A Twist To Your Regular Phone Use

I love all things technology, I really do! And so do more than half of the 2.1 billion users of smartphones today. I mean with all the new developments, constant upgrades and apps that can do just about anything, it is becoming harder and harder to ignore. Word making rounds is that Apple has new iMacs, Mac Minis and the iPhone 8 for us to look out for this year.

My experience though, is that our parents do not like it when they see us texting away on our phones 18 hours a day. Guess what? There’s ways around that. Here are 10 apps I discovered that will leave you more productive than ever. Want to maximize productivity, there’s an app for that. How about become more mindful, there’s an app for that too. Want to know exactly how many calories are in that piece of pizza, there’s an app for that too. Yes, there’s more to that smartphone than WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook!

Allow me blow your mind away….

1. Cold Turkey

Do you find it hard to pay attention to other areas of your life because your phone is your biggest distraction? Well, Cold Turkey is a free productivity program that you can use to temporarily block distractions so that you can get your work done. And unlike other apps in its category, Cold Turkey cannot be killed while running. Let’s work on that self-control!

2. Coach.me

Want to build better habits? Looking to discover new career opportunities? A coach can help. Powerful questions infuse a sense of possibility and cause the mind to consider new options, thus expanding the mental boundaries posed by previous paradigms. That’s exactly what Coach.me offers!

3. Luminosity Mobile

All work without play makes Jack a dull boy. Why not play a game on your phone that will challenge your brain? Designed by neuro scientists, this app is loaded with games designed to improve your memory and attention.

4. Gratitude Journal

What are you thankful for? Stay positive by keeping a log of the things you are grateful for. Available for iOS only, this app will also send motivational quotes that will inspire you.

5. Brightnest

Want to save more money around the house? Make your home greener, cleaner and prettier? Enter your personal goals for your abode into this app, and it’ll provide you with customized tips to accomplish your objectives, helping you schedule tasks and sending reminders to do them.

6. Kitchen Stories

Do you love to cook? This app is a cookbook in your pocket. It comes loaded with easy-to-make recipes including how-to videos.

7. Simply Being

If mindset is really the key to success, then this little app will help you open that door. Choose how long you want to meditate and start your day with guided meditation.  You can also choose to add nature sounds and/or music to your meditation, as well as just listen to music without the voiceover. It’s available for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Windows and Android devices.

8. Duolingo

This should have come first! It’s a must have for everybody. Duolingo is a free app that gives you free language lessons and in exchange, you help translate the World Wide Web – at your own will of course! Each lesson takes 8 to 10 minutes which makes it easy to fit in your schedule and the unique interactive interface almost guarnatess that you remember what you have learned. Available for iPhone, Android and the PC.

9. 7 Minute Workout

For most of us, it’s not easy to make it to the gym, but 7 minutes is doable. Break a sweat without living your room with 12 high intensity exercises for 30 seconds each, with 10 seconds of rest between them.

10. Beeminder

Reminders with a sting! How’s that? You set goals like losing weight, quitting smoking, reducing time spent on Facebook. Beeminder gives you a financial incentive to meet those goals: if you fall off the wagon, you have to pay real money starting at $5. Available on iOS and Android.

That will be it for today.

Technology, like society is always changing and improving, which makes staying relevant an uphill battle. Integrate tech with yourself-improvement goals and you will kill two birds with one stone.