New Year's Resolutions 2013

First of all, Happy New Year! Hope your holidays were great.

Another year, another set of New Years Resolutions - typical really, same old every year. Setting yourself targets and resolutions to follow may be the easy part, but from experience I know that sticking to them is a completely different ball game altogether! That does not however mean that we just abandon our resolutions before we have even started, no, that's not the solution at all. What we do is we get help, and what better way to get help if not through the amazing technology we have these days (also known as smartphones and apps). 

So here's a list of the top rated and tested apps that will help you achieve your New Year's goals:

1. Fitness/Health

Most popular resolution (after making more time to see family and friends) is to get fit and healthy. This is when most people join the gym, sign up to a weight-loss programme and/or follow a strict diet plan. Now the problem is that, unless you are 100% determined and strict with yourself, you will probably abandon these resolutions after a month or two, so downloading an app or two could really help.

• To work out for free in the comfort of your own home when it's wet and groggy outside and you've not got the willpower to drag yourself to the gym, get the Work Out – Davina Fitness app for FREE! This app is great as it allows you to choose between different workouts (Cardio Tone, Running Fit and Sculpt Workouts), and it also includes a Goal Planner and videos of all the exercises. 

• Fancy something a little less intense? The All-In YOGA: 300 Pose is the perfect app for a gentle workout and at only £0.69 it's a bargain!

• To make sure you're eating healthy foot and staying on top of your calorie count, the My Fitness Pal Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker is a great FREE app to help you along the way. All you have to do is enter what you eat each day and the app calculates how many cals you have consumed and how many you have left for the day. It's pretty accurate as you can enter which brand you were eating! Most importantly, it let's set yourself goal weight in mind to achieve.

• For new recipe ideas and inspiration, I found that Cookbook is the perfect app. It's FREE and it allows you to browse through thousands of recipes, colourful images and share your own creations too. 

2. Time Management/Organisation

Whether you wish to improve your organisation and time management for personal needs (finance, bills, family) or for work (meetings, schedules). The following apps will definitely do the trick!

• To help you budget and make that pay check last the whole month Mint.com Personal Finance app is the perfect solution FREE of charge. With this app you will be able to see how much money goes out and on what, helping you to budget and cut out the unnecessary costs. 

• BillMinder app is an alternative app for budgeting that also reminds you of bill deadlines, this way you will never forget and be caught out by surprise! This extra feature costs £1.49.

• Want to be super organised and never miss a deadline, a birthday or a bill again? Well then get yourself the ultimate organisation app Things. It does cost £6.99 but it has all the possible features you will need and it is very easy to use. My favourite bit is the Someday feature which allows you to enter jobs that you know you need to do but that aren't urgent at the moment. The best part of this app is that all your schedules and plans are synced with The Cloud which means you will always be able to access this app, at home from PC or at work on the phone. AMAZING. 

• Do you sometimes get a great idea for a work project or for a surprise party you are planning, at the wrong time? Well EverNote is the best app for jotting down quick thoughts, sharing ideas with friends and colleagues. It's FREE so why not give it a try?

• The ultimate app for self-employed! Time Management has never been easier with this FREE app 30/30. All you have to do is enter the tasks you wish to achieve that day and set the time limits. The app acts like a timer and an organiser and let's you know when to move on to the next task or have a break. Never fall behind schedule again!

3. Learning Languages / Holiday Planning

May be your New Year's Resolution isn't fitness or organisation orientated but instead you wish to learn a new language or simply plan your next holiday away. 

Here are some apps to help you learn the basics. They include pronunciation, flashcards, pictures and essential phrases:

• To learn Italian Italian FREE 24/7 Language Learning is a good app to get you started. 
• To learn Spanish, why don't you try Learn Spanish. It's FREE and simple to use. 
• To learn French French FREE 24/7 Language Learning  is a good app.

• For the BEST and ESSENTIAL foreign phrasebook Trip Lingo is your FREE app that includes all the lingo you will need for when you're on holiday (Languages included French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish).

4. New Hobby? Photography perhaps?

Do you sometimes wish you took more pictures to treasure those special memories? Here are the best FREE apps for photography:

• Instagram is the ultimate social app that allows you to share pictures with your friends! Don't forget to follow us (Freshers Foods) 
• Vintique is a great app for editing your photos and making them look dated and interesting. Give it a go!
• PicArts is the MUST-HAVE photography app. You can edit the colours of your pictures, add cool effects and transform your pictures into collages instantly! 
• Pinterest is a great app for sharing your favourite pics that tell a story. Have a look at our Pinterest page for inspiration 

Stuck for inspiration for your New Year's Resolutions? This website is great for generating interesting and meaningful ideas. Have a go: http://moninavelarde.com/newyears/

- The Chatty Pig (freshersfoods.com)