New Year’s Resolutions? Let Technology Help You!

New Year’s Day is right around the corner. Are you thinking about making a resolution or two? Since ancient Roman times, people have been making resolutions at the dawn of the new year. According to polls and research, there are a number of them that are popular every single year. Since I’m totally into tech, I thought I’d attempt to make a list of apps, websites, and gizmos that might be of help! Here they are, in no particular order…

• Get Organized
• If you’re looking for ways to declutter your home, keep an eye on Pinterest accounts, like this one, that focus on getting organized.
• Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use.
• Catch is a free app for capturing ideas and turning them into action with simple mobile collaboration.
• Springpad is a free online application and web service that allows its registered users to save, organize and share collected ideas and information
• Awesome Note is one of the most visually compelling personal organization apps, letting users choose which colors, background images, fonts, and icons they want to use in their notes.
• Xinote is for taking notes online, sketching, collecting & sharing real time.
• Grocify is a free Web-based shopping list for multiple users, which could be good for a large family, or for roommates. Access it from any computer or phone, even while you are in the store.
• Thoughtback says it will help you choose and organize the thoughts you want to remember. I haven’t tried it, but I’m intrigued. Please let me know if you check it out.

• Spend Less, Save More (This is not my strong suit, so I’ll just share links to some of the top apps. If you need more help, please consult LSK blogger Alesha Graves.)
• Easy Envelope Budget Aid – Android & iPhone
• Nickel Tracker – Android
• EasyMoney – Android
• Mint – Android & iPhone
• IXpenseIt – iPhone

• Lose Weight/Stay Fit & Healthy
• Follow our Health & Fitness bloggers on Live Sigma Kappa!
• Couch to 5K has been designed to get just about anyone from their couch to running 5 kilometers or 30 minutes in just 9 weeks.
• GymPact incentivizes your exercise using real money! Check in at the gym with their iPhone app and earn cash rewards, paid by those who were fined for skipping the gym. (Note: works with RunKeeper, but only if you run/walk faster than 15-minute miles.)
• SparkPeople is the largest online diet and healthy living community with over 12 million registered members.
• Good Housekeeping recommends MyExercisePlan.com ($35/6 months or $60/year), which allows you to choose two to three exercises for each muscle group from dozens of options for a fully self-customized regimen.
• KidsHealth from Nemours, a nonprofit pediatric health organization founded in 1936, features easy-to-understand information — for kids, teens *and* parents – on mental and physical health issues.

• Learn Something
  

  Your local museum(s) may offer mobile apps to make your visit more informative!

• If you’d like to take some courses, but aren’t concerned with getting an actual degree, check out “open source” education like Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare. Check out Creative Commons for more info on this subject.
• Don’t have time to take a class, but want to be educated, inspired or fascinated? You might enjoy TED: Ideas worth spreading. Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world. (And they never last more than 18 minutes!)
• Tune into The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage any evening at 6 p.m. Eastern time to foster your music education. Or peruse their archives to view recordings of previous music events.
• Check out your local museum(s)! They may have a companion smart phone app. The Smithsonian runs most of the museums near me, so I offer their mobile apps as an example.
• If you want to learn more about programming, Codecademy is the easiest way to learn how to code. It’s interactive, fun, and you can do it with your friends.

• Help Others
• Participate in your local Sigma Kappa chapter‘s next philanthropy event.
• Donate to the Sigma Kappa Foundation (before Dec. 31 if you want to be 1 of 1874!)
• Combine your next vacation with a volunteer opportunity.
• Check out HelpOthers.org for ideas!
• Volunteer with the Red Cross or another service organization.
• Get involved in micro-loans for entrepreneurs in developing nations through Kiva, MicroPlace or OptINnow.

• Spend More Time with Family/Enjoy Life
• If your family is as far flung as mine, try scheduling a Google+ Hangout.
• Have you tried Geocaching, the “treasure” hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants?
• Subscribe to notifications from “deal of the day” sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. You might be inspired to try something new!
• If you want to travel, but aren’t sure where to go, visit Last Minute Travel and pick a place!
• It’s always good advice to stop and smell the roses. You can use location-based apps like Yelp! to find out where the closest ones are.
• Put away your technology and spend some quality unplugged time with friends and family.