The first step towards achieving something is to set a goal. You cannot achieve anything unless and until you define the outcome. Goal setting is very important, but, at the end of the day, it is only a small part of the puzzle. A part, where most of us seem to give up. We give up because achieving a goal is not as simple as moving from point A to point B. It is more like going from A to Z, with every other letter in between representing a hurdle. If you want to reach point Z, you need something which will hold you accountable throughout the entire process, while at the same time, showing you the progress you have made, so that you don’t get disheartened. That’s where goal settings apps come to our help.
1. Habitica: Gamify Your Tasks
I would like to start the list of the best goal settings app with one of my favourite apps, Habitica. If you were ever a fan of RPG games, you will enjoy using this app. The app takes the game elements from RPGs and combines it with your tasks. In the app, you will create an avatar, get gears and goods, and level up just like in the RPG games. However, you don’t fight opponents to earn experience and gold, you earn them by completing your tasks. There are three types of tasks: Dailies, Habits, and To-Dos. The Dailies and To-Dos are self-explanatory. Whenever you complete them, you earn reward points.
The third type of task is called Habits and it’s where the app helps you build new habits. The habits can be either positive or negative. The positive habit is something which you want to integrate into your daily life like exercising, while the negative habit is just the opposite of that. It is something you want to quit, for example, smoking. The app keeps track of everything and rewards and punishes you on the basis of your tasks. If you don’t complete your tasks on time, the app will punish you by decreasing your health and experience.The punishment part is what makes this app rise above the others for me. It keeps me on track by rewarding my achievements and punishing my mistakes.
Strides is probably the best and the most feature packed goal setting app on the list. While most of the apps focus more on the personal goal side of things, Strides strikes a clear balance between the personal and the professional goals. When you are adding a goal, the app asks you if the goal is a Habit, Number or Project. The Habit option simply lets you choose a habit you want to build. All you need to do, is to assign the time and repetitions for the tasks, and it will keep track of your progress. The Numbers option is pretty self-explanatory. It basically allows you to set numerical goals such as savings, debt reductions, hours of reading etc.
3. HabitHub – Habit and Goal Tracker
HabitHub follows the principle of simplicity and streaks. Sometimes people don’t want something as complex as Habitica and only need something which helps them track their habits and daily progress without adding any bling. For them, HabitHub can work out well. Simply put, the app lets you add goals, tracks your overtime progress and shows it in a very easy to understand streak graphs. You can add actions inside the goals and assign the time when you want to do them. The app then tracks all the data and shows you in a graphical form.
Install: Android, coming soon on iOS (free, $4.99)
If you are someone who doesn’t need just a goal setting app but something which also acts as a coach to guide you on the right path, Fabulous is your best bet. It’s best for someone who wants to bring a positive change in his/her personal life but doesn’t know where to start. The app guides you with small audio and written lectures which are both motivating and informative at the same time. Staying true to its description, the app takes you on a journey of self-change by instilling healthy habits. What’s best is that the app not only deals with the physical but also with the mental well being.
Install: Android, iOS (Beta); (free with in-app purchases)
If you are using an iPhone, Productive, in my opinion, is one of the best goal setting / habit forming apps you can get right now. The app has a sleek dark themed interface which is easy to navigate and move around. You can use gestures to control most of actions inside the app. You can add your habits or goals and then track your daily progress. The app allows you to add reminders for tasks so that you never forget to do them. The app already comes with a few preset tasks such as Health, Fitness, Hobbies etc. You can choose from them or you can create your own goals. I also like the feature where the app allows me to add different icons for different tasks.
Install: iOS (free with in-app purchases)
The top five goal setting apps mentioned on this list will help most of you to track your goals. However, all of the apps mentioned above are paid apps. You can use their free version, but that restricts the number of goals you can track at one time. If you are looking for a free app, which does not have any restrictions, Loop for Android is a great option. The app follows a minimalistic design language with an inbuilt dark mode. You can add your goals and set the work repetition. All your goals are present on the home-screen allowing you to mark your progress quickly. If you want to see your progress for an individual goal, just tap on it. I love the way Loop displays your overall progress. You can see the progress on a graph or on a monthly calendar.
SEE ALSO: 8 Cool Motivational Apps For Android and iPhone
