‘moola’ you have left in the bank.  

Spend more time with family and friends 

Your video calling software is a godsend when it comes to staying in touch with friends and family.

Free platforms like Skype, FaceTime and Google Hangouts allow you to talk face to face for as long as you want, depending on your data limits.

Using mobile versions can make it easier to tackle time zones because you can talk from anywhere.

Get organised 

Life hurtles along at an astonishing pace. It is hard to remember to pick up the milk, let alone to get to that meeting on time! Then there’s the family to keep organised… it all feels impossible.

Some helpful apps and tools to reign in the chaos include:

• Shopping apps from Coles or Woolworths (shop from the bus!)
• Google Calendar (for automated reminders)
• Choremonster (great for kids)
• SuperBetter (motivation to hit your goals)
• Habitica (rewards you for remembering to vacuum the floor)

Make no resolutions 

Not one for goals? There are plenty of other ways to occupy your time!

Download a streaming service like Stan or Netflix and put your feet up!

You could also consider treating yourself to Apple TV or Chromecast in order to connect your TV to the internet and enjoy your favourite websites, apps and photos on the big screen.

Learn something new 

The new year is the perfect time to learn a new hobby. But where to start? There are so many options, many of which are free. Once you have decided what hobby you want to take up, you can browse:

• Podcasts
• Youtube tutorials
• Free online courses
• Online forums
• Smartphone apps

Travel more 

Looking to travel? AirBnb is available on multiple platforms, allowing you to book a stay in an apartment in Amsterdam, a family home in Phoenix or a ski lodge in Switzerland.

There are millions of homes on offer via Airbnb

Skyscanner, Expedia, Webjet and Kayak are all online platforms that allow you to search for the cheapest flight deals. It is also worth signing up to newsletters from your favourite airline to stay up to date with the best offers.

Read more 

Goodreads is the book lover’s global hangout spot. Set up in a social media style, you can post about the books you have been reading, add reviews and create a wishlist of books you would like to read.

Your friends will receive updates about your reading activity and you will also be able to get inspiration on what to read next from the lists of the people you follow.

Join Goodreads for free at goodreads.com

With the help of these tools, sticking with your new year’s resolutions should be a snap! 

Alternatively, you could always pop in your headphones and press play on an audiobook. If you'd like a little info on how to get started, check out our Reasons to read easy article and get listening!