Whether or not you like New Year’s resolutions, setting goals and pursuing self-improvement is an important part of personal growth. Here in Pitt IT, we know that a little bit of tech can make a big difference in helping to achieve your ambitions.

Health and Fitness:

There are numerous fitness apps that can track workouts and nutrition, from MyFitnessPal and Fitbit, to WW and Noom. Wearable tech can be helpful by providing real-time data about your daily activity. There are also tech resources to help you achieve better health here at at Pitt!

The Campus Recreation member portal at my.rec.pitt.edu is your one-stop shop for information about facilities, classes, clubs, and programs to help you achieve your health goals. Download the Pitt Campus Rec App from the Pitt App Center or directly from the Apple App Store or Google Play (search for “Pitt Campus Rec”) for fitness on the go. You can use the app to scan into facilities, register for programs, view facility information/schedules, receive important updates, and more!

Mental Health and Well-Being:

People often focus on physical health and diet when making resolutions, but your mental well-being is just as important. The are many meditation apps (like Headspace or Calm), as well as online journals and support communities.

Pitt participates in several mental health services that can be a huge help. Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) is a confidential online library of interactive, self-help tools. It can help you to better understand and manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. TAO is available to students, faculty, and staff.

Togetherall is a free peer-to-peer online student community specifically for mental health and well-being concerns. Togetherall is available 24/7 and is monitored by trained clinicians. Whether you’re feeling down, struggling to navigate stressors, or just need a safe place to share your feelings, the Togetherall community can help you connect with others with similar experiences and learn to better manage your mental health.

Increased Productivity:

The key component of being productive is to be organized. Utilize apps like Microsoft To-Do or Microsoft Planner to organize your daily tasks and to break larger projects into smaller tasks with concrete deadlines. Creating checklists, sharing tasks with collaborators, developing work schedules, and creating reminder can all help you manage your time and effort more effectively.

Another key productivity tip is to schedule everything. Putting workouts into your Outlook Calendar not only reminds you of your fitness plans, but it ensures that people don’t book meetings that will kybosh your best workout intentions when they use Schedule Assistant. You can also block off time for focused work or brainstorming. A completely booked Calendar can be stressful, so don’t schedule every moment of your day. But having a visual reminder (and automated notifications) can help you stay of track and make sure you follow through on your plans.

Learning Something New:

Whether you’re an enrolled student or a seasoned professional, it’s always the right time to learn something new. Pitt has several online resources to support lifelong learning.

Coursera is a global effort to assist universities and colleges in delivering online courses. Pitt students, faculty, and staff can all access its catalogue. Non-credit courses are free, or you can enroll in online degree programs.

If you aren’t looking for credit-bearing courses, consider dedicating just a few hours to an on-demand webinar through LinkedIn Learning.  With a vast library of video courses taught by industry experts, you can gain new skills at your own pace. Take an individual course or complete a full learning path to earn a certification. Then, add your completed courses and certificates to your LinkedIn profile. 

Tech Clean Up:

You didn’t think we’d skip tech resolutions, did you? Here are some of our best tech tips that you can cross off a to-do list in less than a day, which feels so rewarding.

• Back up your data. Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, stored on two different types of storage, with one copy kept offsite. Download your important files to an external hard drive and upload your files to the cloud. Then, make sure you enable automated backups on your mobile devices.
• Update your passwords. It’s a good idea to update important passwords at least twice a year. Using Pitt Password Manager (LastPass) will ensure that new passwords don’t lead to forgotten passwords! Go to the LastPass security dashboard to identify sites with reused or weak passwords. Change those and enter the new year with confidence.
• Clear your device's cache. Getting rid of temporary files is quick and easy. But it can have a significant impact on your system’s performance. Open your browser and clear your cache. Then close and reopen the browser. That’s it – you’re done.
• Clean your equipment. Another easy one. Power down and unplug the device, and then use compressed air to remove dust and crumbs from hard-to-reach areas; microfiber cloths for wiping down surfaces; and alcohol wipes for stubborn stains on the exterior. Avoid using excessive liquids or harsh chemicals.
• Organize your files. File creep is real. A hard drive or cloud account that is filled to the brim can slow down performance and make it hard to find anything. Carve out time to delete old, duplicate, or draft files you don’t need. Then, organize what you keep into logical folders.

By utilizing convenient tech tools and resources, you can make your New Year’s resolutions more manageable and enjoyable! So go ahead, Panthers – let’s win 2025!

-- By Karen Beaudway, Pitt IT Blogger