As we roll into a new year, many people are also looking for a fresh start, and they’re motivated to make changes to their personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, many find themselves abandoning their resolutions in fairly short order.
Nowadays, however, we can turn to technology for help staying the course. Below, 13 experts from Forbes Technology Council share tech tips that can help you realize your personal and professional New Year’s goals.
1. Use Specific Apps And Virtual Reality
Tech has the ability to be integrated into daily life, which allows for synergy to be harnessed. Apps can be quick and effective reminders when setting New Year’s resolutions. They can help remind and guide a person through their resolution. Additionally, VR and more can effectively help with resolutions, such as exposure therapy to public speaking or many other possibilities. – Alexandro Pando, Xyrupt Technologies
2. Have A Scoreboard
New Year’s resolutions often fail because we actually forget to do the thing. I’ve found that having a scoreboard can be highly motivating if you have the data. Business intelligence functionality—which we typically already have with other enterprise tools—can more often than not be used to create that scoreboard you need to achieve your work-related goals. Don’t be afraid to ask your data science team to help! – Josh Caid, Cherwell Software
3. Leverage Automatic Reminders And Notifications
Technology not only can, but should, automate a lot of the tasks when it comes to productivity and, in this instance, New Year’s resolutions. Automatic reminders and notifications for to-do lists, or delay-send emails that provide you with capabilities to send certain emails at a specified date, are just a few examples of how technology can assist with achieving certain goals. – Jahn Karsybaev, Prosource IT
4. Use A Digital Assistant
We can add a “New Year’s Resolution” intent to our Alexa or Google Home to remind us on a regular basis about our resolution. First, create the resolution, automatically spreading the goal throughout the year. Check the progress every fortnight. If you’re doing well, congratulate yourself and share the word. If not, find inspiration through quotes and focus on how to achieve the goal using courses and coaches. – Viplav Valluri, Fastlane Americas, Inc.
5. Leverage Google Calendar Goals
Goals—an often-overlooked Google Calendar feature—is a great tool for those who want to be constantly working toward their goals but are struggling to find the time. You can choose how often you want to be reminded about it and it basically works around your schedule, suggesting a good time to work on that goal of yours. – Daria Leshchenko, SupportYourApp Inc.
6. Post Your Resolution And Progress Online
There are numerous channels these days to express yourself. Post your resolution online on social media, a blog, a personal website, etc. It does two things. First, it makes you feel more obligated to stick to your resolution. Second, you may find motivation in people’s reactions through comments, etc. Any basic reminder app should be good enough to keep you on schedule. – Vikram Joshi, pulsd
7. Leverage Primary Work Management Tools
Leverage the tech that you use as your primary work management or collaboration tool. For instance, Outlook has Calendars and Reminders, which are pretty effective to keep track of one’s goals, schedule time and monitor progress. If we go with a tech solution just to keep track of goals, we might not use the tool effectively. – Thiru Sivasubramanian, SE2, LLC
8. Use Artificial Intelligence As A Life Coach
New Year’s resolutions often do not work because people become trapped in daily routine and stop moving toward achieving them. AI-based solutions could be the answer here. I see an AI-based system that would help people achieve their goals by suggesting ways to do that, monitoring progress, and supporting and encouraging them to move ahead in the chosen direction—basically acting as a personal life coach for the user. – Chris Ciabarra, Athena Security Inc.
9. Create An Accountability Partner Tool
I believe accountability is the key to keeping any resolution, New Year’s or otherwise. Having an accountability partner to check in, nag, encourage and reward you is the reinforcement you need to keep resolutions. Tech gadgets can aid in accountability by encouraging you to step on the scale, take the stairs, check your blood pressure, etc. Fitbit, Withings, Apple and Garmin devices all have these aids. – David Torres, Feedme Inc.
10. Digitally Connect To A Supportive Peer Group
Receiving kudos on Strava for physical activity or likes on Twitter when you share your completion of a certification or blog post provides excellent positive reinforcement. Sharing your setbacks among your peers via social media can be helpful when you’re having a tough time, as many others will have gone through similar situations. – Jesse Stockall, Embotics Corporation
11. Cut Down On Clutter
There are countless tools available to help you prioritize tasks, manage your calendar or help you learn something new—all of which may help you keep your resolutions! The hardest part, after choosing your resolutions, may be knowing which tech will best help you truly keep and execute on your resolutions. My favorite is SaneBox—it keeps my inbox decluttered so I can focus on big priorities. – Tammy Hawes, Virsys12
12. Use Wearables To Manage Health Goals
New Year’s health resolutions—we’ve all attempted them, but few of us ever achieve them! Fortunately, wearables can change this. With more capabilities than ever before and sharper data analytics, wearables can give users a more holistic picture of their health. Whether you want to strengthen your heart, eat healthier or manage a medical malady, wearables are here to help. – Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC
13. Use Exercise Apps
If you’ve ever shown up at the gym on January 1 you know it’s one of the busiest days of the year. Exercise regulars also know the gym clears out weeks after that. Fitness apps are a great way to chart a sensible path to achieve fitness goals. There are too many good ones to catalog, but whether your goal is to build muscle mass or run a marathon, chances are there’s an app to help you. – Robert Weissgraeber, AX Semantics
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