Start 2017 right with these handy tips and apps that will help you get - and stay - more organised, more rested, more financially savvy, more mindful - and give you peace of mind about your family obligations.

1. Make a list

The best laid plans don’t survive first contact with the new year, but with a good to-do list app you can set priorities and tick off tasks as you complete them. Here are some apps that check all the right boxes:

• Any.do is a great list-making app with a companion calendar app called Cal (iOS and Android). It keeps your lists synced between all your devices, you can assign tasks and share your lists, and make notes about your bright ideas as you go. Get it for iOS andAndroid.
• Evernote is more than an app: it’s a superpower. It has grown into a multi-purpose app for taking notes, organising photos and documents, and organising your thoughts in digital form. Get it for iOS and Android.

2. Organise your backups

Make sure all of your holiday photos are safely stored in the cloud. While you’re at it, set up folders and scan in all of your important documents such as rental agreements, ID documents and certificates. You can also use a cloud service to store all of your work or study docs. The best thing is, if your computer dies, your docs are all safe and ready for you to pick up where you left off. These are our go-to storage apps:

• Google Drive is popular because it integrates with Google’s other services such as Gmail and Google Photos. Bonus tip: Get yourself a Chromecast, and put all of your holiday pics up as a slideshow on TV. Get Google Drive for iOS and Android.
• Dropbox is a great way to keep all of your documents safe, and it has powerful editing and collaboration features. All of your files are safely backed up in the cloud. Get Dropbox for iOS and Android.

3. Save money

At the start of the year, you’re probably feeling out of pocket. There are some great apps to help you get your finances in order, or simply split the bill with your friends:

• Use Splitwise to work out who needs to pay for what. Use it when you’re dining out with friends or planning a holiday, and make sure everyone pays their fair share. Get it for iOS and Android.
• Do you know where your money goes every month? 22seven helps you keep track of every last cent. It integrates with your online bank account and allocates expenses to various categories automatically. After a month, you’ll know exactly what is eating up your cash. Get it for iOS and Android.

4. Switch to snooze

Sleep is an underrated part of a productive lifestyle. If you get enough good sleep, you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on anything. But if you sit up all night scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feeds, you’ll pay for it the next morning. Here are some of the best apps to help you sleep better:

• Sleep Cycle alarm clock analyses your sleep patterns and wakes you up when you’re in the lightest sleep phase. You can monitor how much sleep you get, and use various sounds or music to wake up. Get it on iOS or Android.
• Go To Bed does exactly what it says - it tells you when it’s time to go to bed. It encourages you to get enough sleep, and tracks how much sleep you get. Get it for iOS.

5. Clear your head

More and more people are seeing the benefits of meditation: consciously letting go of thoughts, and finding a way to respond to the world in a more mindful way. It’s like a reset button for your head. Get started on your own meditative journey with Headspace, a guided meditation app. Get it on iOS and Android.

6. Sort out your family obligations

Your first priority in the new year should be to ensure that your family’s needs will be taken care of if you’re no longer around. Life insurance is not about you: it’s about your family and the ones you love. 

Taking out life insurance with Vodacom is simple and quick. To apply, just phone our dedicated call centre on 082 13 911 or apply online. We will call you back with a free quote. If you qualify you could be covered by the end of the phone call.

Find out more about Vodacom Life Insurance.

Note: While some of the apps listed here are free to purchase in the app store, you will need data to download and use them. You can buy data bundles quickly and easily by downloading the VodaPay App