4 great apps for habit forming and keeping your New Year resolutions

It takes 21 days to form a habit, which means that no positive change is instantaneous.

For those initial 21 days in particular, you need some form of reminder to encourage you to follow whatever that new plan is, whether it’s to go for a run or simply to take a photo each day.

While no app can actually force you to complete such tasks, there are many great ways in which they can remind and encourage you. Here are some of the top picks. The best

Coach.me - formerly known as Lift - does it all. With a mixture of free goal tracking and paid coaching, it’ll get you on track.

You simply choose what goals you want to work towards, like improving your fitness, relationships, or learning a skill, then you can track your progress step-by-step using the app’s community features.

Want to pay someone to further entice you? There are options for that too, but often simply having somewhere to track your progression makes all the difference.

The rest

Optimized is there for those who love to back things up with figures. You can use it to track all your everyday activities like going for a walk, eating, your weight, and even your stress levels.

Most importantly, it gives you a place to give yourself a virtual tick each time you complete an activity, building up that habit forming urge.

It’ll integrate with Fitbit and Jawbone UP too, meaning you’ll know exactly how far you’ve traveled each day. It uses that knowledge to offer personalized advice on where you can improve facets of your life.

Encouraging you to complete various streaks, Habit List taps into your urge to build a routine. The app only ever shows you what you’re due to complete that day, meaning you’ll never be overwhelmed by the week’s plan.

With flexible scheduling, it’ll give you time off as and when you need it too. Earning badges should keep you on track though.

With a focus on the ‘little’ things, Balanced offers up 50 suggested activities based around boosting your happiness. You can easily choose how often you want to complete them, right down to twice a year if you so choose.

Succeed at something? There’s a handy victory button, throwing positive feedback your way and making you feel good about yourself.