Tuesday, April 3, 2012

750Words and HealthMonth -- 2 websites that are inspiring me


This is Buster Benson. I don't know him, beyond the detailed information on his website but he must be a very fun-loving guy, from what I've seen on two websites he has created that I am enjoying immensely.

First, there's 750words. Anyone familiar with Julia Cameron's "morning pages" will recognize that each page is about 250 pages of written words, and she recommends 3 pages per day, preferably first thing upon waking. Buster came up with the idea of providing a website where anyone can sign up and have a blank screen every day for the purposes of writing their "morning pages." He sends out a daily reminder, and he came up with a scoring system that is somehow related to the idea of strikes and spares in bowling, which gives you more points when you complete your words on subsequent days (and the day after that and the day after that). I have done Morning Pages in a spiral-bound notebook every time I've have periods of completing them, but I love having the computer availability for this. It's not a blog. I could relate to what he said about not wanting to put private thoughts on my blog in case I forget to mark them "private." Eek! While I think there is a different type of benefit to writing words down on paper which is also valuable, I love being able to put my lightning-quick fingers on the keys and get my thoughts out quickly. He even tells your wpm, your streak of days, and a few other bits of information. From what I am seeing on his sites, he must really know computers. And he clearly enjoys creating websites to inspire other people through fun.

His second website is called Health Month and is one of the most creative and playful sites I've ever seen to track health habits i am trying to establish. He's made it into a game, which you can play with your friends, or just keep track of your own info. Checking in every day is part of the game and gives you points. If you complete your goal, you make it to the Wall of Amazingness at the end of the month. It's free to use, but if you want to work on more than three activities or habits in a month, he asks you to pay a small fee. All I can say is, both of these sites have really been encouraging me to get outside and exercise every day, to stick with the way I am eating, and to do my private journaling every day. It's only April 4, but the successes I am experiencing are building momentum, and I can see really completing the goals I have set for this month.

Sometimes in the day-to-day busyness, I can forget to look for and enjoy things that are fun, and I am really excited about having these two built-in opportunities every day to log in and smile. They are both extremely easy to use, and I highly recommend both.

2 comments:

Phil said...

Very interesting, thanks for sharing these websites with me. I'll definitely be diving a little further into them.

Mia (Savor Everyday) said...

I LOVE this idea of online yet private "morning pages"! I love Julia Cameron's work (especially the books "Blessings" and "Transitions") - but I've never actually done the morning pages. I think this will encourage me!

Although - I wonder, do you find yourself editing more when writing on paper or on screen?