January is when Americans typically set resolutions and goals for the year ahead. A Statista survey revealed the top resolutions for 2024:

1. Save more money
2. Exercise more
3. Eat Healthier
4. Spend more time with family and friends
5. Lose weight (Baby Boomers’ top resolution)
6. Reduce Spending
7. Spend less time on social media
8. Reduce job stress

Yet, a recent article from Ohio State University stated that only nine percent of Americans who make resolutions keep them. The article continued with more discouraging statistics, as 43% abandoned their resolutions before the end of the month, of which 23% jumped ship in the first week! If you’re already wavering, don’t fret; Senior Planet researched some of the most popular applications to help older adults accomplish their goals for 2025.

Keeping Resolutions

• Todoist – (free or $6.00/month)

Usable on or off the job, Todoist is a user-friendly platform that lets a subscriber set goals and add reminders and recurring due dates.

• Way of Life – ($6.00/month)

A habit tracker with a 4.8 rating from over 4,500 reviews gamifies the achievement of daily habits by encouraging users to create a chain of successes. It also includes detailed analytics and a journal for users to document their questions.

Save More Money/Reduce Expenses

• Qapital (Pricing Tier: $3, $6 or $12/month)

Saving money was the number one resolution for 2024. Qapital allows users to “set and forget their finances” with tools for saving and investing automatically, setting money goals, and more.

• Rocket Money ($4 to $12/month)

Budgeting is an integral part of reducing expenses. Rocket Money offers budgeting tools, bill negotiation services, income analysis, and the ability to review and eliminate recurring fees.

Lose Weight/Eat Healthier

• MyFitnessPal ($9.99/month)

MyFitnessPall tracks exercise, food intake, and fasting, providing personal insights that help users understand what’s working, enabling them to change habits to meet their goals.

• WeightWatchers ($20.00 – $45.00/month)

WeightWatchers (WW), developed in the 1950s and popularized in the 1960s, has around 3.8 to 4 million subscribers globally. The program uses a point system and offers an app featuring recipes, 24/7 live coaching, a barcode scanner, a weight tracker, and access to registered dietitians for personalized meal plans.

Exercise/Reduce Stress

• Senior Planet virtual fitness and wellness classes (Free)

The platform offers fitness and wellness classes for older adults, covering free weights, barre, tai chi, the fan-favorite Morning Stretch workouts, and more. Senior Planet even hosts a popular monthly dance party online.

• SmartGym (Free or $59.99/year)

This app provides an artificial intelligence personal trainer that creates personal workouts based on where users work out, what areas they want to target, and how much of a time commitment they’ll make to achieve their fitness goals.

More Face-to-face, Less Screen Time

• AppBlock ($4.99/month)

In 2023, users aged 16 to 64 spent over six hours daily on their phones. AppBlock helps reduce screen time by blocking distracting applications. Users can set their own rules for screen time and app blocking.

• One Sec (Free or $2.99/month)

This app operates on a “look before you leap” strategy, giving users a 10-second delay from when they tap an app to when it opens. It includes a notification for how many times a user attempted to open the app in the last 24 hours.

YOUR TURN

Do you have a tech resolution that you’d like to accomplish this year? Maybe it’s finally setting up a password manager or hosting a Zoom meeting with friends. Submit your tech resolution online to have a technology trainer from the Senior Planet hotline give you a call to help you reach your goals. Submit here: seniorplanet.org/tech-resolutions

…and if you have any non-tech resolutions and use an app to help, let us know in the comments!

Deborah Reale is a digital marketing and communications consultant specializing in social media, analytics, content writing, and editing. Ms. Reale has written for Business Development Magazine, Construction Industry Today, and quoted in Investor’s Business Daily and the book Social Media in Action. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a graduate degree in business administration.