I saw this list of New Year’s Resolutions on the Did I Get Things Done blog (originally from Amazon)

• Lose Weight
• Get Your Finances in Order
• Go Greener
• Curb Your Vices
• Get in Shape
• Relax More
• Pursue a New Career
• Upgrade Your Technology
• Organize and Optimize
• Start a New Hobby

The main reason that I have had a problem with a resolution is that I don’t really think about them much a week or so after New Year’s. A few years ago, I created a small web app for myself to log how well I was doing at keeping to resolutions I was making. A few months ago, I ported it to the iPhone as Habits.

Instead of making resolutions this year, I created a few habits instead. I want to lose some weight this year (the #1 resolution), so I added a habit to run every 2-3 days, to do bicep/chest and shoulder/tricep weight training once a week. I want to keep my house in better order, so I added a habit to clean up and to process my mail pile more regularly.

A lot of these resolutions should just be a recurring task that you try to do as often as possible.

Macworld reviewed some GTD iPhone applications including Habits:

Habits by Louis Franco helps users form good habits, which sounds simple enough. But developing habits requires a bit of time and discipline. It requires repetition and awareness. Habits keeps your calendar free from clutter associated with routine tasks or the general stuff of life.

Habits is the perfect application to make sure that you stick to your New Year’s resolutions, so from now until the end of January, I am putting Habits on sale for $0.99.

I am working on version 1.1, and I will post it at the end of January and return it to its old price. Until then, here’s hoping that you’re able to turn your resolutions into habits.

(The AppStore takes time to fully update — please make sure it says that the price is $0.99 before you buy)

Buy Habits on the App Store

Habits was released last week, but before that, I had something like it on a private area of my website for me to use. This is what my Habits looks like right now (edited for brevity and to remove personal data):

Generally, I use Habits to help with Sharpen the Saw type of tasks — things I want to make sure I do every once in a while, but not necessarily at a specific time. Also, unlike a recurring event in a calendar, I can record how well I do with them (if I do them late, early, or skip them).

Habits was accepted to the AppStore today.

I have been working on my first iPhone app for the last few weeks. It is a GTD companion application to help with recurring to do items with an indefinite schedule. It’s called Habits, because I think it will help you form (good) habits. Soon to be available on the App Store.