7 Free Personal Development Apps That Will Literally Change Your Life
Recently I've been on the hunt for personal development apps that are really going to improve my daily life and sense of wellbeing instead of just take up valuable screen space. And - somewhat surprisingly - I've actually managed to find a good amount that are truly helpful, free, and literally life changing.
I'm not saying literally a lot just to be cute, okay. These are not cute apps. They are literally life changing.
Meaning, if you can follow through and consistently use these (which I think you will because most of them have notifications you'll actually want) you're going to start seeing solid progress in your self-work.
Powerful stuff, my friend.Plus, they are free!* You've got nothing to lose and so much to gain.
Let's be real, you're phone has way more productive uses than stalking your ex on instagram and spending too much money on Amazon anyway.
So pull up your app store, and start downloading some of these amazing personal development apps to start making progress in your life today.
1. Stoic
Stoic is personal development app I’ve just started using. It’s a daily mental health check-in app including things like quick journaling prompts, breathing exercises, a mood tracker, and quotes.
Every morning and evening it will prompt you to go through a few quick exercises to prepare for or reflect on the day, log your mood, and give you a philosophical quote to think about. This app includes a premium version, but so far I’ve just been using the free version and I still really enjoy it.
2. Fabulous
Fabulous is a ... ahem ... fabulous app for setting new habits and routines. Sorry not sorry.
It prompts you to set new habits over time so you don’t become overwhelmed and try to do everything at once. This app is all about taking small steps to building lasting habits. You’ll typically start with something seemingly small, like drinking a glass of water every morning when you wake up, and then slowly progress to bigger tasks.
I really like the fact that you are guided along so you don’t immediately jump into everything and get burnt out and lose your motivation.
3. HabitShare
HabitShare is one of my new favorite personal development apps, because accountability is a big part of my own personal growth.
A close friend of mine turned me onto this app which she uses in her coaching program. With it, you can set daily or weekly habits to track and share with friends. For those of us who need serious accountability to get things done, this app is gold. You can also choose to have private habits that you don’t share for things you’re not so apt to sharing.
If you feel hesitant to try something like this, ask yourself why. Usually it's because we know that if we commit to sharing our progress, we are going to have to become way more committed. Remind yourself that that's a good thing and lean into it rather than resisting it.
4. LifeCraft
This app is a life coach you keep prisoner in your phone for easy access.
Basically.
It’s split into 4 areas: the compass, challenges, emotions, and journal. Compass is where you’ll get daily messages to “inspire, motivate and teach". Then there’s a challenge section filled with different challenges you can start. The emotions section is for mood tracking, and the journal is for daily reflection. They do offer a Pro version that costs money, but the free version also has so much to offer.
window.fd('form', {formId: '5e792aa9ba215b002c9841f5',containerEl: '#fd-form-5e792aa9ba215b002c9841f5'});
5. The Mark Manson App
Okay, this one is just a personal favorite to be honest. I love Mark Manson. He tells me what I need to hear and he doesn’t sugarcoat it.
And sometimes that’s what we (I) really need when the world gets a little too soft on us (me) and we (I) get complacent (see how I drag you down with me?).
I like to open this app when I get in a mood, start feeling imposter syndrome creeping in, or when I’ve spent the last 2 hours on social media and want to wallow in self loathing.
6. Morning Pages - Daily Journal
If you follow along on my personal development challenge, you’ll know that I’m currently working on my creativity. My goal right now is to finish the Artist’s Way, which I started ages ago and then bailed on with two weeks left - oops.
Anyway, part of the Artist’s Way is the daily practice of morning pages - free writing first thing in the morning with no filter. This app sets a daily word count goal, identifies emotions and topics based on the words you’ve used, and tracks your progress.
Now, I have a personal secret: I don’t generally like morning pages. I don’t mind doing them on the weekend, but during the work week it honestly just puts me in a bad mood because I’m rushing to get ready for work or I end up skipping them and feeling guilty. I like journaling at night. It makes me feel much better to clear my slate before bed when I’ve got so much more to say. So yeah, I’m a cheater.
But my point in saying all this is that you don’t have to just use this app in the morning. Use it whenever you feel most inspired to write (or have the time) during the day.
7. 29K
This is an app I’ve only just discovered, and I’m really excited about giving it a try. The app is completely free AND ad free as it was created as a non-profit. And they don’t sell your data either, no sir.
They describe themselves as “a non-profit organization working with leading researchers from Harvard University, University of London and Karolinska Institute - on a mission to make personal growth accessible for everyone.”
Basically it will guide you through individual exercises and courses along with a small group of others. They also host scheduled video sessions for your group to go over the course. That may sound scary, but the most exciting thing about this app is the challenge to become more vulnerable. Plus, you get a greater sense of accountability.
We can't all afford coaching, so this is an extremely valuable resource. If you’d like to learn more about this app you can check out their website here.
_______________
If you have any other favorite personal development apps that I haven't mentioned here, PLEASE let me know! I love finding new and useful apps and honestly it's a whole new world for me. Let me know in the comments or DM me on instagram.
Also, I just want you to know that you aren't alone in your self-work. If you're struggling or just generally lacking support on your journey, please reach out to me. Like I said you can DM me on Instagram - I get back to everyone and I'm here to help in any way possible.
Action Steps
In the next 5 minutes: Go explore these 7 apps and find one or two to commit to.
In the next week: Consistently use these apps every single day for the next 7 days. Most of them are guided and include challenges, so this will be easier than you may think.
Consistently work on: Becoming more aware of your thoughts, moods, and habits. Start to recognize different triggers, negative or intrusive thoughts, and patterns. Some of these apps will be helpful in tracking these things and helping you recognize them.
*Okay, well, some of them have premium versions too but you get me.
