Don’t be surprised if your Uncle Ed or that girl who sat
next to you in fourth grade end up asking you for help with
sticking to their new year’s resolutions.
A new Facebook app called “My Resolution 2011” is now
available for those who want to save money, lose 20 pounds or
finish that novel they pooped out on, but feel the motivation they
need to accomplish their goals would best come from friends and
loved ones.
Support network
My Resolution 2011 allows users to announce their resolutions on their Facebook Wall and ask their friends for support. Users have the option of keeping their resolution a secret or announcing it.
Trapper Markelz, head of product for MeYou Health, a Boston,
Mass., based subsidiary of Healthways, Inc., says the road to
better well-being begins with that first small step.
"Deciding to do something, proclaiming you are going to do it, and
asking for support to help carry it out ensures that you move
beyond just thinking about it," said Markelz.
Good intentions
New Years is a popular time to take these first steps and make
resolutions to do so in a social way, he adds.
"People are already thinking about their personal health and
wellness, being mindful of what they want to change, and discussing
their resolutions with friends," says Markelz. "MeYou Health hopes
to facilitate this conversation on Facebook and allow people to get
the virtual support of their friends."
MeYou Health says the company is dedicated to helping people
pursue, achieve and maintain a more healthful life by improving
their well-being every day, in small, manageable steps.
They’re also no stranger to social networking.
The company’s main product, Daily Challenge, promotes
well-being by emailing a small daily action that encourages
check-ins and social support. The service has garnered over 15,000
users in just three months since going live this fall.
But MeYou Health’s new product, the My Resolution 2011 app is
the first on Facebook to engage social networks in support of New
Year's resolutions.
