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Posted on • Originally published at n8n.io

2021: The Year to Automate the New You with n8n ☀️

The occasional indulgence is a good thing. The keyword there is “occasional”. I have found that with all of the strangeness that has gone on over the past year, it has become easier for me to indulge myself.

Should I go out for a run? No, better “stay safe” and stay home baking the umpteenth batch of decadent cookies. Should I order that amazing new life-changing self-improvement book all my friends have been recommending to me? Naw, I’m already paying for all these streaming services and I’m sure that I will find something to watch that won’t put me into a coma.

Sometimes, all it takes to get out of these ruts is a little nudge. A bit of a prod to move you closer where you know you should be mentally and physically.

To assist with this, n8n has put together a list of five workflows that can help you to meet your New Year’s resolution and start you on some great new habits.

New Recipes Emailed Daily

Many of us want to start eating better in the new year. The holiday season tends to be a time when we allow ourselves to indulge in foods which may not be extremely healthy.
Recipe
Example Recipe from Edamam

The challenge comes when trying to figure out what healthy meals to make. It is too easy to simply say, “I don’t know what to make for supper so I will eat this entire family-sized back of potato chips instead!”.

The Daily Recipe Email workflow allows you to configure what type of meals you would like to eat. It will then daily send you three recipes from Edamam so that you can pick up groceries on the way home and make a healthy meal.

Tracking Your (Crypto) Finances

With Bitcoin reaching records highs over the last number of weeks, cryptocurrency is becoming more and more attractive when it comes to investing.
Crypto
Example AirTable Cryptocurrency Portfolio

Using the CoinGecko node, the Crypto Portfolio Tracking workflow, you can set up your cryptocurrency portfolio! Watch all of the ups and downs as it records the running value of your crypto assets. It also shows you which of your assets are up and which ones are losing you money.

Read More Books

Reading is one of the activities that can allow you to relax, destress and improve yourself all at the same time. But what book should you start next?
Books
Example Book Recommendations from Open Library

A workflow that recommends books to read from the Open Library sounds like it may just be what you are looking for! You can schedule when and how frequently you receive a book recommendation (Friday afternoon, by default). The email provides you with the book title, a brief description, and links to the authors so that you can look for more of their writing.

Automate Your Task Planning

Sometimes we feel like there is not enough time at the end of the day. One of the reasons this happens is because we do not plan or organize the tasks that we need to complete. Often, it is something that is mentioned to us as we are passing in the hallway which you completely forgot about by the time you got back to your office.
ClickUp
ClickUp with Automated Tasks

But, if you set up a workflow that uses a Typeform web form to gather the information about the task request directly from the user and then categorizes it properly into ClickUp, not only do you not need to remember the task, you don’t have to do the data entry, saving you time.

Get Daily Work-Out Encouragement

With so many of us at home or working in offices, it can be difficult to get motivated to get up and get moving. “I’ll just sit here rather than getting up and going for a walk. Who’s going to know?”
Strava
Sample Strava Activities‌‌

If you are using the Activity Encouragement workflow, the answer is at least three people! This workflow monitors your Strava account and checks to see if you have been active enough that day. If not, it will send an email to three of your friends who will reach out to you with words of (we hope) encouragement!

Summary

It is really easy for me to get into a routine that does not contribute to me being the best version of myself. I have found that little nudges from friends, family and, yes, even computers can make a huge difference in shaking me out of my “lather, rinse, repeat” life so that I can pursue becoming the person I know that I can be. My hope is that some of these tools that I have presented to you here can do that for you as well.

Do you have an amazing idea of how to make the New Year fantastic using n8n? Feel free to message me on Twitter or ask for help on our forum 🧡

This post originally appeared on the n8n.io blog.

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