You’ve worked hard all year. And what a year it’s been. The economy warming and cooling, increased competition and longer hours. So why not reward yourself with some really cool tools to help you optimize your life? Here’s a top 10 list of fresh and leading edge gift ideas to help you be at the top of your game at home or work.
10. Day One: A personal journaling app for you to document and think through your life. Android | iOS
Day One has both desktop and mobile apps that allow you to quickly capture thoughts, memories, or anything else you might want to journal about. If you are considering a journaling habit and looking for a good digital solution this might be the one for you.
9. Stickk: A smart way to set and achieve your goals. Visit Website | Android | iOS
Stickk helps you set a goal and stickk to it, with incentives of monetary rewards and social pressure. Want to quit smoking or lose weight? Get money and friends involved and you’ll hit your goal sooner than you think.
8. Pzizz: An app that helps you nap and get to sleep. Visit Website | Android | iOS
The Pzizz app has guided naps and also programs that can help you get to sleep. The recordings and soundscapes are amazing and the app works almost like hypnosis to help you drift off into a deep slumber.
7. Waking Up Course: Meditation App Visit Website | Android | iOS
Neuroscientist, author and philosopher Sam Harris has finally released his much awaited meditation app. The Waking Up app contains guided meditations and also lessons that are designed to help you, “meditate, reason more effectively, and deepen your understanding of yourself and others.”
6. Way of Life: Habit building Visit Website | Android | iOS
This is a simple yet extremely powerful habit tracking app. It allows you to easily track whether or not you did or did not do something each day. It also provides insights into your trends, streaks, and overall success in building and tracking your habits. The best part is its simplicity.
5. DailyBurn: Reach your health and fitness goals. Visit Website | Android | iOS
An exercise tracker, DailyBurn is particularly useful as a nutrition log. Enter all the foods eaten at each meal, and receive an overview of how much sugar, fat, carbs, etc. you are consuming. Correlate this to you workout performance and you may find that that double cheeseburger took 10 seconds off your average mile.
4. SleepCycle: Feel more rested. Visit Website | Android | iOS
SleepCycle is an app that measures your sleep quality through the accelerometer in your mobile phone. Place the phone at the head of your bed and it determines your level of wakefulness throughout the night. It also serves as an alarm clock that attempts to wake you at the optimum time in your sleep cycle.
3. Mint: A great free way to manage your money. Visit Website | Android | iOS
Mint tracks your money – all of it. Using the logins from your checking and savings accounts, credit cards and investment accounts, Mint provides an overview of where your money goes every month. You can also set budgets; Mint can be set to alert you when you go over your grocery budget for the month, for example.
2. Lumosity: Improve your brain. Visit Website | Android | iOS
Lumosity challenges your brain with cognitive skill games. Work through each puzzle to theoretically improve your intelligence.
1. Propel Self Coaching: Be at the top of your game. Visit Website
Part personal advisor, part sounding board and part strategist, Propel Self coaching is specifically focused on you and your success. It works with you to identify what you want and need personally and professionally and powerfully supports you in making it all happen.
Whatever you chose, chose to reward yourself. It’s been quite a year and a new one is just around the corner. Now might be the optimum time to improve your sleep, fitness, wellness or personal or professional satisfaction to help you tackle whatever next year throws at you.
Here’s to your health, success and happiness!