I’ve stopped using the service for now because I find my daily meditation practice far more useful and I don’t have time for both, but I still appreciate the service and hopefully will come back to it when (or if) I have some more free time.

Last month Buster Benson, the guy behind 750words.com, launched a new service called Health Month. It is just as nice and simple as 750words (thanks to wise usage of Typekit fonts!), but the idea is different. Instead of training your writing skills and introspection, you are offered to challenge your attitude towards health. „Every month you have the option of making bets and promises to yourself about what you will “win” if you finish the game with 1 or more life points.“ — as Health Month’s Encyclopedia explains.

You have a wide choice of rules you can pick, configure and try to apply during the month. For example, if you want to keep your weight under control, you might want to limit your dairy consumption. If you are worried about your mental health, you can promise yourself to relax for at least half an hour few days a week, or even each day, or limit alcohol.

Of course, no one’s going to control whether you really do what you promise, but you will be reminded of your intentions every day via email. From my experience, such an unobtrusive external stimulus might be very helpful in establishing new useful habits.

My September rules are:

1. Allow dairy 2 times a week (with exceptions: Dark Chocolate (70%+ cacao, 1 piece a day), Butter, Goat Cheese) — yes, weight control
2. Meditate every day — mental health and self-development
3. Read a book for at least half an hour every day — I’m reading too much books at once, so I have to develop a habit and devote some extra time to get them finished
4. Exercise for 30 minutes at least 2 times a week — daily push-ups are not enough!
5. Drink at least 14 glasses of water per week — though I’ve heard several contradictory opinions about water, still I think a couple of glasses a day can do no harm, so I’ll go for it

Health Month is currently in beta-testing stage, but the registration is open. You can register and apply for the next month’s challenge.

What health rules do you follow?