The key to achieving New Year’s resolution is regular motivation. Most of us know the steps needed to reach our goals – whether it’s saving money, personal development or planning a holiday – the challenge lies in sticking to the plan.
Any goal setting for 2025 requires determination: the focus should be on improving day-on-day, week-on-week and developing healthy patterns, rather than ticking off an arbitrary goal. As anyone who's tried to maintain a New Year’s resolution knows, this is easier said than done. Maintaining a new habit over months requires regular reminders, a reason to keep at it and intermittent rewards.
In the days of digital personal assistants, portable fitness trackers and cellular eSIM plans, it’s now a little easier to stick to those New Year’s resolutions. Any long-term goal will require a degree of willpower, but the right gadget can help as well. Here, we round some of the most common resolutions and explore how today's consumer technology can make them happen. There's even a New Year’s resolution app.
Improving Wellbeing
Improving general wellbeing – whether physical or mental – is the most common New Year’s resolution. A combination of midwinter darkness and festive hangovers can make it easy to get lethargic, while the third Monday of January is known as ‘Blue Monday’ due to its reputation as the single most depressing day of the year. Making an effort to build a healthy routine and focus on personal growth is a natural response. But where to start?
A fitness tracker, like the Apple Watch, discreetly measures day-to-day health metrics like sleeping patterns, respiratory rate and heart rate, identifying and uncovering stress points or irregular sleep cycles. While this analytical overview may not be to everyone's taste, it can be useful to track progress, receive reminders and see the effects of any lifestyle changes mapped out over time. In recent years, Apple have shifted the focus of the Watch's health features from purely sporting functions to a more holistic outlook - the pre-installed Mindfulness app even allows wearers to join a guided meditation session. Cellular models can also be fitted with an Apple Watch plan, and used as an alternative to a smartphone - handy for those looking to reduce screentime and cut out distractions in 2025.
Getting Active (With an Apple Watch)
An Apple Watch is the perfect fitness companion for experienced athletes and total novices – we've previously discussed the Best Apple Watch Fitness Apps and how to make the most of an Apple Watch in the New Year. The Apple Watch's built-in step counter, GPS and heart rate monitor record dozens of real-time fitness metrics, while the Apple Fitness app and Activity Rings provide coaching and motivation for 12 different sports and exercise types. Adding an Apple Watch plan adds a greater degree of freedom, allowing users to leave their phones at home and head out with an internet-connected Apple Watch.
Improving Productivity
For those looking to exert more control over their lives in 2025, there’s no shortage of productivity aids for the Apple Watch. A cellular Watch functions as a digital personal assistant, providing impossible-to-ignore notifications and reminders for set tasks.
As mentioned in our article on Making the Most of an Apple Watch, they're also an increasingly popular tool for people looking to reduce screen time. This is mostly due to the Watch’s tiny screen – what may appear to be a drawback is a great help when the aim is to stay productive. An Apple Watch screen is nearly useless for major time-sinks like Instagram, mobile gaming or TikTok. A cellular + GPS watch model will still keep the wearer connected – providing a neat stopgap for people who want a digital detox but aren’t prepared for the off-the-grid inconvenience of a flip phone.
This same reason has seen Apple Watch use boom among kids, as parents seek to find an alternative to the potential pitfalls of an internet-connected smartphone in the hands of a young child.
Having a constant activity tracker and reminder at arm’s reach isn’t for everyone. The continuous stream of progress updates and metrics may be overwhelming and counterproductive to personal growth, depending on your outlook. If possible, consider borrowing an Apple Watch or purchasing one from a retailer with a free return policy.
BetterRoaming Apple Watch Plans also include a free 7-day trial period.
Booking that Dream Holiday
The depths of winter are also when many people’s minds turn to travel – whether it’s finally planning a bucket-list holiday or just taking advantage of low-cost flights. Coincidentally, January is also one of the best times of year to book plane tickets.
Airlines and hotels will often drop their prices in the tourism off-season between January and March. Bargain-hunters who are flexible on destination and date can frequently pick up holidays for a fraction of their usual price. Travel can be expensive, so making savings on accommodation and transport where available can make previously unaffordable trips a reality in 2025.
Travel eSIMs
One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to save money on travel is by downloading a travel eSIM. Just like a local SIM card, travel eSIMs let users connect to mobile data abroad, without paying international roaming fees. Unlike a local SIM card, Travel eSIMs can be downloaded ahead of time, in seconds, and activated the second the user arrives at their destination. A significant time and money-saver, they deserve to be an essential part of any international travel or holiday plans in the new year.
January is also one of the best times to buy a smartphone, when retailers slash prices on handsets and mobile plans during the holiday sales periods. Most new smartphones are eSIM-compatible, meaning they can download and use a travel SIM in seconds. If you're shopping for a new smartphone next year, check if it's eSIM-enabled first.
Travel eSIM Plans
Getting Creative
Thinking of making this the year you write your novel? Or paint that masterpiece? Or just get in the habit of drawing more? The launch of the new iPad mini, which supports the Apple Pencil Pro, further establishes the line as serious art and design tools. The intuitive pencil controls and easy-to-use interface make iPads a great starting point for hobbyists and newcomers to digital art, though the high-performance processors in later models make them suitable for heavy use as well.
The iPad Air has long been the designer's go-to tablet due to its HD screen and simple, effective UI. Newer iPad models, from the single-handed mini to the laptop-alternative Pro, are deceptively powerful too.
The iPad version of Adobe’s creative suite, including Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, goes from strength to strength with each app update. The iPad-optimised painting app Procreate, meanwhile, is one of the fastest-growing art softwares in the world.
Newer iPad models can be augmented with cellular plans, allowing them to get online anywhere. Taking an iPad anywhere while staying connected makes it easier to stick to New Year's resolutions - getting online, drawing, and sharing your works whenever and wherever is now a genuine possibility. eSIM technology means users can download iPad data plans from an official Apple Partner like BetterRoaming and get online with their tablet, just like a smartphone.
