We all set goals - business and personal. Goals may vary in complexity, size or due dates. However, they have one thing in common – if we do not follow our goals, we are doomed to failure.
Therefore, it is not enough to just set a goal and sit back - setting a goal is only half the job. In order to make progress towards achieving them, you must carefully monitor the progress of your goals.
How can we effectively track goals?
While a simple pen and paper might work for some – most people would still opt for a computer tracking system or smartphone app.
In fact, according to a two-year study of 811 people with weight problems, using a computer tracking system helped them achieve their ultimate goal of losing excess weight.
Participants used different tracking software to record food intake and physical activity. This led to increased weight loss compared to participants who used such software less.
Copyright TechPlanet.today
Goal-tracking tools, therefore, allow us to self-monitor our behavior while providing direct feedback on our progress and motivating us to achieve more.
Who can use the goal trackers?
The other day, out of the blue, my mom asked me how many steps I took yesterday. Confused, I replied, "I have no idea." Then she told me I should start using a pedometer app to track my fitness goals.
Inspired by my mom, I did some research - how many people track their steps, i.e. their health goals?
Interestingly, according to Statista, millennials aren't the only ones using different goal-tracking apps every day. Yes, 30-39-year-olds (41%) are among the most frequent users of apps related to health tracking. But a whopping 25% of 50-59-year-olds and 21% of those over 60s say they use a goal-tracking app to track their fitness goals.
Everyone can benefit from goal-tracking tools – as most of them are fairly easy to use and customize.
In the following paragraphs, we will talk about the most important goal-tracking apps that are currently available in the market. These apps can help you track your progress toward your goals.
The best goal-tracking app you can use
Sometimes it's difficult to find a goal-tracking app that covers everything we need.
So much time is spent searching for a good app that we often get tired of testing them and just give up. Then our goals collapse for a while until we're motivated to explore the app stores again.
Only to be disappointed again or settle for a subpar app that we give up on a few days later.
Here's the truth - we don't know ourselves that well.
Because depending on our specifier type and target, some applications will work while others won't.
That's why we decided to test applications that play on different kinds of motivations.
Going through the list will give you a better idea of what kind of person you are and which goal-tracking app will suit you best.
In short, whether they're aimed at personal, fitness, or business goals, these are the best goal-tracking apps in our experience:
- Journy
- Clockify
- Habitica
1. Journy - Self-Care Day Planner
Why Journy?
Journy works as a community-driven accountability app, plus you can sign up for consultation calls with a variety of coaches—fitness, productivity, mindfulness, coaching, and more. It relies more on positive reinforcement.
So if you're not the type to want your boss to email you, and you prefer procrastination battles with like-minded people - this app might just be for you.
How to track goals in Journy?
After registration, you set your own goal to track or choose one of their suggestions. Each goal has a community attached to it - members and trainers. In addition to being a standard goal-tracking app, you can also turn on the "Get Props" option, which allows other users from the same community to check your progress.
2. Clockify — best for detailed goal tracking
Why Clockify?
Clockify was created with the clear intention of helping you track the progress of your tasks or projects. While it's ideal for team projects - it's also a wonderful tool for personal use. Best of all, Clockify is pretty handy at tracking goals, as it gives you an accurate view of your work week. From there, you can see how hard you've worked toward your goal and where you've been wasting time. It's easy and accurate for those who want to track their goal's progress in more detail.
How to track goals in Clockify?
To keep track of your goals in Clockify, you need to set up your goal as a project and break it down into more manageable tasks. Next, you'll start tracking how long it takes to complete these tasks. Clockify will then track the progress of each task separately.
3. Habitica — a playful way of setting goals
Why Habitica?
Formerly known as HabitRPG, it was created by Tyler Rennell who wanted a way to track his goal. Over the years, it has grown into one of the most prominent gamified goal-tracking apps. It's colorful, reminiscent of a medieval adventure game, while your actions in the real world affect your character and the in-app environment.
How to track goals in Habitica?
Habitica lets you create a character, choose a class (wizard, knight, rogue, etc.) and then set the daily habits you want to follow. Each completed task gives you experience points. You can use them to power up and tackle more demanding tasks.
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