This post is written by our regular contributor, Kristi.
Admitting that you have room for self-improvement is difficult, and actually working towards self-improvement can be even harder.
We don’t like to think about our shortcomings, but sometimes we need to embrace our faults and start working towards positive change.
Change and the time to enact that change isn’t easy to come by, though. In our fast-paced and stressed out lifestyles, sometimes we need to look to new tools that will help
If you recognize that you have room for self- improvement, want to create awesome new habits, or kick old ones, but feel short on time, check out these seven apps for self-improvement.
As you use these apps, you’ll start to see positive change in your daily life and see that you’re on your way to recognizable self-improvement.
1) Coach.me – the leading habit tracking app for self-improvement
Do you have trouble kicking bad habits or sticking with good ones?
Coach.me is the lead habit tracking app that will help you. Whether you want to exercise every day or simply floss your teeth more, this awesome self-improvement app makes it easier for you to be able to stay consistent and track progress towards your personal goals.
It’s impossible to improve upon what you’ve never measured, so use the app to check off every day you do (or avoid) your habit and keep track of progress. The app lets you set targets and reminders for how many times you want to do your habit each week to hold yourself responsible.
Use the app to get support from friends and the Coach.me community, ask expert coaches for help, and view weekly and monthly trends of your progress.
Coach.me is available to download on the App Store and Google Play
2) Do! – The Best of Simple to Do Lists on the App Store
Do you have trouble staying on task or remembering everything you have to do each day?
Do! is a perfectly simple app that helps you stay on task. Don’t waste time writing to-do lists that you’ll either lose or forget to bring at all. Use this minimalistic and easy to use “to-do list” app instead.
Do! is a customizable app that comes with a realistic ballpoint pen and paper sound effect, making it feel just like you’re writing out a traditional list. Having your tasks always on hand and the ability to cross things off as you go, you’ll find that your day starts becoming much more productive.
Do! is available to download on the App Store
3) Duolingo – an award-winning language app
Being bilingual offers more than just the obvious benefits in a culturally diverse country. Scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism can have a profound effect on your brain by improving your cognitive skills and potentially shielding against the future effects of dementia.
You don’t need to have hours of free time or a huge budget to grab onto to these amazing benefits of becoming bilingual, though.
Duolingo is a completely free app that teaches you to read, write, listen, and speak in the language of your choosing.
The best part of this amazing app? Research has shown that Duolingo users’ language education is equivalent to 34 + hours (an entire semester) of university level education.
So use those free minutes on your morning commute, during your lunch break, or right before bed to start learning a second (or third, etc.) language.
Duolingo is available to download on the App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store
4) Happier – The App to help you be happier in everyday life
It’s scientifically proven that by developing an attitude of gratitude you’ll feel more optimistic, sleep better, be more creative, productive, and less stressed.
If you have a hard time finding the silver lining in life’s situations, use the Happier app to start recording the small moments you’re grateful for.
By sharing pictures, quotes, and moments from your daily life that make you feel happy, you’ll start to see a shift in your mindset, eventually always finding the good first, instead of seeing what’s wrong or didn’t go as planned.
Use the Happier app to help you work towards becoming more optimistic, less stressed, and increasingly grateful for whatever life throws your way. You can use the app as either a private gratitude journal or choose to make your post public for other users to enjoy.
The Happier app is available to download on the App Store and Google Play
5) Personal Capital – to keep you on track of bad spending habits
If you’re able to see how your bad habits affect both your life and finances, you’ll be more likely to change your ways.
The Personal Capital app is a powerful financial tool that will help you put the kibosh on bad spending habits. By monitoring your spending by category, you’ll see where, when, and on what you spend your money.
Use the app to hone in on those areas in your life where you might be spending too much and give you the boost you need to end bad habits (i.e. smoking, excessive drinking, etc.).
You can also use the Personal Capital dashboard to set monthly spending targets and track whether you’re over or under your plan, check your portfolio balances and allocations, and keep up with upcoming bills. By setting spending budgets, you’ll be able to make a positive change in both your life and finances.
Personal Capital is available to download on the App Store and Google Play
6) Sworkit – the on-the-go workout app
Besides the obvious health benefits, exercise gives you more energy, better focus, and increased productivity. It’s not always easy to find time to devote to exercise, though.
Enter Sworkit (simply work it), the exercise app for busy people on the go. The app gives you access to real personal trainers who do video demonstrations of 20 different pre-built workout routines. You don’t need to have any equipment to complete the routines.
So whether you have 10 minutes before work or 30 minutes at the end of the day, simply pick the part of your body you want to work on and set your time limit. Follow along with either audio or video instruction for the workout routine, and you’ll start to feel healthier, happier, and more fit in no time at all.
Sworkit is available to download on the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon
7) Udemy – Own your future by learning new skills
Self-improvement isn’t only about learning to be happier, getting rid of bad habits, or building good habits. You can also work on self-improvement by constantly learning new skills.
No matter what your interests are, Udemy has a course to help you learn. Use the Udemy app to choose from over 35,000 courses and learn at your own pace while you’re on the go. Whether you only have 5 minutes a day or an hour or more each day, you’ll be able to work steadily through your course material.
Use the Udemy app or website to learn new skills, keep your resume relevant and competitive, and constantly work towards self-improvement.
The Udemy is available online or for download on the App Store and Google Play
Download the apps and get started on self-improvement
Recognizing that you have room for self-improvement is the first step. After that, you simply have to get started.
These apps are great tools to help you get rid of bad habits, build good new habits, or learn something new. Use your spare moments of free time throughout the day or while you’re on the go, and you’ll soon see recognizable improvements in yourself and your daily life.
Do you have a favorite app to work on self-improvement? Besides apps, what else to you use to enact change in your daily life?
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You’ve got some new ones here I’ve not heard of before. I use PC quite a bit to manage our money. I’ll have to check out Sworkit as I’m always looking for new workout options.
My husband uses Duolingo off and on. It would work a lot better if he used it more consistently, but he has definitely improved his language skills with the app.
The happier app looks interesting!
Thanks for this list…some pretty interesting ones. I’ve been wanting to brush up on my Spanish so I may check out Duolingo. Do sounds great too because I’m always making to-do lists.
Great list! I’m such a list person, and I especially love the idea of the Happier app! Will have to check it out. I have used Duolingo before and actually found it to be super fun and easy to learn.
Jaime Donovan Udemy is great, definitely check it out!
FrugalRules Sworkit is great because it gives you the option to focus on a particular fitness set. I like focused routines =]
holly@clubthrifty.com I love Duolingo. It’s actually a bit of a problem. I problem use it when I should be doing other things instead.
Beachbudget I love the concept behind the happier app! No competition like with usual social media, just sharing the little things that make you happy =]
Andrew LivingRichCheaply I thrive off of to-do lists and am constantly losing the list, which is why Do! works so well for me.
Rachel @ The Latte Budget I agree! Duolingo is a lot of fun!
Duolingo is the best! Trying to improve my Spanish one lesson at a time.
Love this post Kristi thanks for bringing us these apps! Interested to know if you’ve used coach.me? I’ve downloaded but not used it yet.. I’ve found evernote is great for recording and tracking things & I use Goodbudget to track my purchases that are then transferred into a spreadsheet :)
I like the happier app! And I have used Udemy. I also find that although it’s not technically an app, Twitter is an awesome personal development tool. A network of inspiring positive individuals can make a world of difference. Happy day!
I use the Mint app pretty frequently. It does well for me. I need to check out Duolingo. It seems like it’s very useful.