How to Use the Apple IPhone to Keep New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! Chances are that as you reflect on the past year, there are a few things that need adjustment in the new year. For most people, resolutions revolve around health and fitness, finance, or emotional well-being. Regardless of your desires for the new year, if you are an Apple iPhone owner, keeping your resolutions can be just a little bit easier.

For any resolution, there is an Apple iPhone Application that can help you keep your promises to yourself. Getting the application will be the easy part; you have to use it everyday. That is the beauty of keeping your resolution with your iPhone. Because computing on the iPhone is so ubiquitous, it will always be there to help you and track your successes and challenges. Use this guide to help you decide what application you can use to help you achieve your New Year's Resolution Goals.

iPhone New Year's Resolution Tools for Health and Fitness

iFitness [iTunes Link]

iFitness by Medical Productions is a complete database that has over 115 exercises, what they are used for, and demonstration images of actual people doing the exercise. If you have additional exercises that you want to learn, you can update the database with your own images and exercise information. The exercise database is organized by body part or workout.

iFitness also includes a workout log that can track your progress over time. What I enjoy best is the targeted goals; if you want to lose weight, bulk up, or just work on general fitness, iFitness will help you design a specific workout for you. You can also use the email feature to send workout logs to yourself, an accountability partner, or a blog.

My Weight Loss Coach [iTunes Link]

My Weight Loss Coach by Ubisoft is the same product that is available for the Nintendo DS with several great improvments (including a much lower price). With the iPhone version of My Weight Loss Coach, you get a food log, exercise log, pedometer, interactive game, and health tip library. The application offers so much in one place that it takes a while to get into it all. Overall, the software is designed very well and has a very friendly and welcoming feel. The food log has a large library of items, but you can add your own; the same is true of the exercise database.

What I enjoy most about My Weight Loss Coach is the idea of logging your successes over time and the inclusion of a reward system for motivation. I found that with My Weight Loss Coach, tracking my daily diet and exercise was less cumbersome and intimidating because of the very user-friendly software design. Overall, I love this application and it makes my iPhone a very useful health tool.

iPhone New Year's Resolution Tools for Personal Finance

Mint.com [iTunes Link]

If you haven't used the online version of mint.com to keep track of your finances, then you should start now; mint.com offers a very intuitive, comprehensive, and FREE finance budgeting and tracking tool. The iPhone application takes everything that the online version offers and bundles it into a simple to use application that you have at your fingertips.

With the iPhone version of mint.com, you can keep track of account balances, credit card balances, monthly budget in real-time and investment performance. Having all of this information at your side all the time helps you track your financial goals easily which is essential for keeping a finance resolution. What I like best about the mint.com iPhone application is the security that is offered by linking the application to your online information. If you ever lose your iPhone, you can wipe it remotely from the mint.com website.

Spend [iTunes Link]

Spend by Adamcode.com is a very simple budgeting application for people whose New Year's resolution is to develop a budget and stick to it. Spend allows you to set up a budget and track it in real-time. You can enter expenses and income as it happens which is essential for keeping a budget. The instant gratification (or punishment) of watching your income grow and shrink will help change your behavior. After all, if you didn't have a problem with spending, you wouldn't need this application.

What I like best about Spend for the Apple iPhone is that all of your data can be exported as a CSV (standard spreadsheet) file and imported into your favorite spreadsheet or finance software on your PC. That way, your data is never lost, and you do not have to enter it twice. Spend for the iPhone also allows you to set a pin or password to keep your data secure.

iPhone New Year's Resolution Tools for Emotional Well-Being

Twinkle [iTunes Link]

The Apple iPhone is always by my side, and so using it to make new connections and friends is easy. For many people, a New Year's resolution for emotional growth will involve meeting new people or making new friends. To stay in touch with the people I know, I use Twinkle. Twinkle allows an iPhone user to update the micro-blogging site Twitter in real time. The awesome part about Twinkle is that it allows you to track the Twitter Tweets of users in your area. I have connected with many people around me by using Twinkle. I have also found a few good blogs and bloggers in my local area. If you are a Twitterer, I cannot recommend Twinkle enough.

Evernote [iTunes Link]

Evernote is handy for just about everything. With Evernote you can keep thoughts an information collected over every computer you use and your iPhone. I cannot explain all of the ways I use Evernote, but the most important way I use it is for a gratitude journal. Everyday, whether it is on my iPhone or laptop, I make a small note of five things that I was thankful for. Here is an example:

December, 26 2008

Today, I was thankful for...

1. Being home... Safe.

2. The time on my scooter, I loved having a break.

3. Tammy worked so hard on the house today. I am so thankful.

4. Making dinner for my family was a blessing. I than God for the food and opportunity.

5. I am thankful for Steve and Sarah's giving heart and spirit.

The keeping of a gratitude journal is a fabulous way to develop emotional well-being and a grateful heart. Evernote for the Apple iPhone is the perfect tool for updating and keeping your journal growing.