Watches are timeless (no pun intended), dating all the way back to the 15th century. After a slight decline among Millennials, they may be back on the rise with the introduction of the Apple Watch. While watches are great at letting you know what time it is, they have yet to be able to show you how you actually spend your time.
Life Changing Apps (literally)
We all know technology can cause clutter, distractions, and depersonalize interactions...but can also be used to make a positive change on your behavior. More tools/sensors exist now than ever before to help you understand you. By bringing awareness to your behaviors, habits, and even emotions, it becomes tremendously easier to make the changes you seek. We call this process of collecting and evaluating your self-data has been coined the Quantified Self.
This way, or more appropriately ‘movement’, of using data to understand yourself isn’t new. People like Gary Wolf, one of the leaders of the movement, have been touting the importance and impact for over half a decade. While the Quantified Self movement started with hackers/enthusiasts, who created their own tools to help capture their life’s data and visualize it, is now becoming more mainstream with the increased availability of tools like the iPhone and Fitbit. Over 3 in 10 adults in the US are already tracking some sort of behavior. This is not going to stop with understanding your data for your personal gain - it may even be coming to a job near you soon. The implications are endless!
Change your Technology, Change your Health
Health has been at the forefront of the Quantified Self movement, and companies have formed to meet the needs, each with their own nuance. Fitbit manufacturers wearable wristband hardware, MyFitnessPal adds social and diet elements, and new entrants like MYVANA aim to make fitness fun and attainable through bite-sized exercises.
In addition to physical health, another emerging space is in the mental arena called mindfulness. Mindfulness can also be improved through time tracking and time awareness.
At DayPoint, our goal is to make time awareness and control attainable to anyone with a smartphone, enabling all users with these countless benefits.
This upcoming year is going to be very exciting to see what tools and apps come out to help you become more aware and present - time is too precious to let slip by.